This post is directed at those of you who don’t mow your lawn as often as you should. It’s true that you don’t want to mow your lawn too often- you run the risk of scalping your lawn and leaving it less protected against natural threats like weeds. However, you also want to avoid neglecting your lawn and letting the grass grow too long, as it will block the roots from getting the water and air that they need. Sometimes life gets in the way of mowing and you wind up with grass that’s long and overgrown—this is a common issue for people with summer homes who are not able to hire someone to mow their property. In this post, we review what you should do if you find your grass intimidating you with its long length.
One of the most important things to remember is that even when your grass is long, you should not just discard the principles you would ordinarily apply. Rules exist for a reason! For example, you should not ditch the rule of thumb that tells you not to cut more than 1/3 of the grass height at once. Measure your grass height and cut only the top third of it on the first mowing; if you cut more than that, you risk damaging the grass plants, which will lead to grass that is brown and unsightly. Instead, only cut a few inches at a time, and be mindful of the fact that you will need to mow substantially slower than usual. Mowing in wet conditions is tough even in the best of times, so wait for it to dry if you have long grass that’s wet.
Sometimes circumstances come up where you can’t mow your tall grass in stages and you need to do it all at once. If this happens, don’t panic—it can be done successfully, although you may need to hire a professional with an especially powerful mower. If you go it alone, just make sure that your blade is sharp and be sure to bag your clippings for the first mowing as the tall grass will block the roots.
Tall Grass
