Keep ‘em sharp.  It is important to cut grass with a sharp set of lawn mower blades.  This assures a neat and clean cut.  Dull blades tear at grass, giving it a frayed look and making it more prone to disease.  Our mower blades are sharpened daily at our shop before they go out to cut our customers’ lawn.

No crew cuts here!  There are a variety of grasses in this region that can make up a lawn.  Each grass has a recommended mowing height for best conditioning.  Overall the recommended mowing height for a healthy lawn is 2 ½  – 3 inches.  It is important to never cut more than a third of a blade’s full height.  When grass is cut too short it becomes weakened.  Because the plant (grass) has less surface area taking in light, the roots may stop spreading, therefore making food less available to the plant.  A taller stand of grass will look thicker and help shade out weed seeds.

Back to Earth.  A common misconception is that grass clippings contribute to thatch.  Thatch is the accumulation of dead, partially decomposed grass stems and roots.  This is the result of excessive fertilizing and/or watering.  When a lawn is overfed it grows unnaturally fast, therefore causing grass roots to cluster at the surface and die out.  This thick layer of thatch also prevents water from reaching the soil.  Instead it remains atop, holding moisture near the plant, therefore encouraging disease and pest problems.  One way to counter thatch build up is to dethatch in the spring. The dead thatch can be added to your compost pile or hauled away.  Speaking of compost, if you happen to have some mature compost hanging around, a thin layer( 3/8 of an inch) can be spread over your lawn.  This compost, full of nutrients, will also release millions of active microbes that will do the work for you by breaking down the thatch naturally.

Grass clippings on the other hand should be viewed as “free nutrients.”  Lawns in this region need 3-4 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet, per year.  By leaving the grass clippings on the lawn, they will break down, naturally fertilizing your lawn.  Studies have shown that by returning the clippings you can provide annually, up to 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.  That’s half of the nitrogen your lawn will need in one year!  Therefore, we recommend not bagging your grass clippings, instead returning them back to earth.

Good watering. Water requirements vary depending upon soil type.  For example a sandy soil will drain quickly. On the other hand, soil with a high clay content will tend to hold the water longer.  When watering, make sure to water deep.  Avoid surface sprinkling when possible.  Typically you want to soak the soil to a depth of at least 6-10 inches.  The idea is to encourage the roots to reach deep into the soil for water.  Frequent shallow watering will cause the roots to remain shallow in the soil, causing the grass to be less resilient in times of drought.

The best time to water is between 5am and 10am when the sun is low, winds are usually calm and temps are cool.  These ideal factors can help reduce evaporation, hence conserving water.  Most importantly by watering early in the day you leave more time for the grass to dry, reducing the chance of fungal diseases.  Such diseases thrive in warm, dark and wet conditions, which are typically present during the summer evening hours.

Implementing these cultural steps will help to promote a healthy lush stand of turf grass.