We Mow the Line

Spring is in the air even though the weather can’t be counted upon to be consistent quite yet.
And that Spring is about to be joined by the smells of gasoline and grass clippings and the growls of engines. That’s right; it’s time to start thinking about regular lawn maintenance again!

Wheaton Lawn has taken the mowers out of storage, and we’re ensuring all of our equipment is in perfect working order to get your lawns into ideal condition. But, if you’ve spoken to any of our lawn techs before, you know that a well-maintained property takes more than a quick mow! The details of the mowing matter, as do the other steps we take to keep your lawn pristine.

Here’s Weaton’s guide to lawn maintenance in Fremont.

The First Mow of the Season

Every mow matters, but the first mow of the season is extra essential. Your lawn has been dormant over the winter, so it hasn’t had any new growth. That means all the lawn you have is in rough shape.

It’s the grass equivalent of split ends!

The purpose of the first mow is to remove all of that dead, scraggly grass so that what’s left is the still living part of the blade. As such, the first mow of the season may cut off a little more than we usually mow.

Subsequent Mows

The following mows throughout the Spring and Summer will be about lawn maintenance.

First, we’ll pick the height of your cutting based on the grass species in your lawn. Different grasses have different height recommendations, but there are some general rules.

We always cut the grass shorter in cooler weather than in warmer. So once summer comes around, we leave the grass slightly higher. The taller height gives the grass extra insulation from the sun’s heat.

Another rule of thumb is never to cut more than a third of the grass’s blades. Removing too much of the blade at a time is a shock to the system of the plant. In addition, it creates a lot of mess. Finally, too much grass debris may not break down properly, creating thatch that will inhibit grass growth and choke out root systems.

Equipment

Before we move on to the more detailed elements of lawn maintenance, it’s worth noting another vital part of proper mowing. We must keep our equipment up to date.

For lawnmowers, that means making sure the blade is sharp. A dull edge is terrible for grass because it mashes it instead of giving a clean cut. Imagine trying to cut a steak with a butter knife for a visual picture!

You may notice a discoloration in your grass from the damage when you cut it with a dull blade.

Edging

Edging does a lot of good for your lawn. First, of course, it improves its appearance by creating a bold-lined frame around it and between your grass and other elements like gardens and hardscaping. But it also keeps those gardens and hardscapes safer from invading grass.

It’s difficult for grass root systems to cross the deep chasm of an edge into a garden. Left to its own devices, grass wants to spread! That can ruin both gardens and driveways.

Finally, edging makes mowing easier. By creating those lines, we need to spend less time on the other detailed work of trimming around objects. That efficiency means less labor and gas and a lower cost for you!

Trimming

While you may think the terms cutting, mowing, and trimming can be used interchangeably. For professional landscapers, trimming refers to our detailed work after a mow.
While it would be ideal if every yard were perfect level, most lawns aren’t. There are always little bumps and imperfections. Though the blade is sharp, a lawnmower can be an ironically blunt tool, and so when mowing through these uneven spots, there’s a good chance to leave little cowlicks behind.
Trimming removes these imperfections!

Blowouts

After we mow, we blow. Blowouts are the final touch in a good maintenance routine. So it’s important to blow out grass clippings away from where they don’t belong!

Lawn Care

Though mowing, edging, trimming, and blowouts are necessary for your regular maintenance routine, beautiful lawns go beyond the basics. We’ll discuss how we improve your lawn through aeration, overseeding, fertilizers, and more in future blogs, but for now, understand that there are other important ways to go deep to keep your lawn healthy!

Call Wheaton for Your Lawn Maintenance and Lawn Care Needs

So do you have Spring fever yet? We do, and the only prescription is lawn maintenance! So let Wheaton make your lawn the best on the block!