It doesn’t matter so much how often you mow, as much as how long the grass actually is. If your lawn looks off-green and tired after you’ve mowed it, you probably have the blade on your mower set too low.
Some people like a super-short lawn like a putting green, or tennis court, but doing this requires a specific variety of grass seeds and lots of extra care spent on fertilizing and other maintenance.
In reality, your grass will be healthiest if you let it grow a little longer. The extra length in the grass blades will allow the plant to store nutrients along the blades, and cutting too short may prevent this and harm the grass in the long term.
In the hot summer days, you will notice the grass actively growing at a quicker rate than in the spring, and keeping an eye on the length will determine when it needs cut. Cloudy days for a week or so may mean noticeable less growth, so allow an extra period of time for it to lengthen before cutting.
Some people chose to maintain their yards for the whole year, and use a lawn calendar as guidance.
Do We Have to Mow the Lawn?
Although strictly speaking, no harm will come to any people who allow their yards and gardens to be unkempt, the massive majority of people do, in-fact, maintain their outside property, even to some degree. The overwhelming majority do so for aesthetic reasons, as having a ‘jungle’ of a garden is plain ‘ugly’. As humans, we derive many benefits and pleasures from keeping not just our lawns short and neat, but the whole of our yards and gardens maintained, including:
- Creates a pleasant and enjoyable place outdoors to enjoy the weather in.
- Pride can be taken in a well maintained yard or garden.
- A feeling of relaxation and comfort can be achieved by resting in the garden.
- Other people can see you maintain your property.
- The hobby of gardening can be done, giving enjoyment.
- Fresh cut grass is one of the most liked odours by humans.
- Having the correct balance in your garden encourages wildlife to visit.
Pushing a mower up and down your yard, surprisingly, has mind-body benefits. According to psychologists, doing exactly this will trigger off a state of relaxation in the brain, release feel good chemicals, and put us in a calm state.
Benefits of Mowing the Lawn
Keeping the grass at the correct height, which depends on the time of the year, takes a little bit of time and consideration, but the pay-off is worth it. The aim is to clip off only the top third of the grass blades, which ensures perfect re-growth without stressing the plant. This alone benefits the grass by allowing it to re-grow in a uniform, strong and healthy manner. Frequent cutting can commence in April, be sure to keep an eye on the length which will tell you when to cut. Fortnightly at around this time of year is good, and the blade length can be slightly increased to give a shorter cut for the coming summer days.
During the hot days, if your lawn loses too much moisture, it may grow slower, and in this case, shorten the blade to allow the grass to grow back up, and do keep mowing. If the moisture is retained, continue to mow at the shorter height. Moving to the end of the year, less cutting is required in around November, and you can allow the grass to grow to the previous height in readiness for the winter months. The following year, it should take less work to prepare your garden in the spring for the summer. After doing all of this, you will be able to physically see the benefits of correctly mowing your lawn, as it taken in a healthy and vibrant look.