You may have heard that to achieve a golf green look, you should mow your lawn to a height of 5 centimeters (2 inches). While this is a common belief, it’s important to know
that lawns cut that short can have serious health problems. They tend to dry out in the summer, have more weeds and attract various insects. Fortunately, the lawn care
experts at Monsieur Gazon in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu can shed some light on this question.
Why mow your lawn higher?
A high-cut lawn helps shade the ground, which protects the grass’ roots from being burned during a heat wave. The length of the lawns’ roots is roughly proportional to the
height of the blades of grass. A longer lawn has deeper roots, which can help the grass access more water from the soil in times of drought.
Insects like white grubs lay eggs in exposed soil. Therefore, if you leave your grass a bit taller, they won’t be able to access the ground. The same goes for weeds. Weeds need
sunlight to germinate. Consequently, if you leave your lawn high, the soil will be shaded, making it more difficult for weeds to grow.
If you want a beautiful lawn with minimal effort, trim your grass to a height of 8 centimeters (3 inches). Make sure to sharpen your mower blades at least once a season.
Dull blades can result in an uneven cut, which can leave the grass with brown, damaged tips that may not heal properly.
What if I’ve neglected mowing my lawn?
What should you do if you’ve neglected your lawn and it grows taller than 12 centimetres? The best thing to do is to cut it back gradually. First, mow the grass to 10
centimetres and then, a few days later, to 8 centimetres.
Keeping the grass short will also allow you to practice grasscycling, which involves leaving the mowed clippings to decompose on the ground. This is an ecological practice
that must be done with due diligence. For instance, the clippings left on the ground must be light enough so they don’t choke the lawn.
Source :
https://www.lapresse.ca
https://jardinierparesseux.com
