Ahhhh yes. Winter has gone, the snow has long melted away and the warmer weather has arrived. Daffodils and tulips are blooming, the robins are out digging for worms, and the landscape trucks are everywhere to be seen- the tell tale sign Spring is in full swing!!
But why hasn’t your lawn turned green? Better yet….why is your neighbors lawn green and yours isn’t?! Oh no!!!
In the green industry, we go off the old saying “Fall is for planting”. We always work 1 season ahead- meaning we aerate lawns in the Fall to get the grass growing thick in the Spring. Spreading fertilizers in the very early spring will also help your lawn turn a lush green color. But do you know the biggest, most often overlooked, solution to a green lawn? Weekly mowing!
If your lawn service suggests a weekly mowing, don’t think he’s trying to make more money off you. He’s suggesting it because it’s more beneficial for your lawn. When mowing lawns, think “The 1/3rd Rule”- only mow 1/3rd of the total height of the grass. Your grass should be just about as high as the lawn mower deck before it needs it’s next mowing. This way the blades of the mower take off a minimal amount, not stressing your lawn, and dispersing the clippings back into the lawn- not to be seen. With a weekly mowing, your lawn will remain healthy and green! Those clippings added back into the lawn will decompose and release nitrogen back into your soil making your lawn even more green. Yup- grass clippings are natures natural organic fertilizer. SO DON’T BAG THOSE CLIPPINGS!!!!
So what happens when the summer time rolls around? Easy! Switch to a biweekly mowing. This will leave enough time for your lawn to recover between mowings and not create that aweful “turf burn” killing your lawn.
For Maryland lawns, this is a great schedule to follow:
April-June: Weekly mowing
July, August: Biweekly mowing
Sept.-November: Weekly mowing (but you can monitor growth and sometimes get away with biweekly)
So what’s so bad about biweekly mowing in the spring? Although it’s more cost effective, the results are very damaging to your lawn. Especially if you are paying a fertilizer company AND a lawn service. When mowing biweekly, it tends to leave clumps of clippings and an uneven look. Think about this- put 10 jumbo marshmellows in your mouth and try to chew and eat them all at the same time. Can’t do it, right? It’s the same as a lawn mower. Lawn mowers aren’t designed for trying to chop large amounts of grass. Then of course the grass folds over by the mower deck and doesn’t pop up into the blades- making it look uneven with uneven strands (we call these tiger stripes). Then of course comes the stress of the lawn. Your lawn is a living plant- when too much is taken off during a single cut, it will stress your lawn out and take longer to recover. When fertilizers are applied, they have a harder time reaching the soil because the lawn is so long and only help the lawn recover from stress. The bottom line? You are paying for something that isn’t doing what it is intended to do. If you prefer a biweekly mowing, save yourself the money and don’t even hire a fertilizer company (or spread it yourself) because it’s not really doing much to your lawn.
So there you have it! Weekly mowings, a good fertilizer program, frequent watering (4x a week for 15 minutes each time) and you are well on your way to the best looking lawn in the neighborhood! Are you located in the Washington DC or Eastern shore area? Head over to TheMowingPros.com and get your instant quote today!
Clumps often left behind from Spring time biweekly mowing
This is one of our weekly mowing lawns
The Mowing Pros currently service: Annapolis, Adelphi, Beltsville, Berlin, Bethany Beach DE,Blandensburg, Brandywine, Bowie, Burtonsville,Calverton, Camp Springs, Capitol Heights, Cheltenham,Cheverly, Chillum, Clinton, College Park, Columbia,Cottage City, Crofton, Croom, Crownsville, District Heights, Edgewater, Fenwick Island DE, Forestville, Fort Meade, Fort Washington, Fulton, Gambrills, Glen Burnie,Glenn Dale, Greenbelt, Hillcrest Heights, Hyattsville,Jessup, Kettering, Landover, Langley Park, Lanham,Laurel, Marlton, Marlow Heights, Millersville, Mt Ranier,Ocean Pines, Ocean City, Ocean View DE, Odenton, Oxon Hill, Pasadena, Riva, Riverdale, Savage, Severn, Severna Park, Springdale, Suitland, Takoma Park, Temple Hills, University Park, Upper Marlboro, Washington DC,West Ocean City, NE Washington DC, NW Washington DC,SW Washington DC