Expert Tips on Mowing the Lawn the Right Way

Mowing your lawn is routine maintenance. But with any routine, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut of bad habits. It’s important to follow best practices when caring for your grass. To help you out, we gathered some expert lawn mowing tips, so you can ensure an attractive, thriving, and healthy lawn at your St. Louis home.

Understand Your Grass Type

The first step to proper lawn mowing is to know the type of grass that’s growing in your yard. The best types of grass for St. Louis lawns include fescue, Bermuda grass, and zoysia grass. St. Louis falls in a transition zone, which makes it suitable for both cool-season grasses and warm-season grasses. 

How to Tell Which Type of Grass You Have

If you didn’t seed your current lawn, one way to determine what type of grass you have is to watch for periods of growth. Cool-season grasses will grow more in the spring and fall, and dry up a bit during the summer. Warm-season grasses thrive and grow during the summer, but go dormant in the winter months. Determining your grass types will help you know when to mow (i.e. during the growing season).

Find the Right Mowing Frequency & Timing

It’s common for people who want to maintain a clean, manicured lawn to over-mow. But mowing too often can lead to your turfgrass drying out and failing to regrow between mowings. You shouldn’t be mowing more than once a week during the growing season. And during the off-season, you can scale back even more.

Time of day also matters when considering when to mow your grass. Cooler times are better for your lawn and help it recover, so aim for morning or evening mowing. If you have wet grass after heavy rain, wait a day or two until the lawn has dried up.

• Related article: A Complete Lawn Care Schedule for Missouri Homeowners

Cut Grass to the Ideal Height

You might think you can save some work by cutting grass short and leaving longer in between mowings, but this is actually very counterproductive. Scalping your lawn just dries it out and doesn’t allow nutrients to get down to the roots, which can cause your grass to struggle. Instead, set your mower height to between 3-3.5 inches and only remove the tips of the grass blades. This will promote growth and help you achieve a thicker and more vibrant turf.

Use Various Mowing Patterns and Techniques

Your grass will lean in the direction it’s mowed, so if you always follow the same route, eventually your grass will bend or look trampled. Instead, choose a new path each time you mow, opting for a different direction or pattern. This keeps grass upright and helps it look fuller.

Know When to Bag or Mulch

There’s a big debate over whether it’s better to bag or mulch, but the facts come down on the side of mulching. Leaving your grass trimmings doesn’t initially help appearances, but it does get nutrition directly to your lawn and promotes rapid growth. Grass clippings also break down quickly, so you won’t notice them for long. Of course, if it’s been a while between mowings and you know you’re going to have an excess of lawn clippings, it’s okay to bag. Save as much as you can though, because you can reuse it as mulch in different areas around your lawn and landscape.

Maintain Your Lawn Mower

Lawnmower maintenance is critical to your safety and to the health of your lawn. It also reduces the effort you need to put in, making mowing less of a chore and more of a pleasure. Here’s how to properly maintain your lawn mower:

• Sharpen the mower blades regularly for a clean cut
• Check oil levels and replace oil at the start of the season
• Change the spark plug every couple of years
• Swipe grass clippings from the blade after every mow
• Deep clean the mower at the start of the season and before storing it for the winter

Follow Basic Mowing Safety Guidelines

Lawnmowers can have a lot of power, and that means you need to follow safety precautions. Follow these safety tips when mowing your lawn:

• Never mow when there are animals or children in the vicinity
• Be cautious when mowing on inclines — always push the mower up, rather than pull it back
• Wear long pants, closed-toe shoes, and safety glasses when mowing
• Clear the lawn of any debris before mowing
• Wear sun protection, drink plenty of water, and take breaks
• Never refuel a hot engine
• If you have a riding mower with a key, always remove it from the ignition and safely store it

Avoid Common Mowing Mistakes

The tips above all tell you what to do, but the bigger issue may be knowing what not to do. Here are some of the top mowing mistakes you should avoid making:

• Mowing when the grass is wet
• Mowing during the hottest part of the day
• Scalping the lawn (i.e. mowing too short) to avoid frequent mowing
• Mowing too often or leaving the grass to grow too long
• Mowing with a dull blade

Why Hire a Professional Service

Hiring a professional lawn care service is more convenient, consistent, and effective for busy homeowners. With a company like Loyalty Lawn Care, you can save time and energy while still getting the lush lawn look you want. 

Plus, we offer much more than mowing. Explore our full range of lawn care services, from pest and weed control to aeration and fertilization. Ready for your best lawn? Call us for a free quote today!