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Why
is mowing correctly so important?
You'd
be surprised how important mowing is. You can not only save a lot of
water by mowing properly, your lawn will fare much better if you do.
The rules are simple:
1.
Cut your lawn at the tallest
possible setting- (2.5 to 3" high after
you mow). Why? There are actually many
reasons why this matters:
 First,
consider the "bonsai effect." When lawns are cut short, they will
always respond by
growing thin, hair-like roots up close to the surface. That's not very
drought- resistant!
Then,
there's the "tropical rain forest effect." When lawns are cut tall, a
warm, moist layer of air is trapped near the soil surface, greatly
slowing evaporation, even on hot windy days.
If the grass is tall, the sun never strikes the ground, just like in a
jungle, where there is perpetual shade on the forest floor, also
slowing evaporation.
Weed
seeds need the sun to germinate, so 80% of weeds like crabgrass can be
prevented from sprouting because of the shade created.
2.
Never remove more than 1/3 of the blade.
 If
your lawn looks yellow just
after mowing, you are likely violating this rule. Let your lawn grow to
4" then cut it back to 3" so it will stay tall and you'll be cutting
less than 1/3 off. Why does this matter? Because the blades grow from
the stem and most of their usable area is in the 2"-3" zone, cutting
off the best part leaves only partial blades with stems that are
cutoff. Lawns
need blade area, not cut stem exposure.
3.
Mow
as often as needed so that you follow Rules 1 and 2 above.
This may
mean that you need to mow weekly, because if you don't, more than 1/3
of the grass blades will be cut off. Don't be tempted to mow it short,
thinking that you won't need to mow it again soon. Your lawn hates
that, and you'll use more water trying to revive it after injury.
 4.
Sharpen your mower blade.
A sharp blade cuts
cleanly; a dull blade shreds the
grass ends, causing a frayed brown look. The torn ends also lose water
faster than a clean cut.
Questions about your lawns? Call Green
Lawns at
1-800-281-6482 or click HERE
for free advice.
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