Green Lawn Cutting Tips and Techniques

Leave Clippings Alone

• Leaving lawn clippings on the grass after mowing reduces the need for commercial fertilizers, as experts at the University of Missouri Extension suggests. Lawn clippings decompose, providing extra water and nutrients for the living grass. Some gardeners worry about thatch, but short lawn clippings should not cause thatch problems. If you absolutely hate the look of clippings left on the lawn, rake them up and compost them for later use.

Try a Push Mower

• Push mowers work without gasoline, so they do not contribute to air pollution. They also leave clippings behind on the grass to help fertilize it, and they give you a workout.

Keep Mower Blades Sharp

• Cornell University experts recommend keeping mower blades sharp to cut the grass as cleanly as possible. Cleanly cut grass blades lose less moisture through evaporation. Therefore, lawns mowed with sharp blades may require less irrigation than lawns mowed with dull blades. Cleanly cut grass also has fewer pest and disease problems, meaning that it is less likely to need pollution-causing pesticides or fungicides.

Keep Grass Tall

• Mow grass at the tallest recommended heights for the climate and grass variety. The University of Illinois Extension recommends mowing most grasses to heights between 2 and 3 inches. The North Central Region Integrated Pest Management Center suggests lawn heights of about 1 to 2 inches for Southern lawns and heights of around 3 inches for Northern lawns. Taller lawns retain more moisture and conserve water by needing less irrigation. Overly short grass also has a higher risk of disease and weed problems. Keeping grass long reduces the need for chemicals to remedy these problems.