How often should you mow your lawn?
There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to how often you should mow your lawn. Each person has different needs, and everyone’s grass is another, so what works for one may not work for another. Here are some great ideas to help you settle on the best time to mow your lawn.
1. Start by Keeping a Notebook of Your Lawn
You can avoid the guesswork if you keep good records about your yard’s health all season long. A notebook is an easy way to do this. Visit your yard before you mow every time and take notes on its conditions, including whether it looks healthy or stressed out, whether any weeds have popped up, etc. After a few weeks of daily visits, you’ll have a record of what your lawn needs, and you’ll be able to adjust the time you mow accordingly.
2. Look at Your Lawn’s Growth Rate
As a general guideline for how often you mow your lawn, pay attention to its growth rate. If it grows at a somewhat steady pace, cutting once a week is usually enough. However, if the grass proliferates – say, over an inch per week – then you’ll need to cut more frequently than that. Slow down as the season wanes so that fall plants can take up nutrients before winter comes.
3. Don’t Cut off More Than 1/3 of Your Grass Blade at Once
When people ask, “how often should I mow my lawn?” they’re usually asking about the frequency and not how much to cut off. While this isn’t a hard and fast rule, it’s a common practice in proper lawn maintenance: you should only take off around 1/3 of the blade at any one time. Any more than that can weaken or even kill your grass because it will be stressed out by trying to recover from being shorn so closely.
4. Mow High for Healthier Grass
You might have heard the term “mow high” floating around! That refers to cutting your grass slightly higher than usual when it starts increasing in springtime. This encourages profound root growth that’s necessary for plant health. It’ll also result in fuller, healthier blades of grass that are less likely to be damaged by heat and drought.
5. Don’t Mow When the Grass is Wet
It’s never a good idea to mow your lawn when it’s wet, whether you’re using a push mower or riding on a riding mower. Doing so will damage the grass blades and create clumps of grass that’ll dry into an unsightly brownish-yellow mess. Wait for the grass to dry before setting your mower loose!
6. Mowing at Different Heights for Different Plants
When people refer to “mowing high,” they’re usually talking about cutting your lawn higher during peak growing season. However, if you have certain types of plants meant to be lower – like ground covers – you should cut them at different lengths. For example, you might want to mow your blueberry bushes every couple of weeks so that they stay around 4 inches tall.
7. Cut Back on Watering During the Mowing Season
During the summer months, it’s important to be sparing with water whenever possible. Restrict or cut out lawn irrigation for this period because too much water can cause more problems than not enough water! Cut back on your watering schedule if you’re planning to mow frequently during hot weather. Otherwise, wait until after you’ve finished mowing before restoring water flow to your yard’s sprinklers or drip lines.
8. Take It Slow Over Hills and Sturdy Areas
If you need advice about how often I should mow my lawn? There’s one thing you should never forget: slow down! Keep a steady pace as you mow up and down slopes, but go incredibly slowly around sturdy plants, fence posts, or other immovable items in your yard. You don’t want to damage them with the blade of the mower accidentally.
9. Mowing Around Obstacles for Safety
No matter how often you mow your lawn, it’s essential to avoid hitting anything as much as possible if you can help it. For instance, when going over hills or obstacles in your yard, cut across rather than straight up and down so that your mower head isn’t directly facing any nearby plants or objects at high speed. That’ll keep everyone safe!
10. Go Easily on Sloped Lawns
When you’re mowing the lawn, try taking it easy on slopes whenever possible. They’ll wear down your grass blades more quickly than level ground, which can cause damage to your yard over time. If you suspect that there are problem areas in your lawn (such as low or bare spots), repair them before continuing with regular mowing activities!
11. Mow Around Drainage Grates Safely
Some people will want to know how often should I mow my lawn?, but the better question is when I should do it? As a general rule of thumb, avoid cutting when excess water has flooded the area around your drainage grates. The grass blades will be more rigid and thicker then, so they’ll dull or even break a mower blade and make it hard to cut the grass.
12. Mow Often for a Greener Lawn
Does everyone want to know how often I should mow my lawn? Truthfully, you should do it every time your lawn starts looking or feeling like it needs a trim. The more frequently you cut, the better your grass will look. Of course, there are times when you might need to let the grass grow more prolonged than usual if it’s too hot or too dry outside! It all depends on local weather conditions and what type of plants you’re trying to maintain in your yard.
13. Don’t Mow at Night: Use Walk Behinds during Daylight Hours
Do you want to know when and how often does a person mows their grass? The answer is when they see fit. However, one thing you should never do is cut at night! That’s because it’s challenging to keep your lawn in check if you can’t tell exactly which type of grass you’re hitting with the blade. If possible, only use walk-behind mowers during daylight hours when it’s easy for everyone to see exactly what’s going on in your yard.
14. Mow Grass in Different Directions Every Time
Want to know how often should I mow my lawn? You can always try changing up the direction that each blade of grass faces before trimming it back. Doing so will help prevent brown or yellow patches from appearing after you finish cutting and let everyone know that the yard gets more than enough sun exposure.
15. Alternate Cutting Directions to Prevent ‘Lawn Burn’
Does everyone want to know how often I should mow my lawn? The best advice is to do it frequently enough not to have dried or brown grass patches from too much exposure between cuttings. However, cutting your grass in different directions every time can also help prevent “lawn burn” (when the blades are cut back straight across) by making it difficult for the sun’s rays to penetrate each edge directly!
If there is a lot of rain or if you fertilise often, you should cut your grass every four days to keep it from growing too tall.You’ll be safe to mow every five or six days when the weather is hot and typically dry.
