The pride and joy taken from the look of a well-maintained home are ever-so rewarding. And, everyone loves the admiration of the same from friends and neighbors. One of the most important aspects of your home’s curb appeal is your lawn. Keeping it finely trimmed and healthy-looking compliments not only your home but the entire neighborhood as well. Let’s take a look at the tips below for maintaining what could be the finest lawn on the block, yours.
Mow More Often
Mowing on a regular basis is as important for you and your busy schedule as it is for your lawn. The two go hand-in-hand. Of course, there are considerations when it comes to weather; mainly rain, heat, and season. As you may know, your lawn will grow faster in Spring and in the Fall.
It is during these seasons that you might consider going from a weekly schedule to a bi-weekly schedule. For example, a Wednesday/Saturday schedule. Doing so will keep your grass clipping amounts smaller and therefore more easily managed whether you bag or mulch.
When the temperature is consistently higher, during the “Dog Days of Summer” it is wise to mow once a week. It is important to leave moisture in the grass rather than to remove it when it’s needed most.
Timing Your Mow
It’s important to know when the conditions are best for mowing. You’ll save time, effort and even water…
There are good times and bad times to mow your lawn. The best time for mowing is late afternoon. The reason is that the soil is cooling overnight giving the grass its best opportunity to recover as the sun goes down and night falls. The next best time would be after breakfast; between 8:00 am and 10:00 am when the soil is still cool from the night before. The only caveat is that the grass may have the morning dew still upon it.
At this early time of day, when the dew is still on the lawn, it is possible and even advantageous to drag an extended garden hose over the lawn, essentially dropping the dew onto your lawn. While this may sound odd to many homeowners, doing so will essentially adds the dew (water) down deep into the turf and to the soil (why waste the water, right?). It is said that the lawn will dry up to 3 times faster, say… 30 minutes or so for the grass to dry to the point of being able to mow.
This approach will save you time and heat exposure from the mid-day sun after having waited for all that precious water to evaporate naturally. Dragging the dew is an activity that takes a bit of strength but, it can be worth the time. FYI: your shoes will get very wet in the process. I suggest wearing waterproof shoes or boots while dragging.
Don’t Bag Clippings – Mulch For Healthy Grass and Soil
Now, this aspect of lawn care requires strict routines. By this, I mean that you will need to religiously keep your blades sharp, being sure to keep a bi-weekly schedule of cutting so as not to have too much grass to be mulched.
It’s worth noting that if your lawn gets away from you; maybe you went on vacation or were busy with work or family, you should consider bagging that week so as not to let the excess grass choke your lawn into a yellow mess. You can restart your mulching routine again the next week.
Keep Blades Sharp
Keeping your blades sharp helps keep the tips of your lawn’s grass blades from turning yellow-white – from fraying, giving a faded look. It would be a shame, after all your hard work to keep your lawn finely trimmed along with that coveted deep green color that keeps the neighbors jealous, to have this avoidable situation. Some lawn mower manuals suggest sharpening or replacing blades after every 25 hours of use.
If you happen to mow with a somewhat dull blade, however, the look will only last until your next mowing, given that you sharpen your blades in between. It’s a fairly quick and easy chore especially when you use the right tools. It should be mentioned that mowing with dull blades can stunt the growth of your grass and even promote disease. Don’t let this happen to your lawn.
Alternate Mowing Directions
Alternating your mowing routine from circling to straight rows or straight rows in opposing directions will provide a healthier, better-looking lawn over time…
This is a very important aspect of lawn care. We all want the clean carpet effect that our lawns deserve. Unfortunately, if neglected, you can easily end instead with deep, and maybe even yellow, ruts of depressed soil on your lawn. Changing your routine from straight rows to circling; keeping to the shape of the perimeter of your yard, or maybe just angling your rows back and forth from week to week or mow-to-mow during the high growth seasons, will keep your turf looking fresh and well manicured.
Get The Right Mower For Your Yard
There are a few types of mowers to be found. The best one for you and your lawn will be mainly based on the size of your lawn.
Reel Mowers
Reel mowers have a vertical blade rotation. This is opposed to the more prevalent horizontal blade cutting mowers. These tend to be purchased by folks with smaller lawns and who mow often. They provide a wonderful look to the lawn when used properly and require very little maintenance beyond that of keeping the blades sharp.
Electric Mowers
These are not new to the market but have come quite a long way in their ability to provide an excellent cut with so much less in the way of maintenance. Keeping the blades sharp and the batteries charged are the only concerns left to you. And, they are so much better for the environment.
Gas-Powered Mowers
The traditional gas-powered mower, it would seem, is on its way out. There are still choices to be made, just the same.
I list some of the pros and cons of manual Reel mowers, gas-powered, and, battery-powered mowers along with some here…
Comparison Chart To Help Choose the Proper Type of Mower For Your Home
| Pros and Cons of Lawn Mower Types | Pros | Cons |
| Reel Mowers | – Inexpensive – Easy maintenance – Easy storage | – Only practical for smaller lawns |
| Battery-Powered Mowers Battery-Powered Lawn Tractors | – Easy storage – More environmentally friendly – Best for lawns under 10,000 sq ft – No gasoline to be stored – No oil to be stored | – Very expensive as compared to gas-powered mowers – Most come with only one battery. Often requires extra purchase of secondary battery due to size of lawn and potential need for extra power – Must remember to charge batteries after use |
| Gas-Powered Mowers Gas-Powered Lawn Tractors | – Ready to go anytime – Generally more powerful than their battery-powered counterparts – Less expensive than their battery-powered counterparts | – As they age, gas-powered mowers need a good deal of maintenance – Gas and oil will need to be stored at the home – Storage can be a challenge |
Mowing your lawn properly will make your property the envy of the neighborhood. People will wonder at your ability and techniques. What’s more, they will be ever-grateful for your contribution to the beautification of the neighborhood.
Best of Luck,
Berk