Mowing your lawn is an essential maintenance task that you need to do on a regular basis to keep it looking neat and manicured. However, mowing incorrectly can harm your grass! To avoid damaging your turf, make sure you rotate your mowing patterns every time you cut the grass. This means cutting your lawn in different patterns each time in order to prevent ruts and compacted soil. Also, it's important to adjust the deck height of your mower based on the specific grass type that you have on your property in Virginia to ensure it's cut to the ideal length. Finally, resist the urge to bag up those grass clippings after mowing. Leaving them on your lawn will return vital nutrients back to your soil.

Not Rotating Your Mowing Patterns Every Time You Cut the Grass

The first mistake you want to avoid when mowing your lawn is not changing up your mowing patterns each time. When you follow the same direction every time, it compacts the soil and causes ruts to form, which hinders airflow, water penetration, and nutrient uptake. As a result, it weakens and stresses your grass, making it more susceptible to diseases and pests. To prevent this from happening, rotate your mowing pattern by 90-degree increments each session, whether you're cutting perpendicular or parallel to the ground with lines. This way, it stays well-maintained and has optimal access to everything it needs.

Not Adjusting Your Lawn Mower's Deck Height to Your Turf Type

Another crucial aspect of mowing your lawn correctly is adjusting your mower's deck height to suit your specific grass type. For example, some types need to be kept longer, while others can tolerate going shorter. Because of this, it's crucial to know the turf type on your property so that you can make adjustments to the deck height. That way, you can promote healthy growth and get the best results possible!

Bagging the Grass Clippings After Mowing Instead of Leaving Them on the Lawn

The last mistake you want to avoid making when mowing your lawn is bagging the grass clippings afterward instead of leaving them. Grass clippings consist of essential nutrients, and bagging them will take that nourishment away from your lawn. Meanwhile, leaving them on top of your turf allows them to decompose and return those valuable nutrients to the soil. These nutrients benefit your lawn by providing additional nourishment and improving its overall health and vigor, acting as a natural fertilizer. Leaving grass clippings on the lawn also helps with moisture retention, which can be particularly beneficial during dry periods.

Call us today to enroll in our professional lawn mowing program!

At Patriot Lawn and Landscape, we offer a professional lawn mowing program to keep your turf looking pristine throughout the growing season. This program includes weekly visits from the end of March until mid-November to cut your grass, string-trim, edge, and blow debris off hard surfaces. Our team also follows best practices while mowing to ensure optimal results, including rotating mowing patterns, adjusting the deck height to your specific grass type, and leaving the grass clippings on your lawn. We are dedicated to producing high-quality work, so you can rest assured that we won't cut corners when maintaining your property.

We serve residential and commercial properties, as well as HOAs, in Bristow, Haymarket, Manassas, and nearby communities in Virginia. Call us today at (703) 244-7798 to enroll in our professional lawn mowing program and enjoy a lush, well-maintained lawn year-round!