It’s important to maintain a lush and vibrant lawn, especially during the scorching summer months. To ensure your yard remains a verdant oasis and not a patch of withered grass, it’s crucial to grasp the precise timing and techniques for mowing.
Fortunately, I’m here to provide you with the essential knowledge and tips to keep your lawn thriving throughout the summer.
How Often Should Grass be Mowed in the Summer?
You should mow your lawn every 4 to 6 days during the summer. The one-third rule can help determine how frequently to mow your lawn.
If there’s a lot of rain or if you fertilize heavily, mow your grass every four days to keep it from getting too long. You should never have to wait a week to mow your lawn during the summer.
One exception to the rule is during periods of extreme drought when grass essentially stops growing for a few days; you should wait around ten days to mow. Maintaining your regular mowing schedule during a drought will result in a dry-looking lawn.
How High Should You Cut Your Lawn in the Summer Season?
In the summer, the recommended length for your grass lawn is three inches. Longer grass helps your lawn survive droughts, which can occur during the summer months.
The average length should stay right around the ideal grass height to keep your lawn healthy and hydrated during the hotter months of the year.
Mistakes to Avoid When Mowing in the Summer
Cutting Too Low
Mowing the grass too short can make it vulnerable to weeds and less resilient in extreme weather conditions. Over-mowing should be avoided as it can harm the grass and lead to an unappealing appearance.
Cutting Wet Grass
When the grass is wet, the mower’s blades can become clogged, resulting in an uneven cut. Thus, it is not the perfect time to cut grass on lawn. Mower wheels can flatten the grass, causing the blades to miss it.
Any fungus patches can spread and cause disease infestations when mowing a wet lawn. The grass is also prone to being slippery, which can lead to garden mishaps.
Mowing the Same Way
Since grass blades grow in the direction, they are mowed, alternating the mowing pattern allows the grass to grow straighter as it returns to a more upright position.
Change how you cut the grass to keep the blades healthy every mow. Overlapping by at least three inches will ensure that you won’t miss any grass strips.
Working with Blunt Blades
Sharpening mower blades is ideal every two to three months to ensure a clean cutting blade. But do you need to sharpen your new lawn mower blades? Find out next!
Sharp blades will tear the grass rather than cut it cleanly. Pests and diseases can breed in ripped grass.
Rushed Mowing
Never mow if you are in a rush because it will result in an uneven lawn. When mowing in a rush, you run the risk of leaving behind uneven piles of grass clippings. Hire a lawn-mowing service if you don’t have time to do it yourself.
Cleaning the Clippings
You should leave the grass that you cut on the lawn to help the soil retain moisture and have added nutrients. As they decompose, grass clippings can supply the lawn’s nitrogen [1] needs up to one-third.
Do I Need to Water my Lawn?
During the summer season, grass should collect at least 1 and 1.5 inches of water every week from irrigation or rainfall. To get these results, you can water deeply every other day.
In order to sustain the deeper roots and protect against drought, ensure your turf absorbs 1/3 inch of water every two days.
Do I Need to Feed the Lawn?
Fertilizing in the early summer can help the grass grow thick and healthy, mainly because they adapt best at temperatures around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Fertilizing at the right time can make your grass more resistant to heat and drought.
Conclusion
The answer to how often you should mow your lawn in the summer can vary significantly from person to person and from lawn to lawn. It is highly dependent on where you live and the temperature and rainfall you receive.
Just remember the rules and the things you should avoid. Use your best judgment and trust your eyes, and your lawn will be healthy all year.
You've probably seen his down-to-earth wisdom in USA Today, Bobvila, Family Handyman, and The Spruce, where he has shared commentary and guidance on various woodworking topics.
Robert is the brain behind Sawinery, where he aims to share tips, tricks, and a passion for all things carpentry.
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