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How Much To Cut My Lawn

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Proper Height To Cut Grass

How I TRANSFORMED My Lawn // Tall Cut Grass to Short Cut Grass

The proper height for your grass will depend on its species. See the chart below for details. But over the years, turfgrass specialists have created one important rule: The 1/3 rule, which states that you should never remove more than 1/3 of your grass on any cutting. If youve been out of town or just got a little backed up with other chores, no matter how tempting it is to whack it all down to size at once, dont do it. ;Adhere to the 1/3 rule, and cut your grass down in increments. This will reduce the amount of stress you put on the grass.

Recommended Mowing Height by Grass Type
Grass species
0.75 – 1.5

The 1/3 rule is critical, said Campbell Vaughn, agriculture and natural resources agent for the University of Georgia-Augusta Richmond County Extension. Virtually all mowers have a height adjustment, so use yours. To adjust your mower, dont just eyeball it. Get out a tape measure and park your mower on a hard, even surface. Measure from that surface up to the blade. ;To adjust your mower to the right height, place it on a hard, even surface and measure from the blade to the hard surface. In many cases, you will find that the highest mower setting is the preferred cutting height.

If You Have Weeds Or Weed Grasses In Your Lawn

If you have weeds or weed grasses in your lawn you should avoid mulching at all costs. It will spread those weeds all over your lawn and make the problem ten times worse.

Weeds like Dandelions and weed grasses like Annual Meadow Grass produce massive amounts of seeds.

If you have weeds in your lawn, bin the clippings.

How Often Should You Cut The Grass

People often ask the question how often should I cut the grass? Rather ask yourself should I cut the grass or not? and then follow some basic lawn care advice.

There is no correct frequency in which to mow your lawn. This will vary each and every year and depend on where you live. For example in the UK people living in the south will probably have to begin cutting the lawn earlier than those in the north, because of the differences in the climate.How often you cut the grass is down to a number of factors as well as personal preference. For grass to grow you need three basic elements, heat, water and nutrients. These factors will determine the speed of grass growth and will vary on where you are living. How short you want the grass is a separate question and down to personal preference. This means, how often you need to cut the grass varies from person to person and lawn to lawn.

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Consider The Costs Of Equipment Repair And Maintenance

Look, you cant just consider the up-front costs of purchasing the equipment. There are a lot of additional costs that go into maintaining and repairing equipment in the long run.;

What if your equipment breaks?;It;will cost more money to repair or replace.;

Get this, thats not all. You also need to do an annual oil change and tune up on the mower.;

It is also important to keep the equipment in tip top shape. For example, sharpening the blades of the lawn mower twice a year is a must, and can cost about 75 dollars.;

Not to mention, if you hit a rock or stump and need to take your mower to a shop for repair. You could quickly rack up $200-$300 in repair costs.

Lawn Care Service Prices

How Much Water Does My Lawn Need A Week

Lawn care professionals provide many different service outside of just mowing. Depending on where you live, and how long its been since your yard has been maintained, some additional services may be needed. Let’s take a look at some common lawn services and their prices:

  • Lawn Mowing: Average cost $25 – $50
  • Tree Trimming: Average cost $250 – $500
  • Lawn Aeration: Average cost $80 – $175
  • Lawn Weeding: Average cost $20 – $40 /hour
  • Lawn Winterization: Average cost $350
  • Lawn Fertilizing: Average cost $40 – $60 /application
  • Lawn Seeding: Average cost for professional $700
  • Leaf Removal: Average cost $50 – $80
  • Landscaping: Average cost between $3,000 and $15,950

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Buying A Lawn Mower And Diy

If you choose to mow your own lawn the main cost involved is purchasing a lawn mower, which you can get for a significantly lower price on second hand sites or garage sales.

Lawn mower costs:;

  • Amazon Bosch Lawn Mower $215.00;
  • Self Operating Lawn Mower $1700

Mowing your lawn on a regular basis stops weeds from growing and makes your yard look great. If you dont have the time or prefer spending your afternoons with friends and family, there are several lawn mowing professionals that can help you.

Mowing For A Healthy Landscape

Removing too much when you mow can result in a scalped lawn. Typically, this occurs when 40 percent or more of the blade’s height is cut. Your lawn may turn brown, and the stressed grass gives weeds an opportunity to move into your lawn. In severe cases, the grass may die.

Some grasses, including Bermudagrass, will benefit from scalping near the beginning of the growing season. It can help the grass grow in faster as it emerges from being dormant over the winter, notes New Mexico State University.

In most cases, you can leave the grass clippings on the lawn after you mow. Not only does this make the chore easier but the clippings will also add nutrients to the soil as they decompose. If a lot of clippings are left behind, it is best to clean them up so they don’t block the grass underneath from the sun.

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Be Courteous To Your Neighbors When Mowing

Its just common courtesy to avoid mowing too late or too early. The Noise Pollution Clearinghouse, a nonprofit organization that fights noise pollution, has enacted a Good Neighbor Policy.

Regarding the use of lawn equipment, the policy suggests that people:

  • Use a reel mower and rake whenever possible.
  • Use power lawn and garden equipment between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
  • Do not use a leaf blower for health and noise reasons.
  • Whenever possible, avoid the outdoor use of power tools on Sunday.
  • Avoid the use of power lawn equipment if your neighbors are in their yards.
  • Establish a schedule for motorized outdoor lawn and garden work with your neighbors .

If courtesy isnt enough of an incentive for you, be aware that more than 500 local governments have passed noise pollution legislation, violations of which could force you to pay a hefty fine.;Electric;mowers are a quieter choice than gas mowers.

Seeding Or Sodding Your Lawn

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Overseeding may be needed to increase the density of your lawn. A dense lawn has fewer weeds and is healthier.

Pests, extreme weather conditions and neglect can also damage lawns, even when the soil is in good condition.

If your lawn is a little thin, proper mowing, fertilizing and watering may be all it needs. If that doesnât help, overseeding with a quality lawn seed may be the answer.

Choosing your seed

Choose a grass seed high in Fescue content and low in Kentucky Blue content , remembering to use cool season varieties.

Select a seed mixture that is high in physical seed attributes, such as purity and germination, and also contains the best composition of grass for the use intended.

Soil fertility, moisture availability, sunlight levels and traffic affect the tyope of blend that will provide the best results for your yard.

Look to sow your lawn with a blend of grass seed varieties. Check our local nurseries and garden centres in Calgary for drought tolerant blends of lawn seed.

Adding seed to your lawn

Before you spread the seed over the thin areas, make sure there will be good soil-to-seed contact, and rake away any dead grass or debris.

Dethatchers, aerators or vertical mowers can also be used to prepare the lawn prior to overseeding.

Time your overseeding with a day before rain. Donât do before a hot weather forecast. The seed will need water to germinate.

Apply 900 grams per 1,000 square feet or more if the lawn is thin .

Using sod for your lawn

Also Check: How Often Should Fertilize Your Lawn

How Often Should You Mow

Normally weekly mowing is the rule, but some lawns need cutting more often. Other lawns will grow more slowly and might need cutting only once every ten days or two weeks. Generally, dont cut off more than one third of the grass blade. More than that may harm the grass. Let the length of the lawn be the judge, NOT when the lawn was last mowed.

Starting A Yard From Scratch

Starting your yard from scratch can seem like a daunting task. Taking the time to properly plan your yard will help you to create a tangible plan of action.

Find simple steps to set you up for gardening success, visit Planning Your Yard.

Limit your lawn

Lawns are great for relaxing and play, but they need a lot of water and work.

Consider replacing unused green space with YardSmart plants like annuals, perennials and groundcovers or trees and shrubs.

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Use The Cuttings To Make Hay

RHS Chief Horticulturalist Guy Barter says that allowing our cuttings to turn into hay is great for seed-eating birds. He explains: “Leave the summer mown grass in place for a few sunny days to become ‘hay’ and release seeds to refresh the lawn for next year and also provide food for seed-eating birds and other wildlife. The ‘hay’ can then be removed and composted.”

Does The Size Of The Grass Affect The Price

How High Should Grass Be Cut? (The Exact Measurement)

So far, all the prices weve presented represent normal sized grass. If youve let yours grow wild, for whatever reason, expect the costs to rise. As a rough estimate, heres our lawn care costs table for people who love to let their gardens grow:

Lawn Size

Very large;

$80 to $100

Although the prices rise in line with your gardens size, you could see financial benefits in certain circumstances. For example, if youre trying to sell your house, having a pristine lawn gives it greater kerb appeal.

Additionally, if youre self-employed or you work from home, the hours you save when hiring someone to cut your grass go back into your business. Essentially, the cost of lawn care pays for itself in these circumstances.

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C What’s Included In A Lawn Maintenance Vs Lawn Care Service

Some companies offer more than standard lawn care packages. They might offer fertilizer or weed control applications. They’ll also provide tips for the types of grass that work best in different climates and with different soils.

A full-care lawn service can even install new grass or lay pallets of sod. For physical landscape changes like tree pruning or shrub removal, consider hiring a landscaper instead.

Why Do Lawn Mowing Costs Rise When The Grass Is Long

Even the best lawn mower wont slash its way through grass effectively when its too long. If the person you hire attempts to do this, a couple of things could happen:

  • Theyll damage the blades on their mower

  • If they do damage the blades on their mower, they may not be able to complete the job

  • Youll experience uneven results, which nobody wants

To prepare long grass for a mower, the professional who comes to your home will need to engage in a little slashing. In other words, theyll use different tools to chop the grass down to a cuttable size.

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Establish A Base Rate

There should be base rate that you charge just for the mowing process. These days, lawn care professionals command £22 per yard, and that’s just for mowing. From that point, you would then establish a price for your a la cart services. When establishing pricing points for these services, consider the average amount of time it takes you. So, for example, if you establish that £22 to mow a lawn of a certain size takes an hour, then that is what should be your base hourly rate. This means if it takes you an additional hour to prune the bushes, then add another £22 for the total price of £45. Or if it takes you 30 minutes to prune, then you would add an additional £11.3 to the invoice. If you want to be competitive, you can choose to lower the rate for the à la cart services, but remember that you don’t want to go too low, otherwise you’ll make less per hour than you should.

  • There should be base rate that you charge just for the mowing process.
  • Or if it takes you 30 minutes to prune, then you would add an additional £11.3 to the invoice.

Set Your Mower Height

How Much Can You Save/Make Cutting Your Own Lawn: Compound Interest

Take off the top 1/3 of the grass blade for starters. This ensures grass remains tall enough to promote stronger root growth and prevent weeds from forming. That said, if you have zoysia grass or centipedegrass, go ahead and lower your deck height to the middle setting. For Bermuda and creeping bentgrass, lower it to the lowest setting. Whatever you do, just make sure not to have the blades scrape your yard. See our recommended mowing heights by grass type chart at the end of this article.

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How To Save Money On Lawn Care Services

If you love the idea of professional lawn care but not the added household expense, think strategically about signing on for the long term with a lawn company. “Lawn mowing is a competitive business,” says one lawn care pro. As a result, many companies will negotiate discounts and deals based on frequency of visits.

If you are planning to become a regular customer, ask about package rates and bundling lawn mowing and trimming with other lawn care services such as landscaping and fertilization. Lawn care pros benefit by providing you with multiple services, your pocketbook benefits from the discounts, and your lawn benefits from the holistic care.

Dont Mow Grass In Drought

If your area is in drought, avoid mowing the lawn. Lawns often undergo much stress during drought and have a hard time recovering from mowing. This can contribute to further damage to your grass. Rather, mow after irrigation day or a rainfall. But also remember to avoid mowing wet grass to keep clumping at bay.

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Picking The Right Lawn Mower

There are several different types of mowers that you can use in your lawn maintenance. Purchasing the correct mower for your needs really comes down to the size of your yard, your budget, and your personal preference. Riding mowers are recommended for larger yards, while push mowers can handle small to medium jobs.

Purchasing the correct mower for your needs really comes down to the size of your yard, your budget, and your personal preference. Riding mowers are recommended for larger yards, while push mowers can handle small to medium jobs.

Lot Size ;A homeowner of a large property with multiple acres requires a different type of lawn mower than a person with a small yard. For this person, a riding;lawn mower would be the weapon of choice. Riding;lawn mowers range in price from $600 to $14,000, depending on the power, size, and quality of the machine that a persons needs. A large property will also restrict homeowners from using electric;lawn mowers that require the machine to remain plugged into an outlet.

The standard rule for choosing a lawn mower based on yard size is that for yards no larger than 1/2 an acre, stick with a push mower. For lawns larger than 1/2 an acre, the homeowner should begin to consider a riding mower, which will save time and energy for the user. People with properties greater than three acres should then look at upgrading to a zero-turn or garden mower, which will provide better mobility and ease each time the grass needs mowing.

How To Remedy The Situation

Uneven growth pattern in established el toro zoysia ...

The immediate solution for oil overfills is to drain the excess oil from your lawnmower. This task can be done without the help of a service professional, except when too much oil has already put your lawnmower into a bad condition. That said, here are the general guidelines to remove excess oil from the lawnmower:

  • Using a clean cloth or rag, wipe the area around the crankcase to prevent smudges or dirt from entering the crankcase when you open the drain plug.
  • Unscrew the plug and start emptying the oil. Tilt the machine on its side and place an oil drainage pan or container to collect the oil beneath the mower. Make sure the crankcase has no more oil left. Image courtesy of Hanks Garage from YouTube

    Pro Tip:;If you dont want to tip your mower to pour out the oil, a good alternative is to use a fluid extractor. Better yet, you can make a DIY oil extractor using any material you can find in your home.

  • Once the excess oil has been drained, check the air filter of your mower. If its too dusty or oily, its time to change it. While some suggest that air filters last for 300 hours of mowing operation, its your judgment call if it needs immediate replacement or not. You may replace the filter at least once every season, but that depends on how frequently you use your lawnmower. Image courtesy of Brant Small Engine Repairs from YouTube
  • Dispose of the drained oil safely to avoid environmental hazards like fire and to prevent it from causing patches on your lawn.
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