Mowing Height for Lawns

Weekly Newspaper Article for The News-Democrat, Carrollton, KY

Lawn mowing season is almost here, and I cannot wait!  I am looking forward to dusting off the old push mower (Great exercise!) and getting to work.  I love mowing the yard, and I especially love seeing how it looks once it is cut.

However, to keep the yard looking its best, we need to consider correct mowing heights.  Since last week's article focused on fertilization of lawns, this week's article will continue the discussion with mowing lawns.

The first mowing, usually in late March, makes the lawn look spring-like and very attractive.  Subsequent regular mowing hardens the grass for drought and heat stresses later on.  When the first clump of grass grows above the mowing height, get out there and mow--even if a lot of the yard does not need to be mowed yet.

Lawn Fertilization in Spring

Weekly Newspaper Article for The News-Democrat, Carrollton, KY

 
At the first sign of green grass in the spring, it is tempting to dust off the fertilizer spreader to apply nitrogen to the lawn.  If you applied nitrogen late last fall or winter, there is no need to apply nitrogen this spring because the lawn already should be starting to green up.

Applying nitrogen now also will make grass less heat and drought tolerant and cause more problems with weeds and diseases.  Weeds compete with grass for moisture and nutrients.

If you did not fertilize the lawn last fall, applying nitrogen this spring will be beneficial because it will green the lawn and make it look better for a few weeks.