Mowing your lawn seems like a routine task, and in many ways, it is. But it still needs to be done properly, otherwise, the health of your grass can suffer immensely. At Big Lakes Lawncare, we have seen property owners make many mistakes when they mow the lawn, but there are some common ones that we see often.

If you can follow our four rules for mowing lawns in Michigan areas such as Shelby, Macomb, Chesterfield, and nearby cities, then your grass should end up in good shape. Learn about our four main rules when it comes to lawn mowing.

1. Mow your lawn at the proper height.

Proper height for each grass varies based on its turf type. When mowing a lawn, you should never cut the blades by more than 1/3 of their height, known as the 1/3 rule. If the grass is cut too short, then its overall health can suffer and it will not be as strong as it could be, which can decrease its resistance to lawn diseases or insects such as white grubs.

2. Cut the grass on a consistent schedule.

To ensure that your grass does not get too long and you can stick to the 1/3 rule, you need to cut it on a consistent schedule. Your lawn should be mowed weekly during the growing season in Michigan. Waiting to mow every two weeks means that the grass will be too long and you could end up cutting too much off at one time, weakening its structure in the process.

3. Alternate your mowing patterns and always do 3-point turns.

Dark green home lawn with mowing stripes near Shelby, MI.

Mowing weekly means that you will need to alternate your mowing patterns. Mow horizontally, vertically, and diagonally and switch those patterns up, otherwise, you may create ruts in your lawn if you follow the same pattern every week. Those ruts will end up with heavily compacted soil and could end up susceptible to weed growth. A 3-point turn while mowing will stop the mower tires from tearing up the grass underneath, as it is more gentle than doing an abrupt turn.

4. Keep your mower blades sharpened.

It is important to keep your kitchen knives sharpened since they provide a clean cut. The same applies to your mower blades. A clean cut is desired when you are mowing the lawn. Dull mower blades will tear the grass blades rather than cut them and will open up more area of the blade that is exposed to potential fungal disease. Generally, it is recommended to sharpen the blades every 20-25 hours of mowing time to keep them in pristine condition.

Not every lawn care company follows these rules. Call one that does today.

If you need a lawn care company to mow your lawn and ensure that these rules are followed--you found us. Not every company does follow these rules, and you'll see the difference. We service properties in and around Shelby, Chesterfield, and Macomb, MI. Call us today at (586) 200-0855 to set up an estimate.