Your Lawn Maintenance Provider Should Always Follow These 4 Mowing Rules

In Virginia, many simple rules for lawn mowing are sometimes overlooked. People often believe that you just need to run your mower over your grass every week or two to maintain your lawn. However, lawn maintenance is much more involved than that. It is important to make sure your lawn maintenance provider follows these four rules: they need to switch up their mowing patterns each time they mow, they should keep their blades sharp, they should follow the 1/3 rule, and they should never mow your lawn if it is wet. Following these rules is crucial because it can lead to a healthier and cleaner-looking lawn!

1) Switch up the mowing pattern each time you mow.

There are two major reasons why your lawn maintenance provider should be switching up their mowing pattern each time they visit your property. The first reason to employ alternating patterns is to prevent your grass from leaning in any specific direction. The other reason is that repeatedly following the same mowing pattern can lead to ruts in your lawn. Ruts, or compacted soil, are detrimental to your lawn aesthetically while also negatively impacting the overall health of the lawn. By switching up the patterns each time your lawn is mowed, your lawn maintenance provider can keep your lush, green lawn upright and full!

2) Keep the blades sharp in your mower.

Have you ever tried chopping vegetables with a dull knife? You end up using more force while expending more energy to get the job done. Additionally, it is harder to make a clean cut when chopping vegetables with a dull knife. The same principle applies to mowing your lawn. It is essential that your lawn maintenance company is cutting your grass with sharp mower blades. Not doing so could result in ripping your grass blades, which makes your lawn weaker and more susceptible to disease and insect infestations. Mowing with a sharpened blade ensures your grass is never ripped and your lawn is always evenly cut.

3) Follow the 1/3 rule when cutting grass.

One of the more common rules in the lawn maintenance industry is the 1/3 rule, but we've found that many homeowners in Virginia haven't heard of it! The 1/3 rule simply states that you should never cut more than 1/3 off the top of your grass blades. Exceeding this limit removes the majority of the foliage and causes your grass to go into shock, forcing it to redirect its nutrients and food from its roots toward growing new blades of grass. When the 1/3 rule is followed, those nutrients are preserved for survival, which keeps your grass in a healthy state. More information about the 1/3 rule can be read here at the Virginia Cooperative Extension.

4) Never mow your lawn when it's wet.

Finally, we arrive at the last tip, and that is your lawn maintenance provider should never mow the grass if it is still wet. Mowing over a wet lawn will have detrimental effects on your lawn. Much like repeatedly mowing the lawn in the same direction each time your lawn is mowed, mowing over wet lawns can lead to creating ruts in the soil when your lawn maintenance provider moves their machine over your turf. What happens is that the wheels delve into the soil, creating wet patches throughout your lawn. Once the soil dries, the ruts will remain in place. This will eventually lead to more work and maintenance in the future in order to mend your lawn and restore it back to its pristine condition. By having your lawn mowed when it is dry, these issues can be avoided and your lawn will continue to stay healthy!

Call us to enroll in our lawn mowing program!

It is always important to know your lawn maintenance provider follows these four important mowing rules. If you are in need of a company that will follow these four crucial steps when taking care of your lawn in, then we are the right lawn maintenance provider for you! We proudly serve properties located in Arlington, Falls Church, and Annandale, VA, as well as nearby areas. To ensure your lawn is serviced to the highest standard, please contact us at (703) 527-6950 to enroll in our lawn mowing program.