Whether you are a homeowner who utilizes a landscaping company to manage your turf, or you take on the responsibility yourself, the mowing frequency can be relevant to the health of your landscape. Many homeowners choose to either mow, or have their lawns mowed every other week in an effort to cut down on cost, or simply because of their busy schedules. While this may be okay in the short run, there are actually many long-term issues that can arise when mowing biweekly. Mowing every other week usually results in a more dramatic cut, which can be detrimental to the health of your lawn. This is just one of the reasons weekly mowing is superior, and in this blog, we are going to discuss the benefits of weekly vs bi-weekly mowing.
Improved Color with Reduced Shock
The biggest issue that arises when you cut your lawn every other week is the fact that your turf experiences double the growth with that extra week. This means that to cut turf down to the proper height, you must remove a much larger portion of the blade. With the typical recommendation being only ⅓ of the blade cut at any given time, you are sure to exceed that if you mow bi-weekly. This stresses your turf as it has to work even harder to grow back, and your big cut removes the stolons that retain moisture. With less water to work with, your turf may brown or dull, and gaining that color back is no easy task. Weekly mowing allows you to keep the cut easy and simple, with your turf smoothly growing back.
Bi-Weekly Mowing: Lower Quality Cuts
Another primary reason that our policy at Dream Greener relies on weekly vs bi-weekly mowing is that cutting overgrown turf leads to an uneven cut. At a certain point of growth, individual blades will differ, and reach varying heights. This variation could be anywhere from 1-2 inches from blade to blade. If you want to avoid a dramatic cut, then you must mow on a higher setting which will result in some blades being cut while others are not. Weekly mowing leads to a more uniform cut, where only ⅓ of the blade is removed. When the cut is more consistent and less stressful, your grass is sure to be greener. Isn’t that the goal?
Weakened Lawns Attract Disease
If you play catch up by mowing your grass every other week, your lawn is sure to be weaker than if it is cut higher on a weekly basis. Keeping up on maintenance keeps the chemical processes that stimulate healthy growth in your turf firing away. When you cut a larger chunk off of your turf, the browning that occurs is not just aesthetic. This is indicative of your turf being weakened, with little defense against incoming disease. Turf diseases love to prey on weak lawns, where there is nothing to stop them from taking over. When you mow weekly, your lawn will retain more moisture and nutrients to fight off potential lawn predators.
A staff of service experts leads Dream Greener Lawn & Landscape, each with ten years or more of professional experience, focused exclusively on lawn care & maintenance, landscaping, and snow & ice management. Locally owned and operated, we are proud to serve the greater Pittsburgh area. Give us a call at (412) 835-1035 or visit our website today.