Clippings:The best thing to do is mow often enough so that the clippings produced are always really small. This is called “Grasscycling”.

The Benefit of Grasscycling is that it reduces the time it takes to mow the lawn, saves energy, saves money, and saves landfill space.  PLUS- It returns valuable nutrients back to the lawn!  The problem is- Most people don’t mow often enough- (It’s a lot easier and takes less time overall to mow twice a week than to mow a long lawn once a week).  Mulching mowers are meant to be used more often- or else they clog up. Never leave clippings longer than one inch (2.5 cm) on your lawn.  If you missed a mowing it’s better to bag them- or else you’ll soon have a ton of thatch!  Be a GrassCycler!

Frequency: The easiest way to do your part for a healthy lawn is to mow your lawn frequently.  Every 5 or 6 days is recommended when the lawn is growing fast- A good rule of thumb is to never allow your grass to grow long enough that you would be cutting more than 1/3 of the blade off in a single mowing. In the summer, if the lawn isn’t growing fast, mow when needed using the one-third rule. ALWAYS mow when the lawn is dry!

Keep your Blade Sharp:  Mower blades dull easily and can dull blades tear blades rather than slicing them.  Torn blades turn brown very quickly giving the lawn a brownish yellow appearance.  Even Worse- it invites disease into the lesion.  For an average size lawn, sharpen your blade twice a year.  Either bring your lawn mower into a repair shop or use a Grinder- Be sure to remove the blade first according to manufacturer’s directions.

Alternate Mowing Direction:  When you see it on a baseball diamond we call it “signature cutting”.  The main reason is to prevent rutting in the soil but also prevents grass from learning to lean a certain way.  It also helps the grass to stand up straighter for a better overall appearance, and a healthier lawn.

Keep your Lawn Mower Clean Underneath: Residue from grass clippings will build up underneath your lawn mower deck and make it a lot harder work.  Clean the deck a few times a year as necessary to keep your mower in like-new condition and prevent clogging

Tune - Up:  Old lawn mowers are energy hogs, a well tuned machine will burn gas more efficiently with less emissions.  Every spring, change the spark plug, grease the wheels, sharpen the blade, clean or change the air filter and watch that puppy purr!     

* Before performing any of the previous maintenance tasks- ensure you follow safety recommendations of the manufacturer or have an expert help you.