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Mowing
can make or break the lawn and affect our results. What happens to
grass when it is cut and what should homeowners know?
Improper mowing is
one of the most common problems we face when dealing with a customer's
lawn. In light of this fact it is appropriate at this time to review
the guidelines we use to educate our customers and employees on proper
mowing mechanics. By following this advice now, future problems can
be reduced or even avoided.
Therefore, it is
important for all of us to understand the importance what each of the
following bullet points has on the health of the turf:
- Mowing Height
- Time of Day
- Clipping Removal
- Alternate Mowing
Direction
- Sharp Mower
Blades
Mowing Height
Mower damage can result from various circumstances, one of the most common
being mowing too low. Close mowing has several adverse effects on
the turf. First, there is a direct correlation between the height of
shoot growth and rooting depth. If a lawn is consistently mowed too
short, the turf compensates by shortening its root system. A shorter
root system requires more watering and fertilization to compensate for the
plants' reduced ability to absorb moisture and nutrients from the
soil. Secondly, plants produce food through photosynthesis.
This food production process takes place primarily in plant leaf
tissue. By reducing the leaf tissue through close mowing, you
negatively impact the plants' ability to produce and store food.
Therefore, you have a weak plant less tolerant of heat, drought, diseases,
insects, and traffic.
It is critical for plants to have sufficient carbohydrate reserves to
survive the summer heat and drought. With consistent low mowing,
food reserves are greatly depleted and death is imminent.
Finally, a decrease in leaf tissue results in increased light intensity at
the soil surface, and increasing the probability of weed and crabgrass
encroachment. Maintaining the proper mowing height will cool the
soil surface. This is significant in that soil temperature is one of
the most critical factors associated with weed seed germination.
Time of Day
The appropriate time of day to mow the lawn will vary, based upon the
existing environmental conditions. The rule of thumb is to mow
during the time of day when the lawn is under the least amount of
stress. For example, during summertime conditions, such as high
temperatures and drought, you should mow during the early morning or
evening hours. Mowing the grass during the hottest time of the day
will only add additional stress to plants already wilting under the heat
of the summer sun. However, at certain times of the year there may
be heavy dew in the morning, thus necessitating mowing later in the
day. The additional moisture makes mowing more difficult and
contributes to the shredding of the grass blades. When the grass is
wet, it has a tendency to lay down making it difficult to achieve a
consistent cutting height.
Clipping Removal
A common mistake made by homeowners is their tendency to remove clippings
under the impression that clippings add to thatch build-up. However,
research has shown the contribution of clippings to thatch build-up is
minimal, since leaf blade remnants are mostly water and thus readily
decompose. Clippings are a source of plant nutrients and include
large amounts of nitrogen. Constant clipping removal can
substantially increase the need for fertilizer to compensate for nutrients
that have been removed.
On the other hand, in the case of certain lawn damaging diseases, it may
be beneficial to remove clippings for fear of spreading a disease.
Certain diseases produce spores or fungal strands called mycelium.
The disease "red thread" is a prime example. If you mow
and spread the clippings, you can actually infect other parts of the
lawn. Grass clippings also provide a readily available source of
organic matter. This organic matter can stimulate soil microorganism
activity that will break down the existing thatch layer.
Alternate Mowing
Direction
Humans are creatures of habit and have a tendency to mow the same
direction. Doing so forces the grass to lay down in one direction
making it difficult to achieve a good clean cut. In many cases, the
grass will actually be longer than intended because it is not standing
upright.
Mower Blades
Another common mowing problem is the shredding of leaf tips due to dull
mower blades. However, mowing too fast or mowing the turf when it is
wet can cause a similar effect. The tearing of leaf tissue can lead
to several problems. When damage occurs, the plants immediately
transfer and utilize food reserves for recovery. This results in a
depletion of valuable food reserves stored in the root system.
Conversely, this inhibits the plants' ability to form dense, thick roots,
which aids in the recovery from extreme environmental conditions.
Secondly, once the mower has shed the blade, there is now an open wound
that needs to heal, thus providing a medium for lawn damaging fungi to
infect the plant.
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