If only knowledge and expertise were hereditary or learned by osmosis. Landscapers and Lawn Care Experts would have beautifully diversified retirement funds and not need to hire professional asset allocators with MBA’s. We wouldn’t need doctors, because we could diagnose and treat our own illnesses. We would have no need for anyone else to help us in area’s that require a more specific skill set that comes with experience and expert knowledge.
At The Mednick Landscape Company, we do lawn care and landscaping 7-days a week…meaning it is always on the top of our mind. There are many people out there who earn their livelihood outside the green industry and do not have the time, or care to spend the time learning the in’s and out’s of horticulture and how to make their property look its best. For your benefit and convenience, The Mednick Landscape Company would like to share with you some of the very basics of keeping your yard looking it’s best (of course, this is the abbreviated version and does not substitute years of experience and expertise in the field…just as reading the wall street journal doesn’t make us at The Mednick Landscape Company economists)!
We start out with taking a look at the basic need-to-know tips about mowing…
Mowing
The first and possibly single most important (and often overlooked) thing about mowing is maintaining sharp blades…all the time. Using dull blades will cause your blades of grass to tear and fray, as opposed to providing a clean cut. When you end up with torn and frayed grass, the plant tissue becomes a prime target for pests, diseases and other problems that can really set back the health of your lawn.
Also, you really want to avoid cutting your lawn too short…especially if your lawn consists largely of St. Augustine like many of the yards and properties in Martin County and Saint Lucie. You never want to cut more than 1/3 off the top of your lawn at a time because, for starters, it causes the grass to lose too much moisture at one time. Even if your lawn is way overgrown, cut a couple of inches off every few days until it is back to ideal length…do
When you cut the lawn too short you are allowing for competition of weeds. Saint Augustine grass should be thick and lush at about 4 inches length. Short grass allows the sunlight to hit weed seeds that are embedded at the roots of the grass. When the grass is tall, it prevails and absorbs all the sunlight for itself, towering over the smaller weeds that are trying to emerge and fighting for sunlight.
The taller the grass is above the soil line, also means the deeper the root system is. Naturally, the deeper the root system of your lawn is, the more stable and drought tolerant your lawn will be. Also, the more expansive the root system is, the harder weeds have to work to penetrate the lawn because they are competing with a very healthy lawn…you always want to keep the weeds vs. lawn competition as a “David vs. Goliath” situation…at least 9 times out of 10, the Goliath (the lawn) will win when the odds are stacked in its favor.
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