October 7th

By Mutt Mulligan

TurfMutt’s fall mowing tips

How you mow your grass – especially in areas impacted by drought – can make the difference in the health of your overall green space. Remember, turfgrass like Green Ranger is an important component to our living landscapes.

In fact, turfgrass is an environmental superhero! It sequesters carbon, produces oxygen, reduces runoff and offers a host of health benefits. (Click here to learn more about those nifty perks.)

Here are TurfMutt’s top tips for mowing for the health of your lawn – and our environment.

Tip #1: Mow with the seasons
You’ll want to limit mowing during the winter. That’s because warm-season grasses are dormant and cool-season grasses don’t grow much in colder months, so they don’t need to be cut. No matter the season, never cut more than one-third of the blade off your grass in a single mowing session.

Tip #2: Pay attention to mower height
As long as your grass is still actively growing, you’ll want to continue to cut it regularly. But don’t cut too short! Mowing at a higher height during hotter days promotes healthier grass and helps protect it from drought. For your last cutting of the season, you’ll want to lower the blade to its lowest setting. This allows more sunlight to reach the crown during cold winter months.

Tip #3: Leave the clippings on the lawn
Instead of bagging your grass clippings, leave them on the lawn. They quickly decompose, returning important nutrients back into the soil. Using a mulching mower that finely grinds as it clips is your best bet. You can even use your lawnmower to mulch leaves. They mix with grass clippings to compost even more rapidly, further feeding your lawn (and saving you – and your community landfill – from wasteful bagging).