The secret to a healthy and dense North Florida lawn is comprised of four main ingredients:
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Sunlight 🌞
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Proper Maintenance
Keeping your lawn appealing requires a couple fundamental inputs. As we have mentioned in previous blogs linked above, this means ensuring it has the right amount of sunlight, water, and nutrients it needs to grow.
The 4th Basic need of a lawn is proper maintenance - specifically with cutting height, interval, blade sharpening, and recycling the clippings.
This is a basic need of a healthy lawn because it helps to ensure that the grass is receiving the proper care in addition to the necessary nutrients, water, and sunlight to thrive. By regularly mowing properly, you can help prevent weeds and pests from doing damage, while also promoting strong growth and lush greenery.
Neglecting the basics of mowing can lead to it needing more water, slow uptake in nutrients, looking patchy, and susceptible to different lawn pests - weeds, insects, and disease.
Quick Tips on proper lawn mowing (more info about each are below the bullet points tips:
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A great rule of thumb is to always mow it at the highest setting when unsure your turf type or cultivar. The most common mistake made is by scalping it too low so it looks “tight.”
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The best rule of thumb on mowing intervals (how often to mow) is to never wait so long between mowing that you’re cutting more than 1/3rd of the leaf blade off at a time. This does more damage to the turf than it does good. Effectively, it is like scalping the lawn even if you’re mowing at the proper height. Typically, this means weekly mowing about 7-8 months of the year (March-October).
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Regular blade sharpening is essential, especially for vibrant, well-maintained lawns. A sharp blade ensures a clean, precise cut. Dull blades do more tearing off the grass blade, leaving your yard vulnerable to fungus and lawn-damaging insects.
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Don't bag or remove the grass clippings-they provide valuable nutrients to the soil as they decompose, acting as a natural fertilizer. The clippings also add moisture back to the lawn, as grass clippings are high percentage of moisture. Rarely does proper care involve less work, but in this case recycling your clippings back into the lawn is less work and better for the lawn.
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If you’ve hired The Master’s for your weekly landscape maintenance, you can rest assured your lawn will be mowed at the proper height. If you prefer to mow it yourself, make sure to know the proper setting for your turf.
More Detailed Tips:
Proper Mowing Height:
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Determine the ideal mowing height for your specific grass type.
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Aim to cut only about one-third of the grass blade length during each mow. This promotes healthier roots and encourages stronger growth.
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Observe your lawn's appearance after mowing: scalped, yellow, or brown patches may mean cutting too short.
Mowing Intervals:
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To gauge when to mow, wait until it's grown about one-third taller than the recommended height.
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Aim to mow your lawn once a week throughout growing season, and adjust the frequency based on how quickly your grass is growing and the weather (you may need to mow more often during periods of heavy rain and reduce mowing during dry/hot spells to prevent lawn stress)
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Avoid mowing the lawn if it's saturated with water to get a cleaner cut and less impact on the soil.
Regular Blade Sharpening:
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You can do this yourself or take your blades to a professional. Just be sure to follow the manufacturer's guidelines for blade removal and sharpening techniques.
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Regularly inspect the blades for signs of damage or dullness. If you notice nicks, cracks, or significant wear, it's time to replace the blades.
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Be safe! Wear protective gloves and follow proper precautions to avoid injury during the sharpening process.
Don't Remove the Grass Clippings:
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Set your mower to a higher setting to keep the grass clippings from being too long or clumpy.
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Consider using a mulching mower, which is designed to finely chop grass clippings into smaller pieces that easily break down.
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Be sure that your lawn receives proper irrigation or rainfall after mowing to help the grass clippings break down efficiently.
Looking for Proper Mowing Tips?
Watch our Youtube Video: What is Gainesville lawn mowing 'scalping'?
Want More Information?
Read our Article: Importance of a Regular Lawn Care Routine
If you have questions or concerns about your landscape maintenance, please contact us at (352) 378-5296 or (904) 913-5296 or fill out our form at the top of the page, we would love to help!