How to Get Started

Step One

Make your first cuts short to clear off dead grass blades and encourage the grass to spread.

Step Two

Raise your cutting height according to the chart below, as the grass begins to grow vigorously.

Recommended Mowing Heights for Lawns

Step Three

Don't cut off more than a third of the grass blade at once; it's a shock to the plant. Dull mower blades will tear and shred the tips of the grass which can provide an entry point for disease organisms and weaken the grass plant. If your lawn looks gray or dull after mowing and turns a straw-brown a day or two later, your mower blade is dull and causing damage.

Step Four

Avoid mowing on hot summer days when the air quality is bad and avoid watering during the hottest part of the day. The goal of proper watering is to ensure water is being supplied to the root zone. Watering in the morning hours proves to be the most effective time of day. During the afternoon the heat causes scaling and wasteful evaporation, and watering in evenings encourages disease growth.

Proper indication of when your lawn has had enough water is when runoff occurs, especially on slopes or on compacted, dry soils.

Grass clippings are up to 85% water. When you mow frequently, the short clippings quickly decompose and release nutrients to fertilize the lawn. Grasscycling returns nearly two pounds of nitrogen to every 1,000 square feet of lawn each year. Over time, that can cut fertilizer use by up to 25%. That can save even more time and money.