The first rule of proper lawn maintenance is to always keep your mower blade sharp. Mowing with a dull mower blade will cause several avoidable problems such as excessive water usage, increased disease activity, and poor appearance. The second rule is to never cut off more than one third of the grass blade when mowing. Removing too much of the blade at one time causes stress and creates an environment ripe for disease.
Additional mowing tips include:
Don’t cut your grass too short, particularly with cool season grasses. In the case of cool season grass, higher mowing heights provide for a deeper root system and better stress resistance. Make sure to follow the mowing recommendation above for best results.
Bagging you clippings is not recommended in most cases (except for the first mowing of the season on Bermuda and Zoysia lawns when you will need to bag your clippings). Lawn clippings will quickly decompose and add nutrients back to the soil.
Mow your lawn in a different direction with each mowing. Changing your mowing direction each week ensures a more even cut since grass blades will grow more erect and will be less likely to develop into a set pattern.
Keep your mower’s blade sharp, which means having it sharpened several times during the mowing season. Keep several blades around so you’ll always have a sharp blade on hand.
Mowing Heights
Bermuda - 1″ to 2″ (1.5″ is ideal)
Zoysia - 1″ to 2″ (1.5″ is ideal)
Fescue - 2.5″ to 4″ (3″ is ideal)
Mowing the lawn can be a weekly ritual for many Americans. However, each year nearly 80,000 Americans require hospital treatment from injuries caused by lawn mowers, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Avoid mowing when the grass is wet or when it’s dark.
The most common injuries were caused by strikes from debris, such as rocks and branches, propelled by the mower’s spinning blades. The study published in the April 2006 online edition of the Annals of Emergency Medicine, is the first to examine the extent and mechanisms of lawn mower injuries nationwide. The researchers also concluded that the number of injuries from lawn mowers is increasing, with the majority of injuries occurring in children under age 15 and adults age 60 and older.
