Given the kind of winter we’ve had; and given that current temperatures are up and down with more rain than normal, it’s highly likely that many of you will need, or have the urge, to mow your lawns earlier than normal.
And actually, it’s not a bad thing. It’s called “dead-heading” – mowing off the dead tops of your grass burnt by winter freeze (see photo above). “Dead-heading” is a good thing to do because it lessens the amount of clippings you’ll have once the grass greens up underneath and really starts growing.
And, it gives you an earlier opportunity for a uniform cut that helps all the the areas of your lawn green up at the same time.
Last, it makes early fertilization more effective, as the new growing shoots will reflect that shot of nitrogen more efficiently.
Now, if you are going to mow early resist the urge to cut closer than you should, or even as close as you do under normal spring conditions. Remember, try to take off only what you need to remove the dead tops and create a uniform, smooth look. The reason? It’s highly likely we’ll have more cold weather, and even snow, and leaving as much insulation as possible is just a healthy thing to do for your plants.
There’s absolutely no reason not to get out early and give your lawn a trim. It’s good for the look of things, and it has its benefits down the road, as well.
Just down go crazy and cut it too short!
