Lawn Mowing Cape Girardeau keeps weeds at bay by inhibiting their ability to compete with grass for water and nutrients. Frequent mowing also reduces conditions that favor lawn diseases.
It is best to mow when it’s cool outside, either in the morning or early evening. This helps prevent heat stress to the lawn and mower blades.
Time of Day
Lawns face a variety of challenges that can threaten their appearance and longevity, from weeds to pests and diseases. While these threats aren’t entirely avoidable, the proper time to mow a lawn can significantly mitigate the risk of them. Mowing at the optimal time of day helps deter weed growth, ensures that grass isn’t stressed during cutting, and promotes deep root development. Regular mowing also plays an important role in limiting the effectiveness of weed killers, which are often less effective on mature turf than younger grass.
The optimal mowing time typically depends on a variety of factors, including soil conditions, temperature, and wind speed. The best times to mow the lawn are early morning and late afternoon, when the temperature isn’t as high and winds are fewer. This prevents the lawn from being exposed to excessive stress and enables it to heal quickly after each cut.
When mowing in the morning, it’s essential to wait until all overnight dew and moisture has evaporated, as wet grass resists drawing into the mower blades and can create clumped trimmings. In addition, mowing wet grass can lead to clogged mowers and unsightly tracks across the yard.
Similarly, mowing in the mid-day sun is stressful for both the grass and you. Grass is actively photosynthesizing during this period, and mowing it puts a strain on the plant that can result in wilting and browning. It can also be dangerous for you, as the scorching sun’s heat can cause dehydration and burns.
The ideal time of day for mowing is in the late afternoon, between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. This is a time when the sun’s intensity has waned and the soil is starting to cool, so it’s an acceptable compromise between the ideal mowing windows of the morning and evening. Additionally, mowing in the late afternoon allows you to finish mowing before dark settles in, which is courteous to your neighbors and adheres to noise ordinances in many areas. This is especially true if you live in a neighborhood with close neighbors that may be disturbed by your loud mower.
Grass Type
When mowing a lawn, it’s important to consider the grass type and local climate. Different grass varieties have specific needs that affect mowing frequency, watering and fertilizing requirements. Choosing the right grass for your yard saves time and money, and produces a more attractive outdoor aesthetic.
Regular mowing ensures that all blades of grass receive even sunlight exposure, and promotes a dense, healthy root system. This makes the lawn more resistant to weeds and drought, and it helps reduce soil erosion. Moreover, when the roots are more dense, they penetrate deeper into the soil and access moisture and nutrients more effectively during dry summer conditions or heavy usage.
The ideal mowing height depends on the type of grass, but it generally ranges between 2.5-3 inches. Cool season grasses, such as fescue, tall fescue and perennial ryegrass, grow best at this height, because they typically thrive in colder climates. During the spring and fall, these grasses are at their peak growth. In summer, they enter dormancy and slow down their growth cycle. Warm-season grasses, such as bermudagrass and centipedegrass, are cultivated in warmer regions of the U.S. They are at their highest growth during the summer, and enter dormancy as temperatures begin to drop.
These grasses benefit from a higher mowing height, because they have a tougher, thicker root structure that allows them to withstand drought and high heat. Mowing at a higher height also encourages lateral grass growth and improves density.
Moreover, a higher mowing height provides shade and reduces the need for frequent watering. It is also important to avoid over-watering the lawn, because this can cause root rot and create an unhealthy soil environment. A laboratory soil test will reveal the proportion of sand, silt and clay in the soil, and this information will help you determine how often and how deep to water your lawn.
If the soil is predominantly sand, it will need to be watered more frequently than a clay soil. A clay soil requires less frequent watering, because it holds on to moisture well. However, it is still essential to aerate your lawn at least once each year and to fertilize it with organic materials, since these substances provide better nutrition than chemical fertilizers.
Grass Height
Changing the height that you cut your lawn will have a dramatic impact on its health, appearance and resilience. Mowing too high or too low stresses the plant, and it takes time for it to recover from that stress. The best approach is to change your mowing height based on the season and type of grass.
For example, cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass or tall fescue grow more slowly than warm-season grasses like Zoysia or Bermudagrass. Therefore, cool-season grasses should be mowed at a lower height than warm-season grasses throughout the summer. For optimal mowing heights for your grass, look to the experts — consult regionally specific guidelines that are available through local Cooperative Extension System offices and sod or seed suppliers.
A common misconception is that if you mow the grass very short it will need to be cut more often. However, this is not the case. Grass that is cut too short does not recover from the stress of the cutting process as quickly and it is more susceptible to weed invasion, drought damage and turf diseases.
It is recommended that you never remove more than one-third of the grass blade at any one mowing. This is referred to as the “one-third rule”. This practice reduces stress on the grass and leaves enough leaf area to power healthy growth through photosynthesis. It also helps crowd out weeds.
For cool-season lawns, mowing the grass a bit longer in the spring will help to prevent winter damage and set it up for a healthy growing season. In the summer, mowing the lawn at the recommended height will allow the grass to shade itself from the harsh sun and will make it more resistant to heat, dry conditions and weeds.
Edges
Edges define the perimeter of a lawn and give it a polished, professional look. They also help with weed control, keeping grass from invading garden beds or other plants. There are many different ways to edge a lawn, from traditional methods such as using a spade or half-moon edging tool to modern solutions such as installing edging materials. Whatever you choose, it is important to keep in mind that edging needs regular trimming for clean and crisp lines.
The first step to edging your lawn is to decide on the type of border you want. Straight edges work well for a formal look, while curved edges can add a more natural feel to a yard. Once you know the type of edging you prefer, mark it out with either a string or a stick. Then, cut along the marked line with your lawn mower or another tool such as a hand shears.
Edging a lawn can be a time-consuming task, but it is well worth the effort. It can reduce lawn maintenance costs and make your yard more attractive for both you and visitors. However, if you don’t maintain your edging, it can quickly become an eyesore and create a poor impression for guests or neighbors.
One way to avoid this is to use a tool designed specifically for mowing edges. These tools have a curved blade that is specially designed to cut through turf without damaging it, making them ideal for cutting lawn edges. They are available for sale online and can be used in conjunction with a standard trimmer or manual edging tool.
Aside from mowing edges, you should regularly trim the turf that borders sidewalks or other hard surfaces. This helps to prevent it from becoming overgrown, which can take away from the beauty of your landscape. Aside from using a trimmer or shears, you can also use a turf growth regulator to slow grass growth and prevent it from overgrowing into garden beds or paths.
Another option is to install edging materials such as metal or plastic strips. This can provide a more permanent solution to defining lawn edges, and can be installed by a professional or DIY. However, if you choose this method, it is crucial to ensure that the edging is set properly so that the lawn mower can easily cut it.