Mowing Tips for a better,
more environmentally friendly lawn!
- Set
your lawn mower blade to its highest setting. A high cut (3”) encourages deeper roots.
Increasing the grass height only 1/8 of an inch results in about 300
square feet more leaf surface for each 1,000 square feet of lawn. More leaf surface enables grass to
generate more energy for healthy growth, especially of roots. Taller grass
shades out weeds, limits moisture evaporation from soil and harbors beneficial
insects which control pests. Cut the lawn often enough so that you remove
no more than 1/3 of the blade at one time. This means more frequent mowings in the spring, fewer in the heat of summer.
- Leave
your grass clippings as you mow.
Clippings provide nutrition for your lawn. They are comprised of
water, organic matter, nitrogen, and a small amount of phosphorus--all
things your grass needs. Because clippings supply up to 50% of a lawn’s
nitrogen needs over the season, you will not need as much fertilizer.
Clippings from regular mowings will NOT cause
thatch build up and will not hurt the grass.
- Do
not dump yard waste (clippings, branches, or leaves) in the street
where it can wash into storm drains, or in parks, along streams, or piled
at the base of trees.
For more information, see http://turfgrassmanagement.psu.edu/