Mowing
When mowing a lawn all you do is cut it right? Not necessarily. When cutting a yard you want to make sure to cut the grass to the right height. There are some factors that go into this decision as well. Some of the factors are the time of year. Early in spring the grass is growing faster then it will be in the summer months. Again in fall the same applies with most turf in Virginia being a tall fescue cool season grass. the cooler months is when this grass thrives. sop in the spring and fall the grass will be growing at a rapid pace compared to the hot dry summer months where the grass will slow its growth process to crawl. Typically you want to cut your turf no shorter then 4 inches. The reason for this is, when you cut to much of the grass blade off this will damage the turf and make it struggle to regenerate growth. Keeping a thick, strong, healthy turf will be your best defense against weeds from popping up and taking over your yard. in the summer months when drought occurs and its is hot keeping the turf at a higher cut will help the turf stay cooler then the surrounding air which will help with keeping a strong root base, as well as retaining some moisture.
Some other factors that go into how to adjust your height for your cut is the type of grass species you have in your yard. While most yards in Virginia area fescue blend there are some the have Zoysia, Bermuda and even some bluegrass. Some of these species can prefer a different height of cut, but going back to the same rule of thumb that a thick healthy dense turf is the best defense against weeds we can use this to determine the height of the cut we want to achieve in our yard.
When yards are wet we want to be cautious in cutting our yard it is best to let the yard dry and cut it the following week, or when mother nature allows us. I see to many times where people want a fresh cut and they damage the yard by putting ruts in the yard or even smashing the grass down into the mud. THERE IS NO HARM IN LETTING THE GRASS GROW and cutting on another day.
Those who don’t “enjoy the mow” may be moved to cut their grass very low, allowing longer intervals between mowings. However, mowing the grass too low will have a detrimental effect on a lawn. Mowing grass too low will not only stress the grass, but it also causes a myriad of problems to occur. Mowing too low reduces the density of the grass, thus making the lawn susceptible to invasive summer weed pressures. Crabgrass and foxtail need sunlight to grow. By mowing the grass too low, homeowners may unknowingly be promoting crabgrass to grow. Shade provided by a higher cut grass blade shields the crabgrass seeds from much-needed sunlight. Mowing too low makes the turf vulnerable to summer heat as well. Without taller grass blades to shade the summer sun, low mowing can lead to stress damage quickly during long periods of summer drought
