Typically between late March and early May (depending on your climate), turfgrass will come out of dormancy and begin growing again. But before you can see if grass is ready to cut, you have to clear any debris left over from fall and winter. The first step is to rake.
If it's tall, I would rake it after that mow. After it's short, I don't rake it after mowing. I only rake it when it's exceptionally long. The clumps can kill parts if it's too thick. Short thin grass clippings can be good for the grass. If you stay on top of mowing after the first big mow, you shouldn't need to rake.
Some say you must cut the grass, then edge, trim, and blow off all surrounding surfaces. Others say just the opposite or some other mixture of those steps. Those arguing for mowing first claim that this is the best order since you can then trim edges of lawn to the precise height that you cut the grass at.
It's best to edge and string trim first. Sometimes I also blow leaves and debris onto the lawn before mowing. The lawnmower cuts and sucks up everything as it goes leaving a nice clean yard.
While leaving fallen leaves in their natural state may help your property's ecosystem thrive, it may not be ideal if your goal is a well-kept lawn. A thick layer of leaves can starve your grass of sunlight and cause it to die.
No, raking dead grass will not help it grow. However, raking can help remove thatch — which, as we explained above, may enable grass that is living to grow stronger and healthier.
Don't Rake Those Leaves — Mulch Them Into Your Lawn. Save time and help your lawn by mulching leaves.
Mid-morning mowing is the healthiest for your grass. It meets all the conditions we mentioned earlier: dry grass, cooler temperatures, and enough time to recover.
How often do I need to trim my lawn edges? We recommend edge-trimming every time you mow your lawn. Start by trimming all around the grass edge. Doing it all in one go will give you even results.
No more than one-third of the grass blades should be cut at a time. Cutting off one-third of the blade at a time removes just enough to keep your lawn healthy and not too much to stunt the growth.
It's as simple as mowing across the lawn, turning 180 degrees, then mowing in the opposite direction with a slight overlap of the first pass. If you continue this pattern in alternating directions until you finish up, you'll have grass bent in two directions for light and dark patches.
Mowing too short or scalping results in stress to the grass plant. Weak grass plants will take longer to recover. To maintain a 3-inch lawn, mow before the grass reaches 4.5 inches tall. Mowing too short can allow weed seeds to get more sun and increase the chance of germination.
Recycle the grass clippings by leaving them on the lawn. Doing so will not only save you time and energy, but will also return valuable nutrients to the lawn.
Second, you should power rake when the soil is dry. Be careful, you do not want to power rake when the grass is too dry and the blades of grass are brittle. This will just destroy your grass and affect the healthiness of your lawn. Furthermore, do not power rake when the soil is wet.
Even if you're performing weekly mowing, if you're cutting the grass too short, it could still turn yellow from stress. When you mow too short, you also invite weeds into your lawn. Opportunistic weeds are much more likely to invade weakened lawns, than dense and thriving ones.
Mowing first can help to create a more consistent and even look for your lawn, which can be difficult to achieve if you edge first.
It's generally accepted that the best speed for effective mowing is in the 3-6 mph range. Going too fast can actually result in an uneven cut. How? As the leading edge of the deck pushes the grass forward, the grass doesn't have time to stand back up before being cut because the mower is moving so fast.
The right time to stop mowing the lawn is when grass stops growing. You may still need to run the mower to mulch leaves on the lawn until as late as December, depending on weather. An early snowfall that doesn't stick around isn't a signal to stop mowing. It all depends on grass growth and leaf cover on the lawn.
It's best to water your lawn after mowing only if it aligns with your regular irrigation schedule or when your grass is showing signs of underwatering. Look for signs of dehydration such as: Yellowing or browning leaves. Dry, crispy, or wilting grass blades.
Always rake the lawn before the first mow! A spring tine rake (pictured below) will be gentle enough to untangle the matted leaf blades and loosen up the thatch.
Pick up sticks, rocks and other yard debris before cutting the grass. Lawn mowers can quickly turn a loose item into a dangerous projectile, so it's important to comb your yard and remove any larger stones, sticks, twigs, lawn ornaments, toys and other things that may be in your way once you start mowing.
Although people often rake and bag leaves to prevent their lawns from being smothered and to make yards look better, in most cases, you're fine not moving them. In fact, many environmental experts say raking leaves and removing them from your property is not only bad for your lawn but for the environment as a well.