There are three lawn mowing rules people tend to overlook that you should be aware of when mowing your lawn. They don't adhere to the 1/3 rule, they don't switch up their mowing patterns each time they mow, and they don't use sharp blades to mow their lawn. Each of these lawn mowing mistakes can negatively impact the health of your grass and can make your grass more susceptible to discoloring and diseases. And as the weather starts to heat up here in Louisville, KY, it becomes increasingly important to avoid these lawn mowing mistakes so your lawn can stay healthy and tolerate the summer months ahead.

1. Not Following the 1/3 Rule

Freshly cut grass following the 1/3 rule by a home in Jeffersontown, KY.

One of the mowing mistakes people often make is not following the 1/3 rule. To put it simply: the 1/3 rule of lawn mowing states that you should never cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade length during a single mow. When your grass is cut too low, you run the risk of scalping your lawn, which means exposing your lawn's stem tissue. You want to avoid this because it can damage your lawn, causing it to turn brown, while also making your lawn more susceptible to weed infestations. Following the 1/3 rule, however, keeps your grass blades at an ideal height to recover quickly, so they can stay strong enough to fight off pests and diseases. And when your grass remains strong, it's also able to better tolerate environmental stressors.

2. Not Switching Up Your Mowing Pattern Each Time You Mow

Our potential client in Lyndon, KY mowing his lawn in a pattern.

When you don't switch up the directions each time you mow your lawn, your grass will start to lean in the direction you mow, bringing down its curb appeal. Additionally, mowing in the same direction each time can also lead to ruts forming in your soil, which can block your grass from getting the nutrients and resources it needs to stay healthy enough to fight off diseases. It's always good to change your mowing pattern every time you mow to reduce the risk of compacted soil and to keep your grass growing upright.

3. Not Mowing With a Sharp Blade

Our lawn mower specialist sharpening a blade in Fern Creek, KY.

The last mowing mistake people make is mowing their lawn with dull blades. It's always important to check the sharpness of your lawnmower blades when cutting your grass. Dull mower blades will pull at your grass and rip the edges of the grass blade instead of evenly cutting it. Torn grass blades will then start to brown at their jagged edges. Cutting your grass with a sharpened blade, on the other hand, will create a clean, straight cut. When your grass is cut cleanly, it tends to recover much faster than a grass blade that was torn. Torn grass blades, because they have to focus on recovery, tend to be more susceptible to diseases and pests. Grass cut with sharpened blades, however, will be better equipped to handle higher stress periods because they are much healthier than torn grass.

Before mowing your lawn, it's recommended to remove any large sticks or rocks that can otherwise damage or dull your mower blades!

Call us today to sign up for our professional lawn mowing service!

It's important to hire a company that can avoid these mistakes when mowing your lawn. At Lawn Works, our expert team will always ensure that your lawn is mowed to the correct height, we always alternate our mowing patterns each time we mow your lawn, and we make sure our blades are sharpened each time we visit your property. We serve commercial, HOA, and residential properties in the Louisville, KY area. We also service properties in the Jeffersonville, IN area, including New Albany and Sellersburg. Give us a call today at (812) 590-8864 to enroll in our professional lawn mowing program!