Mowing and Watering: Essentials for a healthy lawn

The Truth About Water

Fact:
There is no one-size-fits-all formula for how much water your lawn needs. It is dependant on the variety of grass, weather, day time shade, elevation, root depth, and soil quality, structure and ph. A soil test and site evaluation is necessary to determine how much water your landscape needs. Different areas of your landscape will require different moisture based on all of these factors.

How Much and How Often?

As a rule of thumb, if your soil is dry to a depth of 6 to 8 inches, it is time to water. If you are unable or unwilling to check the soil on a regular basis, the following rules will help you determine whether to water.

• Know your soil. Clay soils need less water than sandy soils; sandy soils require more frequent watering than clay soils.
• In general, it is more beneficial to water less frequently and more deeply. This helps promote deep root growth, which, in turn, allows your grass to go longer without water applications.
• Over watering leads to shallow roots, increased thatch, and an environment which promotes fungal disease and weed growth. Under watering leads to dormancy. When in doubt, don’t water.
• Shady areas require less water than sunny areas. Likewise, low areas require less water than hills. Be mindful of these differences when watering.
• Water in the mornings, rather than in the evening or mid-day. This enables more of the water to penetrate the soil, increasing your watering efficiency, and can help prevent fungal disease.
• Sprinkler systems are wonderful, but be sure to control yours manually. Unattended sprinkler systems frequently lead to an over watered lawn.

A Guide to Mowing

Proper mowing will save you money and effort. How you mow your lawn greatly impacts the health of your grass. Mowing correctly can increase deep root growth, reduce weeds, and help your grass resist disease and insects.

Mowing improperly, however, can be seriously detrimental to your lawn. It can result in an increased need for water and fertilizer, weak, shallow root systems, and decreased drought tolerance.

How Low Can You Go?

Grass should never be mowed shorter than 2 1/2 inches above the soil level. Between 3 and 3 1/2 inches is even better. There are numerous benefits to this length. A longer mowing height promotes deeper root growth. It also decreases the likelihood of annual weeds germinating. Longer grass needs less water; the taller grass keeps the soil shaded, so not as much water is lost through evaporation.

Like all plants, grass creates its own food through the process of photosynthesis. Longer grass has a greater photosynthetic area, meaning that it can bring in more carbon dioxide, and harness more of the sun’s energy toward keeping itself healthy.

Because this photosynthetic area is key to your grass’ health, it is important to never remove more than 1/3 of the grass blade. If more is taken, the grass will sacrifice root mass in an attempt to regain the lost leaf. This weakens your lawn, making it less tolerant of drought and more susceptible to disease.

If your lawn gets away from you, mow several times with a few days in between each mowing. This gives your grass a chance to heal between cuttings, and reduces stress on your lawn.

Mower Blades: The Sharper, the Better

Mowing is a violent action, but you can minimize the damage done by making sure your mower blade is sharp.

When mower blades are sharp, they slice through the grass leaf, leaving a clean end. Dull blades rip and bruise the grass, leaving it frayed and battered. These frayed ends will discolor, giving your lawn a tan or brown appearance. They also provide diseases with a point of entry.

If you are unsure about how to sharpen your mower blade, check your owner’s manual. This information is also available through an authorized dealer for your mower brand, or even from the manufacturer.

Grass Clippings Take ‘Em or Leave ‘Em

Leaving the grass clippings on your lawn provides you with free fertilizer. In fact, these clippings can eliminate the need for one whole fertilizer application per year. They are an excellent source of nitrogen, and can help your grass recover from the mowing process. Grass clippings generally degrade back into the soil within a week or two. Using a mulching mower speeds this process, and more evenly distributes the cut grass.