Lawn watering and cutting tips

Lawn cutting is an important, and often overlooked aspect of proper lawn care. The two most common mistakes:

• The lawn is not mowed often enough
• The lawn is mowed too short

To avoid damaging the plants, no more than 1/3 of the blade should be cut off at a time. The lawn should be consistently cut at least once weekly all season long. Lawnmower blades need to be kept sharp to avoid ripping and shredding the leaves. Typically, blades should be sharpened 2 or 3 times per season. The cutting height should at 2½ to 3 inches. Another good tip is to alter the direction which your mower passes over the lawn. If your lawn becomes overgrown, don't cut it down to the normal height all at once. Instead, raise the mower height to the highest setting, and then after three or four days, cut it to the normal height. We recommend leaving the clippings on your lawn, as long as no more than 1/3 of the blade has been removed. If clippings are excessive, add them to your composter. To help reduce the stress caused by mowing, water the lawn 24-48 hours before cutting, especially in hot dry weather.

Watering is as important as cutting. Your lawn needs 1½" of water weekly. Apply enough water to thoroughly soak the root zone. This means watering all areas for at least one hour, three times weekly. The ideal time to water is in the morning. If you cannot water in the morning, it is ok to water in the evening. Better to water in the evening than not at all. Watering is especially important in the hot summer to avoid drought stress. If the lawn does become dormant in the summer, don't worry. It's just the lawn's natural defense against drought. It will come back as it gets the moisture it requires.

For more information, call us at
 1 (800) 610-LAWN or (416) 261-7848