Naperville Landscaping Services
Serving the Naperville Community and the surrounding suburbs
15 Apr 2011

Lawn Mowing Tips – Grass Cutting & Edge Trimming Guide

By following simple recommended cutting heights for your grass type, you can make significant improvements to the health and presentation of your lawn. Setting your lawn mower to cut higher with longer cut grass, you can help improve and maintain the health of your lawn and help eliminate weed growth.

Lawn grass cutting – long and often
Regardless of grass type, you should always have your lawn mower set on a longer cut. Cutting your grass too short can encourage weed growth by allowing more light into the soil.

A good rule of thumb is to only cut one third off the grass height in any one mow. If your grass is overgrown, adjust your lawn mower to the highest setting possible, collecting the grass in the lawn mowers grass box or by raking with a leaf rake. Leave the lawn for a few days after cutting, then mow the grass at your desired height later.

Discarding grass clippings
Many people choose to dump grass clippings into refuse. Grass clippings can be a good source of nutrients including nitrogen. Never bin grass clippings, thrown them on a compost heap or use the clippings to start a new one. Alternatively, you can leave the grass box off your lawn mower and cut your grass without collecting. The grass clippings will break down fairly quickly and provide valuable nutrients to your lawn, cutting down on the need for fertiliser.

Recommended lawn grass cutting heights based on grass type
Each individual grass type requires slightly different cutting heights set on your lawn mower. Use the following table to find the recommended cutting height for your lawn.

  • Zoysia Grass, Centipede Grass: 1 – 2 inches (25 – 51mm)
  • Ryegrass: 1 1/2 – 2 inches (38 – 51mm)
  • Bermuda Grass: 1/2 – 1 inch (13 – 25mm)
  • Bent Grass: 1/4 – 1 inch (6 – 25mm)
  • Buffalo, Fescue, Blue Grama, Tall Grass: 2 – 3 inches (51 – 76mm)
  • Carpet grass: 2 – 3 inches (5.1 – 76mm)
  • Bahia Grass: 2 – 4 inches (51 – 10.2cm)
  • Floratam/St. Augustine: 2 – 4 inches (51 – 76mm)

Lawn edge trimming & repair
As mentioned previously, do not cut off more than 1/3 of the grass border height. The most popular power tool for trimming lawn edges is the string trimmer which uses a nylon plastic cord spinning at high speed, whipping and cutting the grass. Although popular, a string trimmer alone will not get you clean cut borders, you’ll need a manual or powered lawn edger for that. Some string power trimmers come with interchangeable heads for horizontal and vertical cutting without having to use two separate tools.

When trimming grass around trees, wrap a tree trunk protector around the base of the tree for protection. Damage to the cambium layer (under the tree bark) can kill off trees or cause serious damage. Alternatively, cut back grass at least 12 inches (300mm) from the tree base and surround with mulch or bark chippings.

Lawn edges can be trimmed manually with garden/grass shears (use long handled shears to save back pain) and half moon lawn edger, or with an electric or gas powered edger with star shaped blade for vertical cutting.

This work can be physically demanding causing significant pain to your arms, legs and back. Take regular breaks or consider hiring or buying a powered edger for large gardens.

Original article: Lawn Mowing Tips [http://www.gardengrower.co.uk/lawn-mowing-edge-trimming-tips]: Grass Cutting & Edge Trimming Guide @ Garden Grower Blog [http://www.gardengrower.co.uk]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_A_Bartlett

15 Apr 2011

Effective Types Of Lawn Mowing Techniques Opted By You

One of the most important aspects of a lush green beautiful Naperville lawn is the type of mowing technique opted by you. Since improper mowing can solely result in a wide range of lawn related problems, therefore it is always advisable to go for the most optimum lawn mowing technique. In order to get the perfect lawn conditions that meet your expectations, a certain change in the mowing habits really prove out to be successful. So look out for the various techniques available and choose the most suited one.

Why mow your lawn?

Before learning about mowing techniques, it is important to learn the importance of mowing a lawn. Mowing is the only way of getting rid of certain unknown diseases and problems. It also helps growing thick grass and removing damaged tips as well as unwanted weeds. In case, no mowing is done, there are great chances of growth of inconspicuous flowers. Such flowers consist of allergic pollens and can prove very harmful for the lawn’s growth. Just make sure to undergo the correct mowing manner to avoid damage to the grass plant.

The techniques

The useful tips and techniques of mowing ensure that the lawn grass grows in a proper way and all the essential requirements are met. Some of such lawn mowing techniques recommended for lawn mowing includes-

· The type of mowing pattern plays a major role in getting the desired grass condition. Just make sure to use a varied mowing pattern each time you mow the lawn. Avoid mowing the lawn in the same direction every time. By choosing for a different pattern, the grass gets a chance to grow in an upright direction. Moreover, following the same pattern can also result in developing ruts that can make the lawn look disrupt.

· It is advisable that the time of mowing should be only determined on the basis of the height of the growth. You just need to learn about the grass type of your lawn and mow it accordingly. During spring, allow the grass to grow at least one-third more of its normal height and then mow it. In some cases, people mow on the basis of calendar and thus harm the lawn grass.

· It is important to choose the right mower with the suitable features. Make sure that the blades of the mower are sharp enough to make a clear and clean cut. An unsuitable mower can cause injury to the grass, and can even lead to disease and pest invasion.

· It is always advisable to cut a dry grass rather than cutting wet grass. While cutting wet grass, you may notice uneven cuts on the lawn.

· The sharp corners of a lawn should always be mowed at the end. Always mow down the rest of the lawn and then lastly mow the corners to avoid extra effort.

· The frequency of mowing is also a major lawn mowing technique that determines the lawn quality. Always mow at regular intervals and get the desired lawn look.

The above-mentioned tips and techniques of mowing ensure that you get a well-maintained lawn throughout the year. Just learn the techniques in the right manner to get the best results.

David S is a Lawn care expert. For more great tips on Mowing your Lawn and growing the Greenest Lawn visit http://www.mylawncaresecrets.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Spelling

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