It’s important to keep your lawn trimmed so the turf remains healthy and strong. But how often should you mow, and at what time of the year? Find out with 5 tips from Essex based turf grower and supplier Paynes Turf.
Tip 1 – Never cut more than a third off the top of the grass at any one time
This is the number one rule when mowing the lawn, and for good reason – when you cut too much off the grass blades the nutrients will go to the tips of the grass blades to help the grass recover. This means that the roots will become weak and slow down growth – this will make the grass more susceptible to weeds.
Tip 2: Don’t mow too low
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is to cut their lawn too short, thinking that they won’t need to mow it as often. However, when you cut the grass too short you will open up all kinds of lawn problems:
- The grass will be prone to the growth of weeds
- Your lawn could develop bald patches
- The grass will be susceptible to damage from drought
- The turf could be affected by lawn diseases.
Tip 3: Mow often (but not too often)
Did you know that mowing grass helps it to grow thicker and lusher? That’s why it’s so important to mow the lawn when it needs it, depending upon the time of year.
During the spring months (fast-growing season) you’ll probably need to mow your lawn at least once a week, however during the summer months you may only need to mow once a fortnight. Likewise, during the autumn months, you’ll need to step up your mowing regime back to once a week as increased rainfall means faster growth. Once growth starts to slow down edging towards the winter months, reduce mowing to once a fortnight and then keep your eye on the lawn throughout the winter months and mow as and when necessary.
Tip 4: Only cut grass if it’s dry
Never cut wet grass – not only will the grass block up the mower but clumps of grass will end up on your lawn, which could make your lawn susceptible to fungus and diseases. Mowing a wet lawn will also result in an uneven cut as the blades will often miss the areas that have been flattened by your feet or the mower wheels.
Tip 5: Mulch as you go
If you’re cutting your lawn on a regular basis there’s no reason why you can’t ditch the cutting box off the back of the mower and allow the clippings to fall on the lawn. These clippings will act as a mulch and allow nutrients to feed back into the soil, which will keep the soil moist. This is especially helpful during the warmer months as the mulch will help to protect the turf from drying out.