Everyone loves to see their lawn well-manicured and in stunning shape. A great lawn sets the stage for your home or business and gives your property the perfect backdrop for picturesque landscaping. It gives you the outdoor space you need to entertain or relax, a place for the kids to play on a summer day, or for you to relax in the shade.

According to some research, lawn quality is one of the first impressions a buyer will comment on when previewing a property to purchase, so a well-kept lawn is proven to increase property values.

Creating and maintaining a lush, healthy lawn requires adhering to a regular schedule of maintenance and using the proper techniques to help combat weeds, bald patches, and discoloration.

How often you should mow and other maintenance tasks you should undertake depends on the nature of your property and the vision you have for your outdoor space. Give us a call at Hidden Creek Landscaping for a free consultation. We’d love to help you plan, create, and maintain a beautiful lawn.

How do climate and season affect lawn maintenance?

Climate and season are two of the most critical factors to consider when it comes to your lawn maintenance schedule. The rate of growth of your grass depends on season and temperature, so if it’s warmer, you’ll need to mow the lawn more frequently, while during colder times your grass is more dormant, so slower to grow.

This means that you’ll want to adjust your mowing schedule to reflect the time of year. As you move into fall and temperatures start to drop, you can ease off of more frequent mowing. Then, when the grass stops growing over winter you can take a break, until growth picks back up in the spring and you need to get back out there on a more frequent schedule!

Does lawn height play a role?

Your desired lawn height is what to pay attention to when getting started for the season. If you cut the grass too short, it can lead to diminished root ability to absorb water and nutrients. This ultimately leads to discolored, unhealthy grass. On the flip side, allowing grass to grow too long leaves your lawn looking ragged and messy, also allowing weeds to grow.

In general, the target for cutting your grass is when it reaches 3-4 inches in height. This range is considered the optimal point at which cutting the grass doesn’t harm its growth, while maintaining an appealing appearance.

What is the 1/3 rule?

The 1/3 rule is the golden measure when it comes to cutting overgrown grass. If your lawn becomes overgrown, it is always tempting to go all in, cutting it down to size at once. This is an absolutely terrible idea! Cutting more than 1/3 off the top of the grass can shock it and cause severe discoloration. You are basically robbing the grass of essential nutrients, causing it to become malnourished and unhealthy.

It also causes the lower, remaining parts of the grass to become weather-beaten, particularly if the big cut is the first of the season. Tall grass provides shelter from direct sunlight for the base, so suddenly exposing the lower parts of the blade of grass essentially causes it to become sunburned.

Also, once you’ve started your regular seasonal cycle of lawn maintenance, you can leave the grass clippings in place on the grass. The clippings act as fertilizer, providing essential nutrients like nitrogen. Cutting too much off the grass causes excess clippings that lay on top of and suffocate your lawn. The resulting clumping is not only unappealing, it will kill your grass in patches. Removing no more than 1/3 at any time is the only way to prevent this terrible result!

The short answer is that if your grass is significantly overgrown, you’ll need to cut the grass more often, removing only 1/3 at a time until you reach the height that you prefer.

So, how often should I mow?

There are a couple of other factors that come into consideration when determining how often you need to mow. The amount of sunlight could encourage slower or faster growth, and the type of grass you have also plays a significant factor. You’ll also need to adjust your schedule if the season is particularly rainy or dry. More water means that the grass will grow more quickly and require more frequent mowing, while drier days means you don’t need to get out there as often.

The good news is that we are here to help! Our commitment is to help you grow and maintain a happy and healthy yard. We’ll work directly with you to not only design a perfect yard, but to help you keep it in tip-top shape. Learn more about the design and maintenance services we provide. Let us take the guesswork out of how best to keep your space well-manicured and looking good.