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Steps to a Healthy, Attractive Lawn

by Lance Walheim

What is it about mowing a lawn - lawn mowing is an easy target for jokes because it's such a common experience. Some people claim to hate mowing lawns. A few people admit to enjoying it, but I believe a lot of folks are what I call closet lawn mowers. In other words, they like the task (or at least find themselves enjoying it) but aren't really aware how much pleasure it provides. Blame it on evolution or our agrarian past, but the fact is, many of us like to mow lawns.

Of course, if your lawn is in pretty good shape, if your mower works well, and if you're pretty clear on the basics of lawn mowing, the whole affair is easier and more fun. This article concentrates on that last item: the basics.

How High to Cut

The best mowing height for a particular grass is determined mostly by the growing habit of the grass; some are big and tall, and others are short and squat. Cool-season grasses, are tall so you cut them higher. Warm-season grasses, spread out more, so they need to be cut lower. But there are exceptions. The accompanying table specifies the ideal height for the common lawn grasses.

According to turf-industry researchers, the height of the grass relates directly to the depth of the roots. If you cut a grass too low for the grass type, the roots will also be too shallow. A shallow-rooted lawn dries out quickly and needs more water. It's also less likely to spring back from drought or a missed watering. Short-cut lawns are harder to care for and less likely to stay healthy. Also, low cutting exposes weed seeds and seedlings to just enough light to give them a foothold. The net results of a short-cut lawn: weeds and weak grass.

The One-third Rule

You'll do your lawn a favour if you follow a simple rule: Never cut away more than one-third of the grass blade in any one mowing. If the grass is 3 inches high, set the mower to cut at 2 inches; if it's 2 inches high, set the mower to cut at 11/2 inches.

If the grass gets ahead of you because of wet weather or your busy schedule, move the cutting height of your mower to the highest possible setting, and mow. Then move the cutting height back to your normal range, and cut the lawn again a few days after that first mowing.

Cut High

Most grasses have a range of recommended mowing heights. Stay at the upper end of that range when the lawn is under stressful conditions, such as hot weather or drought. In cooler weather, you can cut the grass a little lower. Remember, tall grass has deeper roots and can withstand stress better than short grass can. Also cut in the upper range if your lawn is shaded by trees or buildings. The more grass blade you leave, the more light it absorbs, and the healthier the lawn will be.

Setting Mower Height

Setting the blade height is pretty easy on most mowers, though some machines make it easier than others. If you have any doubt, consult the manufacturer's instructions, or ask someone at a lawn-mower shop.

Setting blade height of a rotary mower is a simple process. First, place the mower on a hard surface like a driveway. Mowers vary, but in most cases the blade is housed inside the mower's deck making it impossible to eyeball the height. In that case (after first disconnecting the spark plug, for safety's sake), first measure the distance from the top of the deck to the cutting edge of the blade, and transfer that measurement to the outside. Then use the ruler to measure the distance from the blades to the ground. Adjust the height by raising or lowering wheels until the distance you measure corresponds to the needs of the grass.

Finally, test the height setting by making a couple of passes over the lawn with the mower. Using the same ruler, measure the height of the grass blades. Readjust the height of the mower if necessary.

How Often to Mow

This may sound odd but how often you should mow your lawn depends on how quickly it grows. I had to think about that statement for a long time to make sure that it's true. Sure enough, it is. Of course, how quickly your lawn grows depends on three things:

The Time of Year

Cool-season grasses grow fastest in the cool months of spring and fall. Warm-season grasses grow faster during the hot months of summer. During those periods of optimum growth conditions, you'll need to mow more often. On the other hand, if your lawn isn't growing much faster at those times, something else is wrong.

How Much (or Little) You Water

Water determines how fast the grass grows. Generally, more water (or rain) means more growth which means more mowing.

How Much You Fertilize

The more you fertilize, the more you mow, and the less you fertilize, the less you mow. Think of the story of The Three Bears; not too little fertilizer, but not too much, either. That way, your lawn will stay healthy and good looking, and you won't be mowing twice a week.

When to Mow

The rule is to mow your lawn when the grass reaches about one-third higher than the recommended mowing height. Two things happen when the lawn grows too high and you cut off more than a third of its height. First, when the grass is high, it casts heavy shade on the lower parts of the blades. Cutting tall grass back too far will leave it unprotected from the sun and may result in the grass getting scorched, which doesn't kill it but does leave it looking shabby for a week or so. The other consequence of cutting too much at once happens invisibly, underground. The root system goes into a kind of shock that sets growth back for a few days.

If all that doesn't convince you, remember that mowing tall grass makes a mess. You have to clean up all those clippings, because if you don't, those mats of extra-long clippings smother the grass under them.

Tips from the experts

Keep the Blades Sharp

Dull blades leave a ragged edge at the top of the grass blade, making the whole lawn look brown the next day. Take reel mowers to a lawn-mower shop for professional sharpening. Rotary mowers are easy to sharpen yourself. If you want to try it, see -- Sharpening your rotary mower blades -- below. How often blades need sharpening depends mostly upon the size of your lawn and the type of grass. If you have a small, cool-season lawn, you may need to sharpen the blades only once a year.

Wiry-blade grasses dull blades faster. Ideally, you should sharpen your mower's blades at least once a season. Also, examine blades periodically for possible damage from when you hit a rock or sprinkler.

Alternate mowing directions every time you mow. That prevents compacting soil, and it helps keep grass growing upright, which makes for a more even cut. Try mowing at a 45- or 90-degree angle to your last pattern.

Don't Cut Wet Grass

Wet grass cuts unevenly, and the clippings settle in big globs, smothering the grass. Cutting wet grass also promotes the growth and spread of disease organisms.

Keep the Mower Deck Clean

On rotary mowers, the mower-deck design and the spinning action of the blade combine for maximum air flow to help the grass stand up straight as the blade cuts it. That combined action also helps to circulate the clippings to the discharge chute (or in recycling mowers, back into the blade to be cut into smaller pieces). Debris caked in the mower deck reduces the operating efficiency of your mower, so clean the underside of the deck before you put the mower away.

Maintain Your Mower

Follow the manufacturer's instructions to keep ev running well. Good maintenance means adding or changing the oil and the oil filter on a regular basis, keeping blades sharp, and occasionally tightening nuts and bolts. In cold-winter climates, drain the gas tank before you store the mower over the winter (or add a gasoline conditioner). Otherwise, the gas turns to gunk, and the engine won't start in spring.

Sharpening Your Rotary Mower Blades

Check the owner's manual for instructions, but the usual procedure is:

Turn the mower off, and disconnect the spark plug.

Remove the blade with a wrench, secure it in a vice, and sharpen the beveled edge with a file.

Maintain the existing angle on the blade, and sharpen with a smooth pass with the file.

After sharpening, check the balance of the blade by centering it on top of a dowel. If it doesn't balance, file a little more off the heavy end until it does. Or, forget the whole thing, and buy a brand new blade.

Adapted from Lawn Care for Dummies, by Lance Walheim & The Editors of the National Gardening Association. Copyright (c)1998 by IDG Books Worldwide, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduced here by permission of the publisher. ". . . .For Dummies" is a registered trademark under exclusive license to IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., from International Data Group, Inc.

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