Tips to a better lawn

MOWER HEIGHT: Proper lawn care is an important part of maintaining your lawn and keeping it in the best possible condition. A healthy and well maintained lawn is better able to resist drought, weeds, and other stresses. 

Mowing is the most often incorrectly performed part of lawn maintenance. Each grass type has a height range that it prefers to be mowed at, if you will cut the grass at that height the grass will be healthier, look better and most importantly last through the season without dying out from lack of water.  

The depth of the root system is in direct correlation to the height you mow at. So, the higher you mow the deeper the roots, the more water the grass can get and the less you have to water.

If you have cool season grasses like Fescue, Bluegrass and Ryegrass. they thrive being mowed at a range of 2.5 to 3.5 inches high, always avoid cutting them too short. Warm sesaon grasses such as Bermuda will tolerate mowing as low as most mowers will cut.

MOWER MAINTENANCE: Here are some ideas to keep your lawnmower in good operating condition.
- Change the oil each year.
- Change the spark plug as needed.
- Clean out the underside of the mower of any grass buildup once a month.
- Clean the air filter regularly.
- Wipe the body of your mower to remove grass, dirt and dust and any moisture after each use. It will look better, and last longer.
Once a year before mowing season starts, schedule an overall maintenance check with the Service Department at Pleasant Valley Outdoor Power. We can pick it up and deliver it back when we're done, saving you the hassle of doing it yourself.

CUTTING TECHNIQUES: Mowing your lawn at a longer length provides a longer grass blade to absorb sunlight and photosynthesis, helping to create a healthier lawn. High mowing, as it is called, also helps block out crabgrass and weeds.
- Cut your lawn when it reaches 2-3 inches in length.
- Cut no more than 1/3 of the grass blade length at a cutting.
- Alternate cuttings, going horizontally and vertically across the lawn.

- For a neat look, cut the lawn diagonally.

- Leave grass clippings on the lawn to decompose. As they decompose, they provide natural, organic nitrogen to the lawn, keep moisture in, and helps to minimize weeds.

- Always mow when the lawn is dry. This will save wear and tear on your mower. It will also keep cut grass from clumping on the lawn, and minimize the spread of disease.

- Check the mower blade regularly to assure a sharp cut. Dull blades will hack and chop the blade, leaving unattractive ragged, brown edges, and risking lawn damage.

MULCHING: Grass cycling, or mulch-mowing, means leaving clippings on the lawn to feed the soil. It saves you time (no more bagging clippings and dragging them to the curb!), saves waste, and makes your lawn greener and healthier. You can grass cycle with a conventional power lawn mower, but when it’‘s time to shop for a new mower, it might make sense to buy a "mulching" lawn mower.

The best mulch-mowers can blow the finely chopped clippings down into your lawn where they disappear from sight, decompose and fertilize the lawn quickly, and won’‘t be tracked into the house. The best mulchers will leave a clean lawn year-round, as long as you mow every five to seven days during the spring and slow down in overgrown patches.