Lawn Cutting is an Art Form - How to Cut your Lawn Properly

Articles on Lawns | Topics: lawns, lawn, lawncare

by Quintina Gardner

I bet you don't think of mowing your yard as an art form. A chore has to be done if you have any lawn at all. It takes about 30 minutes to mow your patch of lawn, and most likely you don't consider it a form of art. To have a healthy, hearty growing lawn, you do need how to cut your lawn properly. Lawn mowing can give you a great workout, be relaxing and gives you a good feeling when your lawn is freshly mowed and looking neat and tidy.

When do you mow? That seems like a simple question but if you've been following the same mowing, routine you may not have thought about it. You should never mow when your lawn is wet. Grass doesn't bag or mulch properly and it can cause clumping of the lawn. Schedule your lawn mowing for late afternoon or evening, not only will it be cooler but also it will have had plenty of time to dry from the morning dew or after early morning watering. Another drawback to mowing while damp is that it can spread lawn fungus very quickly. You can do the same thing when the lawn is dry but is much more likely to happen when mowing a wet lawn.

You don't have to mow every Saturday. Some grasses will flourish during the summer months and may need to be mowed every 3-4 days. On the other hand, if there has been little rainfall, you may not need to mow more than once a month. Grass has its peak-growing season and you will need to adapt your lawn-mowing schedule to your grass. Sorry, your grass will not make any concessions for you!

Quote of the Day

I’d take off all my clothes
& cross the damp cold lawn & down the bluff
into the terrible water & walk forever
under it out toward the island.

—John Berryman (1914–1972)

What happens if you have been away from home and your lawn is overgrown when you return home? The worst possible thing you could do is to get out the mower and cut it down to the standard height you normally mow it to. What you should do is to mow one third of the height at a time. If your lawn is overgrown by more than six inches, cut two inches off and let the lawn mower set for a couple of days. This will allow your lawn to recover before you bring it out and cut it again. If you do cut it too short, watch closely for weeds and give it plenty of water. Weeds will crop up fast in a scalped lawn.

Do you mow your lawn in the same pattern and direction every time? If you do, you could be creating streaks and striped lines that will grow back irregularly and look bad. It is recommended to change your mowing direction each time you mow. One time go side to side, the next time go from top to bottom. This cross cutting will help your lawn to grow and won't be matted or trampled in the same place each time you mow.

Should you bag or mulch? That's another good question. You will need to have a lawn mower that will mulch with plenty of horsepower to cut and essentially re-cut the grass to drop back into the lawn. Clippings are a perfectly balanced, slow release, non chemical lawn fertilizer. Best of all, it will reduce your need for fertilizer by 50 percent and its free and natural. Mulching your lawn does increase the development of thatch in your lawn. Thatch build up is harmful to your lawn as well. Make sure that your blades are sharp. Try to sharpen them at least two times during the mowing season. This will keep your mulching mower working more efficiently. If you aren't keeping your blades sharp, then you are tearing the blades of grass and not cutting them. That will cause your lawn to look ragged and increase its susceptibility to disease. If you notice thatch is building up you may want to bag your clippings occasionally. Mulching is recommended during heat waves, after fertilization and during times of drought. It will provide the soil with increased cover to hold in what moisture it does receive. Clippings can contain as much as 80% water and 5% nitrogen with other nutrients found in small quantities and will be continually fertilizing your lawn.

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Please note: All personal opinions expressed in the "Lawn Cutting is an Art Form - How to Cut your Lawn Properly" article belong to the contributing author and are not necessarily shared by FlowersPlantsGardening.com.

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