Monday, July 11, 2011

Lawn Care: Part 2 Mowing

Why to mow tall.

When I first got a house and started mowing my theory was "If I mow short, then the grass will grow slower. Thus less yard work and less mowing." Problem was that the law was always brown and weeds were rampant. I spent more time than ever fertilizing, watering on dry weeks, and weeding. When the lawn finally got water, the grass would grow rapidly and need to be cut. In short my grass was unhealthy and I was struggling to keep it alive.

Mowing high and relax. This year I started mowing high. My mower has a max setting of 3 inches (wish it was more). The changes were small at first, but 4 months later I am relaxing more then last year. The grass grows fairly slow (having reached its max height). The grass is greener then my neighbors, because the roots go deeper (I haven't needed to water the lawn at all this year). Weeds are slightly less of a problem, but there is always a battle between lawn and weeds. However now my grass is healthier, and seems to be fighting weeds better.

Keep in mind
  • Some southern grasses (that like hot weather) due better at lower heights (2in-3in)
  • In states that get more rain, I have heard that wet grass tends to folds over and needs to be cut shorter
  • here in Wisconsin I keep hearing and reading that 3-4 inches is the recommendation.


Reference Links:
http://www.allaboutlawns.com/lawn-mowing-mowers/how-high-should-i-cut-the-grass.php
http://www.donnan.com/mowing.htm
http://www.richsoil.com/lawn-care.jsp

No comments:

Post a Comment