Tips and Tricks for Mowing Your Lawn
Mowing your lawn can be fun and relaxing. Service your mower before you mow and it will save you time and headaches.
Nashville, Ark. – This is the time of year everyone is beginning to get outside and starting to work in their yard. Most people spend an average of two hours a week working on their yard or in the garden. Although most people do not find mowing as relaxing or fun as working in the garden, it can be the most time consuming. Mowing, if done correctly, is worth the time put into it. If the proper equipment, time, and height of cutting is considered, the overall quality of the lawn will increase and weeds will decrease, making your time well spent.
Does your lawn really need mowing?
Being sure to mow when needed is important to remember. Do not just set a schedule to mow every Saturday morning. Your lawn may or may not need to be mowed. It is important to remember that you never want to remove more than one-third of the leaf tissue in a single mowing. If you are removing more than one-third of the leaf tissue you are causing much harm to your lawn. If too much leaf tissue is removed, then energy is redirected from the roots to focusing on growing new leaves. Knowing the types of turf, you have will also help determine how low you can cut your lawn. Different types of turf have different standards on what height they can be mowed.
Also, the time of year plays another large role in when to mow your lawn. You never want to mow if your yard is saturated in water or going through a drought period. This can cause harm to your lawn.
If you have treated your lawn with a herbicide, you will also want to be sure to not mow too soon before or after the application has been put out. Both can cause your turf to become sensitive or reduce the weed control desired.
Is your mower ready to be used?
Another important tip to remember is to always service your mower before you mow. If your equipment is not in good shape it can also cause damage to your lawn. Be sure and check blades before mowing. If the blades are dull, it will cause an unpleasant look in your yard and the healing process take more time.
For more specifics on mowing tips, you can contact the Howard County Extension office at 870-845-7517 or find helpful fact sheets on our website at www.uada.edu. In the search box be sure and search for FSA6023.
By Samantha Horn
County Extension Agent - Agriculture
The Cooperative Extension Service
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Media Contact: Samantha Horn
County Extension Agent - Agriculture
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
421 N. Main Nashville AR 71852
(870) 845-7517
shorn@uada.edu
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