Keep Your Lawn Green and Healthy by Following these 3 Tips
Longer days and warmer temps; it’s your lawn’s time to shine! But wait. Why is your grass yellowing and what can you do to combat the patchiness to make sure that your grass is green and healthy this summer?
1. Get your mower blades sharpened.
Dull blades hack at your lawn causing grass to fray and yellow. If you’ve noticed that the tips of your grass have brown or even frayed edges when you’ve gone to mow, then you’ve been cutting with dull blades. This is not only contributing to the yellowing of your lawn, but it is also leaving your grass vulnerable to damage from disease and insects.
Most homeowners will need to get blades sharpened 2-3 times a year, but this also depends on how often they mow and the size of their property. And how many mole hills you level.
If you’re seeing frayed grass after you mow, schedule blade sharpening at Carl’s Mower and we’ll get your blades sharpened to help improve the health of your yard.
Pro Tip: Buy a spare set of blades so you always have sharp backup blades waiting for your mower.
2. Adjust your mower deck.
Raise your mower deck to increase the height of cut so that you’re only taking a third of the height of grass with each mow. It’s suggested to leave it around 2.5 inches high. This allows the grass to shade the soil and it also encourages the roots to grow deeper, hence strengthening the health of your lawn. Traditionally, our PNW grass thrives when it’s shorter, but keeping it longer in the summer is beneficial for our turf.
It is also a good idea to “grasscycle.” Turn on your mower’s mulch setting to leave the clippings on the ground. This not only saves you from having to bag it (already a win), but the clippings put more nutrients back into the soil, which is ultimately going to help it grow more densely. We’re big fans of the Honda Clip Director® on the HRX217VKA and the HRN216VYA walk-behind mowers because you can seamlessly switch between bagging and mulching.
3. Rule of Thumb: Fertilize Below 75.
It is amazing what proper fertilization can do to sustain a healthy green lawn, but it must be done at the right time or you risk burning your lawn. Don’t fertilize your lawn if it’s 75 degrees or hotter, this can burn and yellow your grass. Fertilize when it’s cooler and then give your grass a good watering. Watering deeply allows you to water less frequently and it encourages the roots to grow deeper, thereby improving the overall health of your grass. Also, watering during the cooler hours of the morning or evening allows you to lose less water to evaporation. Make every drop count; your lawn and your wallet will thank you!
To summarize, sharpen your blades to prevent grass that will yellow and is more susceptible to disease. Heighten the cut and mulch your clippings to give your soil more nutrients. Fertilize below 75 degrees in the cooler parts of the day and water it in deeply. It takes little effort to incorporate these practices to achieve a healthy green lawn all summer long.
Carl’s Mower and Saw has been powering the outdoors since 1990. We specialize in equipment sales, service, rentals and parts. When it comes to outdoor power equipment we’ll get you what you need so you can power on! Have questions? Give us a call at 360-384-0799, or email us at info@carlsmower.com.