There are many factors that influence lawn quality: Cultivation, fertilization, irrigation, whether or not you over seed, and how you go about it, and chemical applications all play a key role, as does the type of lawn grass you have chosen, and a few things such as shading, over which you may have varying degrees of control.
There is one area which you do have control of, which, when done well, and and done often, will offer the best results, and the best quality, even if all the other things are done marginally well. What is it? It is mowing! The simple task of cutting your grass, is the most productive of all lawncare operations. It provides benefits which interact with, and assist in, all the other lawncare activities.
One of the foremost experts in the field of lawn and turfgrass science has a three point plan for growing great lawns:
1. Mow.
2. Mow.
3. Mow!
The type of mower you use has some influence on your lawns quality. If you want the best result, a horizontal, fairway type mower, often called a reel mower, will give the cleanest cut, but most people are happy with a rotary mower of the standard type, and they work very well, when kept sharp, and in good condition.
Mowing height is a key factor in lawn quality. The proper height, coupled with the proper mowing frequency will increase the lawns durability more than any other factor.
The real key is matching mowing height to mowing frequency. If, you have, for instance, a Bermuda grass lawn, and can only mow one time per week, you will have to set your mower pretty high. You want to be sure to take no more than a third of the overall height of the grass off at one time, so that it will have enough leaf surface to recover properly. If, however, you can mow every day, the height could be set at one half inch. Somewhere between the extremes is where most lawns fit.
The more often you mow, the tighter the turf will become, because it attempts to grow laterally rather than upward. Since there is less leaf blade to transpire water, the lawn will need less water, and irrigation can become less frequent. Less frequent irrigation will help to keep fungus from becoming a problem. The cuttings you have will be smaller, and will degrade more quickly, putting more nitrogen back into the ground, so less fertilizer is needed to keep the lawn green. As a result of the tightening of the turf, it will be more durable as well.
In short, it will help your lawn to be more healthy, and healthy lawns ward of lawn disease and fungus, recover more quickly from traffic, and suffer less from insect damage. Lower mowing means less area for insects to hide, so fewer insects to bug you. You will have fewer weed problems, because they can't go to seed between mowings.
Mowing heavily trafficked areas more frequently can help to prevent those bald spots in your lawn, save money on fertilizing and irrigation, and provide exercise if you want to tone up, or work off some extra weight. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and mow, mow, mow!
James Burns is a licensed pest control professional, has been a Certified Professional Turfgrass Manager for more than 16 years, has a lifetime of experience in horticulture and agriculture, and is the owner of Rational Environmental Solutions, an IPM based pest control company in East Texas. He also has many helpful gardening tips at http://www.texpest.com, and writes on environmental and social issues from Rational Environmental Solutions
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