Lawn mowing seems like a straightforward task, but it’s very easy to make mistakes and accidentally harm your grass, especially if you do it yourself. You can end up cutting your grass too short, not bagging the clippings when there’s an issue, and not changing up your mowing pattern. You should never cut more than 1/3 off the top of the grass blades because anything shorter than that can harm the health of your lawn in Virginia. Additionally, not bagging the grass clippings when it has a disease or is infested with pests can cause the issue to spread even more. Another mistake you can make that will affect your lawn’s health and visual appeal is not rotating your mowing patterns each time, which will result in soil compaction and ruts.
1. Cutting Your Grass Too Short
One of the most important things to remember when mowing your lawn is to cut it at the right height. When you opt for DIY lawn mowing, you might end up cutting the grass too short and scalping it. The general rule of thumb is to never cut more than 1/3 off the top of the grass blades. If you do, it can hinder root and grass growth and harm the blade’s tissue, leaving your lawn weak. When this happens, it will be more susceptible to becoming ridden with weeds, lawn diseases, and insect infestations. Keeping your grass at the optimal height helps promote deeper and stronger roots, which is crucial in improving your lawn’s resistance to fight off stressors.
2. Not Bagging the Grass Clippings When Your Lawn Has a Health Issue
After lawn mowing, you have to deal with the grass clippings, which can be bagged or left on your lawn. If you go the DIY lawn mowing route, you risk making the wrong choice! When your lawn has a health issue, like a disease or insect infestation, not bagging the grass clippings is very harmful. After all, the clippings can cause the issue to spread even more, further exacerbating it and making your lawn weaker. Bagging the clippings if your lawn is under stress will help control the spread and ensure it has optimal access to the resources it needs to grow stronger.
If your lawn is healthy, you shouldn’t be bagging the grass clippings after mowing but instead leaving them to decompose, as they are full of beneficial nutrients!
3. Not Changing Up Your Mowing Pattern Each Time
Lawn mowing is not a one-and-done task. Throughout the growing season, you need to mow your grass regularly to maintain its pristine appearance. Each time you mow, you need to regularly change up the pattern. When you don’t do this, the grass blades will start to follow and lean in one direction. It will also result in ruts forming in the soil, which will drag down the curb appeal of your lawn. The repeated path of traffic from your heavy lawn mower can also lead to soil compaction, which poses yet another string of problems for your turf. Compacted soil can prevent nutrients, water, air, and sunlight from penetrating and nourishing your lawn.
Call us today to enroll in our professional lawn mowing service!
If you’re looking for a reliable team that can handle your lawn mowing needs, look no further than our crew at Precision Lawn & Landscape. We offer our professional lawn mowing service to commercial and residential properties, as well as HOAs, in Woodbridge, Manassas, Dumfries, VA, and nearby areas. We offer weekly and bi-weekly mowing schedules, so you can choose which one will fit your needs best. This service also includes string-trimming, edging, and blowing debris off your hardscapes. Take the guesswork out of mowing your lawn yourself and let our experts do it. Call us today at (703) 493-1811 to enroll in our lawn mowing service!
