Your lawn may be signaling issues with your mower through common problems like yellowing or pest invasions. Yellowing grass might indicate that your mower blades are dull and tearing the grass instead of cutting it, so consider replacing the blades (learn more in Lawn mower blades 101). Repeated pest issues may suggest that your mower’s cutting height is too low, making your lawn vulnerable to disease—adjust the height to avoid this. If you notice brown stripes, your mower could be scalping the lawn, requiring a height adjustment; for replacement parts and maintenance solutions, visit this link.
Possible outdoor power equipment problem: Dull lawn mower blade. Dull mower blades tear grass, rather than cut the way sharp blades do. This results in yellow-tipped grass and a collective yellowing over the top of the lawn.
Now what: Replace the lawn mower blade. It’s inexpensive and an easy DIY job.
Related post: Lawn mower blades 101
If your lawn has repeated pest problems such as grubs, despite fertilizer application…
Possible outdoor power equipment problem: Lawn mower is set to an improper lawn mower cutting height or you’re simply mowing too frequently. If your lawn is always cut short, it’s more likely to become diseased. Grass grows through photosynthesis so the longer the blades, the more energy is available to obtain nutrients for healthy root systems.
Now what: Adjust your lawn mower’s mowing height. It varies by grass type but the general rule of thumb is to set your lawn mower to a two to three-inch mowing height. Ideally, it should be set to ensure cutting just one third of grass blade length in a single mowing. This will foster a much greener, healthier lawn.
Another possible cause: The lawn could also be watered too often without deep saturation. In most parts of North America, lawn watering should happen only once weekly but the water should flow for a lengthy period to allow for deeper saturation.
If your lawn has brown stripes…
Possible outdoor power equipment problem: Lawn mower is set to an improper lawn mower cutting height.
Now what: The mowing height will need to be adjusted. “Scalping,” as it’s known in the landscaping industry, is the equivalent of a lawn buzzcut.
RepairClinic has replacement parts and maintenance products for outdoor power equipment including lawn mowers, small engines, string trimmers, edgers, pole pruners, chainsaws, hedge trimmers, tillers, leaf blowers and others. Click here to enter your lawn mower’s model number for a list of parts and maintenance products.
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