July 17, 2007
Time to Mow the Lawn
Recently, the weather at our house has been in a more normal summer pattern with afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Our drought parched landscape has really bounced back with the rain---especially our lawn. The grass seemed to grow more than an inch over night.
That means it’s time for us to get back in our regular mowing routines. Remember that different turf grasses have different mowing heights. We have zoysia, and my husband tries to keep it about two inches tall.
You will need to mow your grass frequently enough so that you only reduce the grass’ height by one-third. At our house, this means it’s time to mow the grass when it’s three inches high. Check out this publication from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System for more on mowing heights and frequency.
This past weekend before my husband began to mow, he did some simple maintenance tasks. He installed a new air filter, checked the tires’ inflation and inspected the blades to ensure they were sharp. Colorado State Extension offers this information on lawn mower maintenance.
Finally, he and our daughter did a quick tour of the lawn removing sticks, rocks, toys and any other potential hazard. Only then, did he crank our riding lawn mower and begin his Saturday afternoon of riding the mower.
A lawn mower is a useful but potentially dangerous piece of equipment. Check out this publication from Mississippi State Extension on using lawn mowers safely.