Since it’s May you’re probably mowing your grass fairly regularly if you live in the Philadelphia or Bucks County area. The interesting thing about lawn care is that a surprising number of people don’t really know how to mow the grass. Then, they wonder why their lawn doesn’t look its best or why it's hard to keep it free of weeds or disease. Yellow, patchy, listless grass can make every other element in the landscaping look unappealing, no matter how well those other elements are maintained.
The first thing that a homeowner needs to do is make sure that the mower, whether it a rotary mower or a reel mower, is in good shape. That means that the blade needs to be sharp. You can sharpen the blade yourself, but if you’re nervous about it you can have a lawn mower repair service do it for you. If you have a very large yard it’s also a good idea to keep a few spare blades on hand to make sure you always have a sharp one. Dull blades can simply crush your grass instead of slicing it cleanly. This invites disease. Blades also need to be balanced and the right height.
Another thing to do when you mow is to change up your mowing pattern. This will make sure that the wheels of the lawnmower don’t compact the grass and wear it down. One good way to mow is from the outside in. It removes the tedium of having to backtrack if you mow the grass in parallel rows. To keep the grass from being compacted, reverse your path from one mowing to the next. Also make sure to leave the clippings on the grass, because they make an excellent mulch and provide nutrients.
If you live in Philadelphia or Bucks County, you’ll probably see a fair amount of rain in May, but you should water if you have a drought that lasts for more than 10 days. Make sure that you water deeply because shallow watering only encourages roots to grow on the surface instead of going deeply into the soil.
May is also a good time to fertilize the grass with a slow release organic fertilizer. Fertilizers that are fast release make the grass grow too quickly and are also used up quickly.
Some grasses are more subject to thatch than others. This is when dead grass, roots, stems and runners form mats and cut off nutrients, oxygen and water. You can find out if your lawn has thatch by digging up a plug of it and looking at it. You can use a dethatching or aerating machine to get rid of thatch or again, let a lawn care specialist come and do it.
