Don’t Stress (Your Lawn) Out

Mowing the lawn is a typical summer activity. Did you know that when you mow, you can actually “stress out” your grass? This can lead to a brown, weedy and patchy lawn. But, by increasing your mower height, you can reduce stress on turf species as well as the incidence of some common turf weeds. Increasing the height of your mower blades is particularly important when turf is under stress from heat, drought or shade.

Viewer Tip: Don’t leave your mower set at the same cutting height all year. Instead, increase the mower height to reduce stress on turf that is in the shade or exposed to extreme heat.  Since turf species grow more slowly when they are under stress, allow enough time between cutting for the turf to regrow sufficiently before it is mowed again. This may mean mowing shady sections of your lawn at intervals different from those used in sunny areas.

This information is provided by ATTRA, National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.  Learn moreat www.attra.ncat.org.

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