Ah, the smell of spring is in the air in Ohio.  And while we wait for that inevitable, one last blast of snow or freezing rain, we start to turn our thoughts to mowing the grass.  But did you know that you can kill your lawn by mowing your lawn improperly?  

Common Mowing Mistakes that Kill Your Lawn!

As you get ready to mow, you’ll want to keep the following no-no’s in mind when you go to mow for the first time.  Don’t do these things and you’ll have a healthier, happier lawn this season!

Don’t Cut Your Grass More than 1/3 of the Grass Blade!
Setting your mower deck too low can cause a “scalping effect” in your lawn.  This leads to that dry brown looking grass. It also stresses the grass that can lead to more problems.  A common rule of thumb in Cleveland & Columbus is to not cut your lawn lower than 3-4 inches in length.

Don’t Mow with Dull Blades!
When you mow with dull blades it actually tears the grass instead of cleanly cutting it.  Tearing the blades leads to discoloration and the torn blades lose moisture easily. You should sharpen your blades at least 2-3 times a year.

Don’t cut Your Lawn When it’s Wet or Damp!
When you cut wet grass, the cut grass clumps together and smothers the grass leading to brown spots. Cutting a wilted or stressed lawn can further stress a lawn and cause permanent damage.  It also causes ruts in your lawn.

Don’t let Your Lawn get Too Long!
Lawns tend to grow quicker in the spring and fall.  You need to keep up with it.  Letting your lawn get too long and waiting to cut it causes stress on the grass.  In the spring and fall, your grass needs to be mowed weekly.