Lawn Mowing / Grass cutting as a part of Lawn Care.
First, to understand why lawn care services are so crucial to the health of your lawn, you need to get down to the grass level and see what mowing does. Also, grasses are like most plants – if you clip off the growing points, the plants branch out and become denser. If you didn’t mow, your lawn would look more like a prairie. You would have a bumpy surface composed of mounding or spongy grasses, separated by open spaces or weeds. When you mow each grass, basically, plants fight for every available freedom and eventually create a dense turf. But the mere act of mowing does not make the lawn look good. Another critical point is mowing height and frequency determine how healthy and attractive your lawn looks. After all, cutting a lawn is stressful for the grass.
How Does Cutting Affect Grasses?
Mowing Does Not Benefit Grass!
It removes part of the leaf area, which is essential for photosynthesis. Additionally, this process manufactures food for growth and other life processes. Also, cut leaf tops are injured, and the possibility of grass disease infection increases.
As a part of Lawn Care, cutting grasses excessively low, at one time, is quite damaging and is referred to as “Scalping “. Another fact is scalping clips the grass plant off at the crown, thus disrupting root growth and reserves, resulting in poor root growth.
Cutting stimulates top growth at the expense of root growth.
How to Reduce Damage?
- Mow frequently to remove as little of the green area of each leaf as possible.
- Frequent mowing reduces shock to the plant.
- Mow at the right height, and don’t cut off more than a third of the blade.
- Use mowers with sharp blades.
Mowing Height – An important element of good Lawn Care
Turf grasses vary considerably in their tolerance to the height of the cut. The gardener should adjust the amount size to suit various grasses’ physiological and morphological characteristics. Functions of grass may determine cutting height, i.e. sports turf, greens, fairways, etc.
The main rule for Professional Lawn Care is: Never remove more than 1/3 of the leaf surface in one mowing!
Removing too much leaf surface also reduces available nutrients during times of stress.
Grasses with excessive horizontal or stoloniferous growth tend to require a lower cutting height.
The mowing height is measured on a solid surface (floor, sidewalk) to the edge of the bed knife on a reel-type mower or to the cutting edge on other mowers.
Lawn Care Professionals Recommendations for Mowing Heights and Frequencies for Lawns and Similar Areas:
Fine ornamental lawns: 12mm, 1-2 per week, mid-spring to late summer (maximum growth period) and 20mm autumn to early spring (growth slowed or stopped).
Utility lawns: 25mm, once per week, mid-spring to late summer (maximum growth period) and 25mm autumn to early spring (growth slowed or stopped).
Parks/Landscape areas: 25mm, 1 per week, mid-spring to late summer (maximum growth period) and 25mm autumn to early spring (growth slowed or stopped).w frequently to remove as little of the green area of each leaf as possible.
Frequent mowing reduces shock to the plant.
Mow at the right height, and don’t cut off more than a third of the blade.
Use mowers with sharp blades.
Benefits of Frequent Mowing
Firstly: Growth hormones present in the apex of plants prevent lateral bud growth and tillering – referred to as apical dominance.
Second: By clipping grasses frequently, apical dominance is destroyed, and stimulation of lateral buds and tillering is encouraged.
Third: Grass becoming finer, sod thicker and denser
Fourth: Cutting stimulates rhizome and sod formation
Finally: Establish a desirable height of cut and maintain it
Seasonal Considerations
Generally established lawns should be cut early in the spring, as soon as the grass grows.
Grass grows in cycles, quicker in the spring and autumn.
Golden Rule: Mow when needed!
The grass itself will provide criterion as to the need to adjust mowing practices:
July/August: Clippings decrease due to heat. Reduction in mowing frequency and raising height will help the grass to survive.
In spring and autumn, grass grows quicker, producing more clippings.
Close mowing during warm weather will weaken grasses because the plant’s respiration rate increases and uses nutrient reserves.
Before winter, we usually cut grasses at or slightly below average height in normal conditions, considering what winter typically brings.
Prices: Call us for a no-obligation quote.
More Gardening Services provided by Snow White Professionals
Scarifying
Hedge trimming
Garden maintenance
Green waste clearance
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