Grass-cutting tips for a healthier, happier lawn

Here are some simple mowing tips to promote a healthier lawn:

Mowing is one of the most fundamental practices for keeping your lawn happy and healthy. Keeping your lawn short and attractive, however, is more complicated than just running a lawn mower over the grass; factors such as grass height, mowing frequency, and type of mower used play an important role in the health of the grass. In addition to looking good, the denser grass that results from proper mowing also aids in the prevention of weeds, diseases, and pests.

Cut off one-third of the grass blade

Cutting off more than one-third of the grass blades’ height hinders your lawn’s ability to grow and remain healthy. If you let your grass grow too high and consequently cut off more than one-third of the blade to get it to the desired length, you may damage the root growth—this forces the grass to grow slower and work harder to recover, leaving your lawn vulnerable to weeds, diseases, and pests.

In instances when your grass grows too tall, it is recommended to mow the lawn more frequently than usual and slowly reduce the cutting height until you reach the desired height.

Additional lawn-cutting tips to consider:

-  As a general rule, grass should be mowed more often in the spring (every three or four days) when it’s actively growing than in the summer (every seven to ten days) when heat or droughts slow growth.

-  Don’t forget that with any grass type, removing too much leaf mass stunts grass growth; the plant won’t be able to make enough food to maintain a healthy growth.

-  Try to cut your grass when the leaf surface is dry—this will eliminate clumping.

-  Occasionally vary the mowing direction to reduce wear patterns; grass leaves tend to lean in the direction they’re cut, so mowing from different angles will reduce wear on the lawn.

Grass-cycle!

If you mow your lawn frequently enough to keep it healthy, you should be able to leave any resulting clippings in the grass. Clippings are generally good because they decompose quickly and return nutrients to the soil, with a few exceptions: if your lawn has a disease or contains a lot of weeds, or if a large amount of clippings is produced, it’s best to discard clippings until the grass is healthier.

If you have any questions, comments, or would like to add to this Blog please feel free to drop us a line through our website www.ChrisMarkandSons.com or on our Facebook page.

Best,

Tom Bowers MCLP

Chris Mark and Sons, Inc

Tom@ChrisMarkandSons.com

Contents: http://www.bestpickreports.com/blog/post/grass-cutting-tips-for-a-healthier-happier-lawn

Lawn/Tree Healthcare in the Spring

    Some of the most important work that is done on your landscape is done in the Spring! Limestone and fertilizer are not only the tools used to keep your lawn healthy and your trees growing but you may be surprised to know how much they help the environment.

     First things first, limestone applied in the Spring adjusts the p.h. of the soil as we have all heard but what does that mean? Why does the acidity in my soil need to be adjusted? These are questions that I have personally heard while applying my customers limestone. Well, the answer isn't a complex one. If the soil is too acidic the grass on your lawn will not be able to access all of the nutrients applied by your lawn care professional. This doesn't mean that your grass won't grow but with year after year of fertilizing without adjusting the p.h. there is a buildup of nitrogen in the soil and with our sandy soils in New England we get leeching into the water table. We use a special limestone that breaks down quickly and oftentimes you can see the lawn green up with the nitrogen that was previously unreachable.

     If you are going to do it yourself there are a few things to keep in mind. First thing, it's recommended that 50 lbs. of limestone be applied per 1,000 square feet. You may be surprised how small an area that is! Also when you buy your limestone at the store, check the back of the bag. Most of the time you will find that the contents are 40-60% limestone and the rest is clay fillers.

     Well, I hope this information helps answer some of the questions customers have asked me over the years and please remember, if you have a question and you see me doing an application on your lawn or your neighbors. PLEASE come and talk to me, I won't bite! I do this for a living and I love to talk about what I do.

Bob Barrett
Lawn/Tree Healthcare Tech.
Chris Mark & Son's Landscaping
Lic. # 33096
MCLP #1578