Everyone wants to maintain a healthy and beautiful lawn. However, there are certain unwritten but established rules property owners often overlook that can harm your lawn. These harmful lawn mowing practices include sticking to a set mowing schedule week in and week out, mowing in the same direction every week, and cutting more than 1/3 of your grass blades in the same mowing session.

Since these rules are universal, they apply to your lawn whether it's your property here in Elkhart, Indiana, or another part of the country. Of course, the simplest way to avoid these types of problems is to work with a lawn and landscape maintenance professional who helps you establish sound scheduling and mowing heights based on your specific situation.

1. You Stick to a Mowing Schedule

Depending on the season, your grass grows at different rates. If you stick to a strict schedule, like every Saturday, you may be mowing your lawn when it doesn't even need it. For example, if you have cool-season grass that slows down or stops growing in the summer, it's okay to scale back weekly mows during the summer. On the other hand, you'll need to mow more often during the spring and fall.

Using a set mowing schedule could harm your grass because you could cut it too short. Thus, you could end up leaving it susceptible to lawn disease and insect infestations. It is important to cut your lawn when it needs it, not on a strict schedule.

You can avoid mowing your lawn at the wrong time by allowing your pro to establish a mowing schedule based on your grass type.

2. You're Mowing in the Same Direction Each Week

Alternating mowing patterns during a professional lawn service visit.

Repeatedly mowing in the same direction is a common mistake among property owners. However, there are several reasons to avoid this practice. Consistently mowing in the same pattern causes your grass to lean to one side. The problem with grass that bends to one side is that over time the grass flattens so much that your lawnmower blades glide over the grass without actually touching it. Another issue this causes is reduced air circulation, which can lead to lawn diseases and attract pests.

In addition to causing your grass to lean, repeatedly mowing in the same direction causes the mower's weight to etch tracks or ruts in your lawn. Before long, the soil beneath these ruts begins to compress or become compacted, and if left unchecked, soil compaction can lead to thinning grass, brown spots in your lawn, and ultimately to weeds encroaching on your lawn.

3. You're Cutting More than 1/3 of Your Grass Blades Per Mowing Session

The proper height of healthy grass.

There's a mowing best practice called the 1/3 rule that says you shouldn't cut more than a third of your grass blades at one time. Many lawn and landscape professionals adhere to it because mowing more than a third of your lawn's height per mowing session puts stress on your lawn. Stressed lawns perform poorly compared to healthy turf.

Give us a call today to schedule our lawn mowing service!

It's great to know these three best practices. However, wouldn't it be nice if you could put this whole process on autopilot, knowing that you will never violate any of these three lawnmower best practices? Now you can! Here at Grow Pros Lawn Care, LLC, we have a long track record of helping property owners in Elkhart, Granger, South Bend, and surrounding areas in Indiana adhere to these three unwritten rules.

So, when you hire us, you can rest assured knowing that we'll mow your grass properly - according to your grass type and the season. Let's maximize your property's curb appeal today. Call us now at (574) 326-3526 to schedule our lawn mowing services!