Time to Mow More Lawns
Apr 06th 2017
Benefits of Gainesville Lawn Mowing Services
University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences recently released a statement discussing the importance of practicing proper Gainesville lawn care techniques for your lawn. Not only will regularly mowing your lawn keep it from appearing overgrown and unattractive, but it will help protect the environment. Our team at Evergreen Lawn Care has been discussing these tactics with our customers for years, but this article from the IFAS is presented in a manner that is easy to understand.
Tips to Keep Your Gainesville Lawn Healthy
Throughout this statement, IFAS presents several practices to keep in mind for a beautiful lawn even during the harsh, summer months:
Determine the Ideal Grass Height
In order for your lawn to thrive, grass must be the right height. UF/IFAS associate professor, Jason Kruse, asserts that “if you mow the grass too low, you can leave the grass susceptible to disease, pests and drought.” This practice known as “scalping” will prevent your grass from growing deep roots. Without them, your grass won’t have strong roots that can reach a water source and nutrients in the hot summer months, so you end up with unhealthy and/or dead grass. Strong roots also help with erosion keeping the grass and soil in place. Increased soil stability and limited erosion will help prevent the amount of nutrients and fertilizers that are able to reach your local waterways.
Keep in mind that the specific height will be dependent on the type of grass you have. Kruse comments that St. Augustine grass must be mowed “at taller heights because it has coarse-textured leaf blades.” Though it prefers sunlight, it is tolerant to various amounts of shade. He goes on to say, “due to the limited light reaching the canopy of the lawn, it will perform better if maintained at a higher height of cut.” In contrast, he suggests that Bermuda grass should be “closer to the soil because of its numerous narrow leaf blades and lower growth habit.” Our team at Evergreen Lawn Care utilizes these standards when caring for your lawn to help it thrive.
Sharpen Your Blades
Kruse also discusses the importance of using sharp blades when performing Gainesville landscaping services. At Evergreen, through experience, we have observed that when blades are dull, you run the risk of of damaging the grass blades by tearing them, leaving them susceptible to disease. That is why we sharpen our blades every day to make sure your grass is protected.
Mow Your Lawn Regularly
Though the stifling summer heat may discourage you from spending time outside, Kruse points out that, “this is the most important time of year to mow frequently.” If you skip regular mowings, you end up creating too much debris that can wind up smothering your lawn and creating an abundance of thatch. This can cause rot at the base of the grass and harbor pests. A little thatch is a good thing. The recycled grass blades put nitrogen back into the soil, but remember that the saying "Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing" applies to your grass as well.
Reliable Lawn Care Companies in Gainesville, FL
If you are looking for superior landscaping Gainesville, FL, options, contact Evergreen Lawn Care. We use all of the latest lawn care techniques to ensure the health of your lawn in relation to aesthetics and the environment. Contact us today to find out how we can help you.
