Protect Your Grass From Five Common Lawn Mowing Issues

Posted on: 16 June 2020

Mowing your lawn is supposed to make it look nicer, so it can be frustrating if the lawn actually looks worse after it is cut. Fortunately, you can prevent most of these issues if you know the underlying cause.

1. Brown Tips

It can be frustrating to mow a rich green lawn and then see the top of the grass blades browning a few hours later. The cause often lies within your lawnmower blade. A dull mower blade doesn't cleanly cut through the grass leaves, which then leads to the trauma and death of the grass tip. Your lawnmower blade should be professionally sharped at least once a season to ensure a clean cut every time.

2. Ruts

Mowing can cause ruts to form in the yard, particularly if you mow in the same path week after week. Instead, change up your mowing pattern each time you cut the grass. A common rotation is to mow horizontally in week 1, vertically in week 2, and diagonally in week 3. Then repeat the pattern thereafter. Further, never mow when the ground is wet since this will increase the chances of rut formation.

3. Flat Grass

If the grass seems to only flatten down when you mow as opposed to being cut evenly, it may be too wet. Only mow when the grass is dry if you want to ensure an even cut. Further, make sure your mowing blades are well sharpened, otherwise the blade may push the grass down instead of cutting through it. Overly long grass may also experience uneven cuts or flattening, so don't put off mowing for too long.

4. Bald Spots

Many things can lead to bald spots, such as uneven ground or a nutrient deficiency in the soil. Mowing can also cause bald spots, particularly if you have the lawnmower blade set to cut too low. Generally, you want the grass to be 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches tall after cutting. Cutting the lawn shorter can weaken the grass and lead to thin areas. Longer grass is better at crowding out weeds and shading the soil, which conserves moisture and nutrients for the grass.

5. Streaking

Streaking is the name for the lawn condition where there are stripes of longer grass between mown sections of the lawn. Sometimes this is a simple fix -- just make sure to overlap each row as you mow. Streaking can also be caused by trying to cut a wet lawn. A mower deck clogged with grass or an overly full grass collection bag may also lead to streaking.

Contact a lawn maintenance service for more help.

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