As the grass starts to grow you will need to start to mow your lawn. It is very important in early spring that you try and minimise causing too much stress to your lawn so for the first few cuts set the mowing height to its highest setting and only mow as and when weather / soil conditions permit.
As the grass grows faster so should the frequency of your mowing and gradually lowering the cutting height of your mower.
Mowing heights are very much based upon your own lawn “type” and of course weather conditions and other factors.
The actual height of the turf is at the end of the day a matter of personal preference. However, if most lawns are mown shorter than 2.5 cm it will weaken the grass.
A lawn cut at the correct height will have more ability to produce food for itself, help to encourage deeper and stronger root systems, will stay greener in adverse conditions, reduce weed infestation and is more resistant to diseases. It is a compromise between getting a great looking lawn and retaining enough leaf of the grass to be healthy.
As a general rule of thumb:
The First Rate / Luxury lawn – Perhaps every ones dream of having a luxury lawn and the envy of your neighbours but be warned it is high maintenance and will require regular close mowing once or twice a week, rising to three times a week in late spring - cutting height from 1.5cm to 1 cm.
For the more realistic lawn frantic The First Rate / Utility lawn – This type of lawn will withstand the more day to day foot traffic and other activities of your outdoor living area. Whilst it can withstand some neglect, poor mowing practises will quickly cause deterioration.
By the grass seed mix that the utility lawn is made up from, the grass grows quickly in late spring and require mowing once or twice per week at a cutting height of 2.5 to 3.5 cm.
Unfortunately most lawns are classified as Second Rate and normally caused by neglect. The biggest cause being irregular mowing frequencies and over close mowing. Of course there are other factors such as shade, heavy foot traffic, over / under lawn treatments to name a few. The good news is that by adjusting your mowing technique can in most cases help to bring the lawn back to a reasonable appearance.
Mowing should be undertaken weekly at a cutting height of 3.0 to 3.5 cm. Should your lawn be badly affected by shade, I would suggest cutting slightly higher.
The remaining lawn type is classed as “Worn out” – basically a worn out lawn doesn’t have any sufficient number of desirable grass types and usually been overtaken by moss, weeds, course grasses and of course bare patches of soil.
The “lawn” will still require mowing but twice a month would normally be sufficient. If moss is a major factor, aim to cut approx. 2.0 cm higher than the moss and suggest that the cutting height is maintained at approx. 5.00 cm.
The general guideline is never remove more than one-third of the leaf shoots in any one mow and vary the direction of cut each time. If in doubt cut high and increase the frequency of the mowing.
If you have yet to undertake your first mow of the year, have a peek at:
http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/when-is-the-first-cut-of-the
If you can’t (or don't want to) undertake the mowing of your own lawn then please check out:
http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/fed-up-with-mow...
Or if you are still enjoying the thrill of mowing but can’t just get the desire finish then read http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/profiles/blogs/a-good-lawn-sta...
Should you have any questions or queries regarding lawn cutting / treatments please don’t hesitate to contact BGS – You will find our contact details at http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/profile/BGSLTD
Comments
what grasses would be in a first rate lawn ?
Hi Rich,
Really depends upon a number of factors but the key is selecting quality cultivars so that the mixturesthat will produce a high quality sward and will suit the particular growing conditions and use.
As a general rule of thumb, when looking at a good first rate lawn I would use a mix containing Chewings Fescue, creeping Red Fescue and with a small say 5 up to 10% browntop Bentgrass to help provide a slightly better winter greenness. I have found this to be idea for close cutting to 4 - 5mm.
I guess as you are a greenkeeper you are faced with more challanges than most of us on the domestic front!