Lawn Mowing
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After you sow seed, plant grass plugs or lay turf, a lawn doesn't just happen by itself. You have to make a lawn by mowing the grass. The quality of the lawn will depend on the frequency of the mowing. Mowing techniques, such as how tall it should be and other seasonal variances, differ depending on the type of grass you have in your lawn. The best mowing technique to help your lawn grow, is to keep your lawn mower blades set at the correct height, keep them sharp and mow frequently. |
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There is one simple
general rule for lawn mowing:
The higher you set your mowing height, the thicker the grass,
the healthier the lawn, the less weeds, the less watering and the
less fertiliser you need.
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| Med fine ultra cut at 2" and 4" | Med fine miniature left uncut, only the seed heads removed | Med fine dwarf uncut this year, the seed heads removed in bottom right corner. Note growth is below 1" in height. |
So moving on from
the general lawn mowing rule,
lets see what the options are...:
1) The higher you mow
your lawn, the less fertilizer/water it's going to need.
2) The higher you mow
your lawn the less weed killer you're going to need.
3) The lower you mow your
lawn, you are going to need more water and more fertilizer.
4) The lower you mow your
lawn, the more frequently you will need to mow it.
But always - the more frequently
you mow your lawn, the healthier it will be.
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See: lawn mowers
You should be able to adjust your lawn
mowing height to suit your requirements.
The correct height to mow your grass depends on the type of grass in
lawn, and the outside temperature.
Here are the recommended heights...
You should mow Med Fine to a height of 1 to 1.5 inches during warm weather (or lower than 1" if you have dedication to maintaining a putting green quality lawn), and increase to 2 inches, when it's hot.
If you are cultivating a putting green quality lawn then Med Fine will need to be mowed maybe twice a week.
Med Green prefers a length of 1" until it's hot, then 1.5" to 2.5"
Med Green Miniature can be cut down to 1"
Med Lush can be kept at 2.5 to 3.0 inches.
Med Lush Compact can be cut at 1.5 to 2.5 inches
Med Fine and Miniature cut at 1"
Med Fine Dwarf - Almost no mow - skim at 3/4 inch to remove flower heads.
The middle of the summer is the main growing season, for warm season grass.
Our grasses thrive in heat, rest during the winter and begin growing when the weather warms, in the spring. While
the grass is growing, you don't want to mow it too short because that accelerates horizontal growth. When the grass is mowed too short, the growth is not as
dense, and it requires more water and nitrogen fertilizer. The denseness of grass is a factor, because when it's not dense it's easier for weeds and other
unwanted plants to establish themselves.
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Once you have selected the mowing height, mow as frequently as possible. After that try to mow in different directions each time you mow. Collect the cuttings if the lawn is healthy, but remember by not collecting the cuttings on a weed infested lawn, you are helping to spread the weeds. Remember the height rule - don't mow more than 1/3 at each time.
Collecting the grass cuttings is dependent on a number of factors:
1) If your grass is clear of weeds and you mow at the recommended intervals, then not collecting the cuttings over time will improve your lawn. But after you mow, make sure you disperse any clumps of grass cuttings with a brush or a rake, to prevent the cuttings killing the grass underneath.
2) If your lawn has been left uncut then not collecting the cuttings will smother and kill the grass, so spread out the cuttings.
3) If your lawn has weeds then NOT collecting the cuttings will run the risk of spreading the weeds and their seeds.
Do not be in a hurry to mow a new lawn, you might think of rolling it for the first time (at around 1.5" high), instead of mowing.
If your lawn has been planted, and you want to mow in the summer, then follow the mowing heights for your particular type of grass.
If your lawn has been planted in the winter and you want to trim the cool season grass that has been overseeded, then mow at a height no less than 2". If the grass has been let grow too long (over 3"), it will need to be mowed a couple of times, the first time to take off about 1/3 of the grass and again in a few weeks to bring it down to around 2".
More tips for mowing a
lawn are in our Customised Lawn Repair Project. 
