Mow, Mow, Mow Your Yard
Posted by RS Landscape
It is beginning to look a lot like spring. To me, spring means that my Smithville, Missouri yard is getting shaggy and needs a little help getting back into shape–rather like most of us after a long winter. Is it time to take the tarp off the mower? What do I need to do to be ready to get my yard back into shape? These are all good questions.
First, remember that the weather in Northwestern Missouri may be beautiful for a while, then have a cold snap before spring truly makes an appearance. This won’t and shouldn’t stop you from working on your yard, but just be aware that you don’t have to wait until the weather is nice every day. Your grass will grow in spite of Mother Nature’s variable moods. There isn’t a mandated height for grass growth before that first trim, but keep a few things in mind.
When you get ready to mow, you want to make sure that you don’t remove more than one third of the grass’s height. For example, if your grass is 3-inches tall, you can remove 1-inch and the grass will be fine (although that seems very short to start with!) If you remove too much or don’t remove enough grass, you end up harming your lawn and making more work for yourself. If your grass is 6-inches tall at the first cut, the temptation is to cut it short-short. Overtrimming can stunt the growth of your grass and affect its overall health, just as not cutting it enough can allow for pests to invade. Invest the time to trim it right.
As you prepare to mow remember to do some maintenance on your equipment. Is your blade deck level? If not, you’ll be unintentionally cutting a design into your yard where part of the row will be higher than the other. This won’t look good, especially if you don’t mow in exact rows to start with! Is your mower blade sharp? If you are working with a dull blade, it may not make clean cuts, leaving partially cut blades of grass in your yard. Finally, take a good look at your wheels and make sure that they are rolling freely.
There’s a lot that goes into preparing to mow and getting that first cut right and it can be overwhelming. If you don’t have the desire or time to do it right, give the lawn care professionals at R&S (https://rslawnsprinkler.com/) a call today to set up lawn services!
