Spring is an essential time of year for grass, tree, and shrub growth here in Pennsylvania. With proper mowing and lawn maintenance during this time, you can boost the health and beauty of your lawn while encouraging continued growth throughout the season. There are a few things to keep in mind this spring when mowing and maintaining your grass to ensure it’s set up to succeed this year.
Proper Mowing Practices
How High Do I Mow My Lawn?
When it comes to caring for your lawn, mowing is the most consistent and frequent service you can provide. Keeping the lawn properly mowed ensures your lawn stays beautiful while boosting the health of the grass. A healthy lawn is less likely to be afflicted by pests, diseases, fungi, and environmental stress.
Mowing height is one of the most important factors that go into proper mowing practices. The ideal mowing height depends on the type of grass in your lawn, weather conditions, and the time of year. In the spring, our cool-season grasses are in their growing season. This means that growth is quick and consistent, making consistent mowing essential during this time. When the grass becomes too long, it becomes more vulnerable to pest infestations and infections of lawn diseases and fungi. So what is the ideal mowing height for your Pennsylvania lawn in the spring?
Common bunching grasses, like tall fescues and perennial ryegrass, should be mowed between 2-3 inches in height. On the other hand, Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescues should be mowed a little shorter, between 1.5-2 inches in height. By keeping your lawn at this height throughout the spring, you ensure the blades of grass are long enough for efficient photosynthesis but short enough to dissuade pest infestations and lawn diseases. During the summer, to boost your lawn’s water retention, mow your grass a little higher and less frequently.
What is the One-Third Rule for Lawn Mowing?
One of the most important things to keep in mind when mowing your lawn is the one-third rule. The one-third rule for mowing your lawn means that you never cut more than one-third of the total height of your grass. If you cut more than one-third of the height of your grass, then it results in shock and damage. This is called scalping the lawn and should be avoided at all costs. The excess clippings from mowing too much also causes issues by smothering the grass and adding too much to the layer of thatch.
Maintain Your Mower
The final step in proper mowing here in Pennsylvania is lawn mower maintenance. If your lawn isn’t properly maintained every year, then damage can be done to the lawn. Dull mower blades tear the grass instead of cutting it. Tearing the grass causes stress and unnecessary damage, weakening the grass and making it more vulnerable to diseases and fungi. Have your mower blades sharpened at the start of the growing season to ensure your lawn gets the best cut possible.
It’s also important to keep your mower blades clean. Lawn diseases are often spread throughout an entire lawn via contaminated lawn mower blades. By regularly cleaning your mower blades, you help prevent the spread of potentially dangerous lawn diseases and fungi.
Proper Lawn Maintenance in the Spring
Trim and Prune Your Ornamental Trees and Shrubs
Proper lawn maintenance doesn’t stop with the grass. Your trees and shrubs could use a little TLC as well. Spring is the best time of year to trim and prune your trees and shrubs here in Pennsylvania. Before the leaves grow back, it’s a great time to take a look at the structure of your trees to find any opportunities to help. Trimming away damaged or diseased branches is easy at this time of year because they’re easy to identify. By removing these branches, you encourage new growth and protect the tree from spreading diseases.
Pruning away outer branches allows the new inner branches of your trees and shrubs to fill out and grow more evenly. This helps you determine the size, shape and spread of your ornamentals throughout the coming year.
Maintain Your Sprinkler System
Here in Pennsylvania, sprinkler system winterization is essential in the fall to avoid damage from freezing temperatures. That means your sprinkler system needs to be started up again when spring rolls around. Starting up the sprinkler system in the spring requires careful and methodical testing. Activate each zone one by one so you can monitor any damage and inefficiencies throughout your irrigation system. By doing this early in the season, you can get ahead of any issues and have them fixed before the heat and drought-like conditions of summer.
Get the Best Lawn Care From the Experts at Lawn Rx
With proper mowing and lawn maintenance techniques, you can establish a beautiful and healthy lawn. Why not take it to the next level with a comprehensive lawn care program? Here at Lawn Rx, we know what it takes to make Pennsylvania lawns green, healthy, and vibrant. Our lawn care program is designed to provide your lawn with the best care possible throughout the entire year. When combined with our tree and shrub care services, you can boost the health of your lawn and landscaping, encouraging healthy growth and improving the curb appeal of your home.
To get started today, call us at (724) 539-1003 or request a fast and free estimate here. Get access to monthly tips and tricks in lawn care, tree care, pest control, and more by following our blog and check us out on Facebook for the latest Lawn Rx news and deals near you.