If you’ve left your lawn unattended for an extended period of time, you are probably wondering where to start with bringing it back to life. The grass that you thought had grown an inch longer seems to have grown a mile or so.
At this point, you probably feel tempted to use the toughest approach available to tackle the overgrown grass, but that’s not the best thing to do.
What is the best way to cut overgrown grass?
To make sure that your lawn grows back just as thick and lush as you love it, it’s recommended that you use an approach that is as gentle as you can. You will want to gradually cut back the grass over the course of a couple of weeks, to prevent a quick and severe loss of nutrients.
Cutting back your overgrown lawn during warm, sunny days, is the best approach, since the grass blades will be dry enough, and there won’t be fog in the air. That way, you are going to reduce the chances of ending up with turf diseases.
How do you go about cutting the grass?
Now that you know that it’s not a good idea to take on your overgrown lawn at once, let’s have a look at the steps that will restore your lawn to a perfect condition. But before we can do that, let’s list some of the tools that you will need:
Things needed:
- Lawnmower
- Weed trimmer
Steps that you’ll take to cut the grass
The following are the steps that you should take to restore your lawn’s glory:
1. Cut the overgrown grass using a weed trimmer, and if it’s just about knee height, you can cut it to half the height. Once you are done, leave the grass for about four days so that the lawn can repair itself.
2. Once four days have elapsed, you will want to repeat step number one. Depending on the height of the overgrown grass, you will need to cut it down until it is 6-8 inches high. Afterwards, you can leave it to recover for another couple of days
3. After about 5 days or so, you will want to take your lawnmower outside so that you can use it to complete the remaining job. Initially, you should set it to cut down the grass to a third of its height. When mowing, make sure to use overlapping passes, so that you can achieve a uniform cut.
After mowing the lawn, you will then have to deeply and evenly water it, after which you can leave it to stay for a number of days.
4. If, after mowing your grass the first time you don’t reach the desired height, you will want to keep mowing the lawn every 4 to 5 days until you achieve the desired height. While at it, you don’t want to lower the mower blades more than a third of the way every time.
It’s also recommended to mow in different directions for every mowing session. By doing that, it will be easier for the grass to grow back straight. It’s also important to ensure that you water the lawn deeply every time after mowing your lawn unless you are expecting rain.
Benefits of cutting overgrown grass
Knowing the benefits of cutting overgrown grass will help you make a decision about whether or not to do it. Some of the benefits include:
1. Reduces the occurrence of weeds
Regular mowing helps the grass resist weeds which are the number one enemy of your lawn. A good mowing routine will leave your lawn at the level that grass should be, which is the level at which it can defend itself against weeds.
2. Leaves a cleaner lawn
A clean lawn will ensure that you and your family members get a better quality of air. In fact, when you mow your grass regularly, you will also be keeping the air in your home’s environment clean.
3. Pests like slugs and ants will be less likely to infest your lawn
Regular mowing ensures that your lawn is always in the best shape possible. It will keep pests like slugs and bugs out of your yard. That way, you don’t have to worry about them ruining your lawn and making it look bad.
4. Maintains a healthy grass growth
By reducing the height of your overgrown grass, you will be allowing your grass to remain in good condition. As if that is not enough, giving a good cut to your grass will help it grow back thicker and offer you a healthier state.
Besides, overgrown grass makes it difficult for sunlight to reach the lower sections of the grass. As such, mowing will allow better sunlight penetration and enhanced aeration, hence encouraging new growth.
5. Reduce the stress on your lawnmower
If you start mowing your grass when it is too tall, chances are that you will damage your mower. These damages can be costly in the long run, and can even make you think about replacing your lawnmower with a new one.
It’s only natural that you want to avoid this situation as much as possible, so if you want to prevent unnecessary stress on your mower, make sure that you cut your overgrown grass at the first sign of growth.
6. Lawn care is easier
Mowing your overgrown lawn when it is high and thick can be a difficult task. It is going to be even harder to mow in the direction that you want. In addition, your grass clippings will make more work for you as they will have to be raked and disposed of.
However, if you cut the level of your lawn down, mowing the lawn will become easier, not to mention the fact that it’s going to be a faster process too.
How to avoid overgrowing your lawn
In order to avoid overgrowing your lawn, these two tips should come in handy
1. Always follow a good mowing routine
Mowing your grass regularly is the best way of preventing it from getting overgrown. To do that, you will want to check its level on a regular basis. Always keep an eye on the height of the grass so that you can catch it early before it gets too tall.
You will want to start mowing your grass when it’s about 4″ high so that you can prevent it from overgrowing. In fact, you should try cutting down your lawn every 2-3 weeks when the weather is wet and humid. That way, you will be able to reduce the chances of your grass getting overgrown.
2. Always go for the right type of mower
To mow your lawn regularly, you will need to purchase a quality mower that is going to help you get the job done in a quick and efficient manner.
The best mower for the job is the one that has a high-quality blade and a sharp cutting attachment. This will make sure that your lawn gets cut evenly so that you don’t risk overgrowing some parts of the lawn.
Best Way to Cut Overgrown Grass: To sum everything up
You now know how to cut overgrown grass to keep your lawn looking its best.
To avoid overgrowing your lawn, you should make sure that you follow a good routine and purchase a quality mower that gets the job done quickly and efficiently. You can also regularly aerate and fertilize your lawn.
That way, you won’t have to face the physical and mental stress of dealing with an overgrown lawn.
Related Article: Should You Cut Grass Shorter in Fall?