Kentucky Lawn Mowing & Maintenance
Caring for you Kentucky lawn in order for it to be healthy and happy can take a lot of work. But it’s the everyday things you have to do that really mean the most to your lawn’s health. That’s why at Lawn Love we offer a variety of lawn services, including:
- Lawn Mowing
- Gardening
- Lawn Fertilization
- Lawn Aeration
- Weed Control
- Lawn Seeding
- Yard Clean Up
- Leaf Removal
- Gutter Cleaning
- Snow Removal
- Christmas light installation
We proudly offer our services in and around:
Lawn mowing is such a mundane lawn care activity, many people simply aren’t aware of just how important proper mowing is to the health and vitality of the lawn. Here are some of our best lawn mowing tips to keep your Kentucky lawn thriving.
What Type of Grass Do You Have?
The most common types of grasses growing in Kentucky lawns include these cool-season grasses:
- Tall Fescue
- Kentucky Bluegrass
- Ryegrass
- Bentgrass
- Fine Leaf Fescues
And these warm-season grasses are also common:
- Bermudagrass
- Zoysiagrass
Here’s a fun Kentucky fact: Kentucky Bluegrass isn’t actually from Kentucky. It’s a grass native to Asia and Europe, brought here by settlers because it grows so well in many different climate zones across the United States. Of course, it does pretty well in Kentucky too.
If you need help identifying the type of grass growing in your lawn, this turf identification tool can help.
Ideal Mowing Height
Once you’ve identified the type of grass growing in your lawn, you should mow it to its proper height. The ideal mowing heights for common Kentucky grasses are:
- Tall Fescue – 2.5 to 4.0 inches
- Kentucky Bluegrass – 2.5 to 3.0 inches
- Ryegrass – 2.5 to 3.0 inches
- Bentgrass – 0.50 to 1.0 inch
- Fine Leaf Fescues – 1.5 to 3.0 inches
- Bermudagrass – 0.50 to 1.25 inches
- Zoysiagrass – 1.0 to 2.5 inches
Keeping your grass within its ideal mowing height range may mean you have to mow more than once a week at some points in the season or less than once a week during slower growth. Warm-season grasses tend to grow fastest at higher temperatures in the summer, while cool-season grasses flourish in the fall and spring. Let your grass be your guide for mowing frequency.
The major rule to remember when mowing your grass is you never want to cut off more than one-third of the height of the grass at once. Cutting off too much in one mow can damage the health of your grass and impede its ability to create food during photosynthesis. Letting it grow long and mowing it to its ideal height helps encourage a strong, deep root system – so don’t forget the one-third rule!
The Lawn Clippings
Should you collect your clippings or leave them after you mow? While some people are quick to tell you to collect them, the truth is that keeping them on the lawn is good for its health. When you mow frequently, the light layer of clippings left behind decompose quickly, returning essential moisture and nutrients back to the soil. So, leave those clipping where they lay!
A Few More Tips
When it comes to the tools you use for caring for your lawn, your lawn mower is among the most important. Keeping your mower in good working order contributes not only to the health of your lawn but your safety too! It’s also important to keep the mower blades sharp. Sharp blades cut grass cleanly, helping to reduce the shock of being cut. Dull blades tear the grass, leading to water loss and discoloration. Dull blades can also make your grass more susceptible to drought, disease, weeds, and pests. We suggest keeping a sharpened pair of blades on hand at all times, so you can easily switch them out as needed.
Consider changing the direction and pattern in which you mow each time. This will help keep the grass growing up straight and strong, reducing the chances of weed infestation. The tires on the mower can also cause soil compaction, so switching the pattern you mow helps with that as well.
You should only mow your grass when it’s dry. Cutting wet grass increases your chance of slipping and also increases the chance of frayed blades of grass.
Keeping up with all your lawn needs to stay healthy and happy can take a lot of work. Luckily for you, Lawn Love knows just what your Kentucky lawn needs to thrive. If you find yourself requiring help, the pros at Lawn Love are always here to help!
