Mowing made easy
By Susan Edwards AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES TECHNICIAN, VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, CHESTERFIELD COUNTY

File photo Following proper mowing techniques will improve the health and appearance of your lawn.

Spring means lots of things to different people: some enjoy the weather, flowers and being outdoors; some see it as a never-ending season of lawn chores. Regardless of your outlook, by now you've probably already dusted off the old lawnmower and gotten to work. But wait! Did you take time to prepare your mower so it can do its job well? By following a few simple - but often overlooked - maintenance steps you can ensure a clean, healthy and (maybe most importantly) attractive cut and save yourself some money along the way.

A well-maintained mower reduces emissions by up to 50 percent, protecting the environment and reducing fuel consumption up to 30 percent. With the cost of gas these days, that alone is enough reason to keep your mower in shape! But by maintaining your equipment you also extend the life of your mower, restore horsepower by up to 7.5 percent and improve the start-ability of your engine. Ah, just imagine a summer without a sore shoulder from endlessly pulling that cord.

A typical engine tune-up includes changing the oil, spark plug and air filter. End your tuneup by sharpening the blade and you're ready to go! Give the Chesterfield County Cooperative Extension Office a call at 751-4401 and we'll mail you detailed instructions. Or visit www.weblogs.cals.vt.edu/lawn_garden/P3 to listen to a podcast by Mike Goatley, Virginia Tech turfgrass specialist, discussing the steps in detail.

Now that your mower is ready to go, are you? Nothing is done more frequently in the lawn than mowing, but it's also frequently done incorrectly. Here are some straightforward guidelines for mowing that will help keep your lawn looking great spring through winter.

+ Mow at the correct height for your type of grass. This is probably the most important thing you can do for your lawn. Different turfgrass species perform best at different heights. You can mow Bermudagrass and Zoysia down to one inch, but you'd never want to do that with fescue! Fescues do best at a mowed height of about 2- 3 inches, but stay near the three-inch mark in the summer. Research shows that for each inch of blade growth, the crown of the grass plant is cooled 5 degrees. Fescues, which prefer cool temperatures and minimal stress during the heat of the summer, will benefit by mowing high - on a 90 degree day the crown will stay at a cool 75 degrees when the blades are mowed to three inches! Results also show that weeds cannot compete as well in turf mowed to the proper height. Mowing at the correct height will keep the grass healthy, increase root mass, and decrease weed pressure.

+ Follow the one-third rule. No one likes to mow more than necessary, but are you mowing as often as you should? The rule here is to remove no more than one-third of the grass blade during a mowing event. Why? When you remove more than one-third of the blade you drastically decrease its ability to produce food (photosynthesize) so the grass goes into survival mode. The result: grass will concentrate its energy into sending up more blade surface area to produce food instead of sending that energy into the root system. This results in a stressed lawn with a shallow, undeveloped root system susceptible to changes in weather as well as insect and disease pressure. Mow by the one-third rule to keep the root system strong and to avoid maintenance headaches down the road.

+ Mulch clippings. As long as you're mowing by the rule above, leave the clippings on the lawn. Clippings are 90 percent water and break down quickly - usually within a day or two. When mulched onto the lawn regularly these clippings will return nutrients to the soil equal to one fertilizer application - saving you time and money!

+ Keep that blade sharp! Using a dull blade causes excess leaf damage and depletes the plant's stored reserves, especially during the stress-filled summer months. Eventually the grass is not able to heal the mowing wound. The open wound becomes a site for fungal entry which can lead to a diseased lawn. Sharpen your mower blade after every 20 hours or so of mowing to prevent these entry paths.

It's not difficult to mow correctly and you'll be amazed at the improvements in your lawn when following these guidelines. Use these methods in conjunction with proper watering, weed control and fertilization, and you'll have the best looking lawn on the block! To learn more, contact the Chesterfield County Cooperative Extension Office at 751-4401 or stay tuned for my next article on watering the lawn.