Turf Tips… mowing tips for a better looking lawn!
Sharp blades - Dull mower blades will tear the grass leaves, giving your lawn a brownish tinge. Torn grass blades also help promote disease. Have your blades sharpened twice a year.
Mowing height - We recommend leaving your lawn 3 inches in height throughout the season. Higher mowing height helps promote a stronger plant and will help compete against unwanted weeds and grasses.
Mow frequently - A good rule is to never remove more than a 1/3 of the plant in a single mowing. i.e.. if you leave your lawn at 3 inches, it should be mowed at 4-4 1/2 inches. Mowing frequently will cause your grass to produce more shoots which makes your lawn thicker.
Mow in different directions - Mowing in the different directions ensures you have even wear over the entire lawn.
Leave clippings on - Grass clippings have essential nutrients that your lawn needs. Grass clippings are high in water content and do not turn into thatch. Pickup excessive clippings caused from taking more than a third of the plant and if the clippings clump up. Grass clippings will spread more evenly if you mow frequently and when the grass is dry.
Turf Tips… watering tips for a better looking lawn!
Water deep and less often - Watering deep will allow the grass roots to stay deep into the soil and promote a stronger root system. Watering shallow and more often encourages shallow rooted grasses and helps promote newly germinated weed seeds including crabgrass.
How much water? - This depends on many factors like soil type, temperatures and previous rainfalls. Overall we recommend 1-1.5 inches per week. We recommend watering deep and infrequently, watering 0.5 inch per watering session. Avoid light waterings. We recommend more water for sandy soils and hot temperatures through summer. A rain gauge can help determine the amount of rainfall and you can adjust your watering times as needed.
Allow soil surface to dry between waterings - Allow the surface of the soil to dry. This will discourage weed seeds to germinate. Watering everyday for shorter periods will encourage weed seeds to germinate and allow weeds and unwanted crabgrass to thrive.
Early morning is best - Water your grass anytime your schedule allows, but the optimal time is early morning. Wet grass overnight helps promote disease. Watering through the day will allow higher water loss due to evaporation.
How to tell how much water you are putting down - you can lay flat bottomed cans over your lawn and run your system for 15 minutes. Then measure the amount in the bottom of the cans. Take the average and this will give you the exact amount.
For example: If you put 4 cans out and run your system for 15 minutes. Add all the totals of the 4 cans and divide them by 4, this will you give you the output for every 15 minutes of run time. So, if your average is 0.25 inches and you want to water your lawn 1 inch per week, you can water for 30 minutes twice per week.