“Today, I’m mowing my lawn for the first time of the year,” wrote a RepairClinic.com customer this week. “It’s taller than I’d usually let it grow between mowings during the season so I’m wondering if I should handle this differently. If I mow without bagging it, there will be too many clippings and I fear it will smother the lawn. If I mow using the clippings bag, the lawn will miss out on important nutrients that would come from mulching. What should I do?”
My suggestion:
Today, set your mower’s cutting height to as high as possible and mow using the clippings bag. Then wait two days and return the mower cutting height to the setting you used last season. This time, do not bag the clippings. Remember, you should never cut more than one third of the blade height in a single mowing. This will enable your lawn to have a healthier recovery from its first grooming of the season.
As this customer highlights, it’s important to pay close attention to your lawn’s appearance and make adjustments as needed to how you care for it.
Check out our recent post about repairing a yard after winter.
Remember that a sharp lawn mower blade that will cleanly cut; dull blades tear the lawn, rather than cut, resulting in a yellow hue over the lawn.
Happy mowing and happy summer!
Related information
Five simple ways to repair a yard
Seven steps to a perfect lawn
Habits of highly-effective lawn caregivers
How to tune up a lawn mower
Lawn mower troubleshooting and repair help
Lawn mower replacement parts and maintenance products
