Things You'll Need:
- A lawn
- A mower
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Step 1
MowingMOW SMARTER. In warm climates, let most or all of your lawn sleep for the winter and forgo over-seeding with winter grasses. This will give your soil, your watering and your mower a chance to rest. Use the most energy efficient mower for your type of lawn and make sure the blades are sharpened every year for good, clean cutting.
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Step 2
Clipped topsMOW HIGHER. Unless you need to keep your lawn very short for, say, an athletic area, try to let the blades grow at least 2 1/2 - 3 inches long. In times of drought even 4 inches is good. The longer blades of grass are softer underfoot and offer more leaf to make more food for the plant. More food supplies the nutrients for a bigger and deeper root system. We tend to cut lawns too short because we think they look neater, but they are actually less healthy that way.
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Step 3
Mow around, not right up to treesMOW MORE BEAUTIFULLY. Beautifully? Yes. Try a different approach. Rather than shaving your lawn right up to the edges, consider leaving narrow (or not-so-narrow) sweeps of lawn that remain unmowed gently lapping up against flowerbeds and trees. Not only will this create a softer look to the garden, it will make for a nicer flow and create a transition 'garden' area between the planted areas. By letting the grass grow natural and long, you also keep from damaging tree trunks and edging materials -- and the mower itself. The labor and time for mowing is reduced, and the demand for water is also lessened. If you have an ornamental grass garden, nothing will look more natural than a lawn simply growing into it. This transition from a low, formally mowed lawn to a longer, naturally growing space, then to trees and gardens will look great, save time and energy and be a much better way to mow!
Comments
ccarruthers said
on 11/23/2008 Nice tips to remember in the spring!