Practical Pointers on Mowing
The object of mowing is to keep the lawn neat without cutting away too
much vital green grass leaf. It is the evenness of cut, not height, that is
important for appearance. In fact, a low-clipped lawn may look shaggy
quickly because of conspicuous weeds.
The proper height to cut depends mostly on the kind of grass.
Bluegrass-fescue lawns are best cut at 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches, bentgrasses
1/2 to 1 inch. Some portion of green leaf should be left; brown stubble
should not show after the lawn is cut. If you mow too close, especially with
upright grasses such as bluegrass, your weed problems will increase. The
more grass, the fewer weeds. The more shade on the ground the happier the
grass roots will be, and you'll make it more difficult for the weed seeds to
sprout.
Start mowing in spring as soon as the grass begins growing and continue
as long as it makes significant growth in autumn. The time to mow is any
time the grass has grown enough so that it has added about 50% to its usual
mowing height. It is a mistake to let it get very tall and then scalp it;
this "shocks" the lawn and disrupts its growth. With bluegrass you might mow
about every 4 or 5 days during the peak growing season in spring; then only
every 10 or 12 days during summer - or not mow at all during drought.
Should you pick up clippings? Maybe. Clippings left to decay on the lawn
return some fertility to the soil. With grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass
and fine fescue, which grow in an open manner, clippings can settle into the
sod - and the easiest thing to do is to leave them. Trailing grasses such as
bents and bermudas weave a dense layer of stems that can prevent clippings
from reaching the ground, where decay occurs. With them it might be better
to collect and remove clippings. If you think clippings look unsightly,
collect or sweep them. The fertility lost can easily be replaced by a single
feeding. Some people think clippings left on the lawn encourage disease.
Others think that leaving them on improves the organic content of the soil.
Get a mower that is big enough for the job. Do not buy an insubstantial
machine for economy. So much time is spent mowing the lawn that it is not a
luxury to want good equipment. A mower that breaks down all the time, or is
hard to start, or that will not adjust easily to the proper cutting height,
can take all the fun out of your lawn life.
Rotary mowers (that cut by a horizontally whirling blade) are generally a
little more economical and more versatile; they are good for lawns that are
mowed above 1 1/2 inches high. But they are more dangerous. Reel mowers
(that cut with a "squirrel-cage" of blades brushing against a bed knife) do
the neatest job on low-cut grasses. Either kind should be kept sharp and in
good condition. Of course, riding mowers are fun but more expensive.