Lawn Mowing is a crucial part of lawn maintenance. If mowed at the proper height and the proper frequency for each unique type of turf grass, lawn mowing can promote deep root growth and grass density. This leads to a stronger, healthier, more beautiful lawn that’s better able to resist stresses like freezes and drought. Mowing largely determines the success of a lawn. When looking for lawn mowing in Weston, trust Lawncierge to keep your lawn looking its best all year round.

Considerations for Lawn Mowing in Weston

There are two factors to consider when mowing lawns in Westin: mowing height and mowing frequency. These factors ultimately depend on the type of grass and the specific cultivar.

1. Mowing Height for Lawn Mowing in Weston

The optimum cutting height depends on the growth habits and leaf width of the grass variant. Grass species that tend to grow horizontally and have fine or narrow leaf blades should be mowed shorter than a more upright-growing grass with coarser or wider blades. Bermuda grass, for example, is mowed at a lower height because of its narrow leaf blades and low growth habit, whereas St. Augustine grass is mowed at higher mower heights because of its coarse-textured leaf blades.

Grass undergoes physiological stress every time its mowed, especially if its mowed too short – imagine cutting a finger nail too fair! This is called “scalping,” or removing too much shoot tissue at once which can produce long-term damage. This can leave turf susceptible to other stresses including insects, disease, drought, and sun-scald.

Mowing impacts root depth, as lawns mowed at a higher mower height encourage deeper root depths in response. A deeper root promotes greater tolerance to drought, insects, disease, nematodes, temperature stress, poor soil conditions, nutrient deficiencies, and traffic. Try not to repeatedly mow below the recommended heights for each species is a primary cause of turf injury and should be avoided.

2. Mowing Frequency for Lawn Mowing in Weston

How fast the grass grows determines how often you should mow it. Grass growth rate is governed by species, but is also affected by time of year, weather conditions, and quality of management. Some grasses are low-maintenance like Bahia grass and are mowed more to remove seedheads than leaf blades.

You should have your lawn mowed often enough so that no more than a third (1/3) of the blade is removed when its mowed. So as a simple math example, if your lawn is made of St. Augustine grass which needs to be mowed to four (4) inches, you’d cut want to cut it when it reached a height of six (6) inches. You should always leave as much leaf surface for possible for photosynthesis can occur, particularly in a grass that is more susceptible to environmental stresses.

Clipping Removal

Grass clippings should be left on the lawn when mowing lawns in Weston. This helps recycle nutrients and organics to the soil and reduces yard waste which would otherwise end up in landfills. If the lawn is mowed frequently enough then clippings shouldn’t cause any problems. Clippings are quickly broken down by microbes in the soil. They don’t usually contribute to thatch, though problems can occur when grass is mowed infrequently and excess clippings get all clumped up.

Tougher shoot components like stems, stolons and seedhead culms aren’t as easily degraded and these can contribute to thatch. Raking them out more evenly can help mitigate this issue. Too much thatch can cause issues when lawn mowing in Weston including poor water infiltration, increased insect and disease infestation, and poor turf quality.

It is extremely important to sweep up any grass clippings left on sidewalks, driveways, or other hard surfaces for environmental reasons. The clippings can contain nutrients which contribute to water pollution if they go down a storm drain or get carried by the wind into a body of water. Be sure to keep them on the lawn where the nutrients are best served feeding the grass.

Suggested mowing heights and mower types for lawn mowing in Westin

Frequency of cut will vary based on species and time of year.