In the News - June 2008
Key to successful, healthy lawn is mowing properly
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - It may seem like the lawn mower is stealing the weekend
time that you would rather spend splashing, fishing, or biking, but proper
mowing can pay off in improved health for your lawn, fewer weeds and less yard
work time.
According to the National Wildlife Federation, the average American homeowner
spends 40 hours a year mowing the lawn.
"Proper mowing technique, proper equipment, mowing frequently, and mowing
turf at higher mowing heights helps increase overall plant health and reduces
weed pressure," said Aaron Patton, extension turfgrass specialist and assistant
professor with the U of A Division of Agriculture in Washington County.
For example, if the mower is set at 3 inches, mow before the lawn reaches 4.5
inches high, he said. To avoid removing more than one-third of the grass blade
height per cutting, mow often. Removing more than one-third of leaf blade in a
single mowing is detrimental to plant health.
According to Backyardnature.com, close to 80 percent of homes in the U.S.
have lawns, using 1976 - 2001 studies. There are about 40.5 million acres of
turfgrass in the U.S with 21 million acres of that being in home lawns. Fifty
million homeowners in the U.S. maintain residential lawns.
What type of mower should you use: electric or gas? What style mower: push,
self-propelled, ride-on? It’s hard to choose what is right for you. It’s best to
match the mower to your lawn. If you have a small lawn, then a small push
electric or gas mower might work for you. If you have a large lawn with slopes,
a self-propelled or ride-on gas mower is most likely what you would need.
Reel mowers and rotary mowers are the two main categories of lawn mowers
used. Reel mowers provide a more precise cut, but they’re more difficult to
adjust the height of the mower. It’s also hard to sharpen a reel mower, and
sharpening should be performed by an experienced or trained person.
The most popular type of mower used on the home lawn is the rotary mower. On
rotary mowers, the blades spin horizontally (east to west) and use a sucking and
tearing action to cut the blades of grass. On reel mowers, blades spin
vertically (north to south) and use a scissoring action to cut the blades of
grass.
"Cuts with rotary mowers are less precise and often more damaging to a leaf
blade, but the height of the cut is easily adjusted, and blades are easy to
sharpen," Patton said.
During hot and dry conditions in the summer, turf is often not actively
growing. During these periods, it’s best not to mow your lawn, he said. "Mowing
a lawn when it is under drought stress should be avoided since this can damage a
lawn," Patton said.
Lastly, be smart when mowing. The University of Michigan Health Systems says
that about 75,000 American adults and children are injured yearly in lawn mower
accidents. To prevent injury, wear pants, steel-toed boots, goggles and hearing
protection while mowing. Save drinks, cigarettes and/or portable music players
with earphones for the time when the job is done.
For more information about mowing properly or lawn mower safety, please
contact your county extension agent or visit
www.uaex.edu.
The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.
June 27, 2008
By Rhonda Conner
For the Cooperative Extension Service
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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