Hey Iowa, Are You Making These 10 Mistakes When Mowing Your Lawn?

One of the easiest ways to improve the sight of your home is having a well-maintained yard. You could have the most average-looking house that looks just like the others on your block but if you have a well-maintained lawn, your house will always appear to be nicer.

If you drive past a house that appears nice but the yard looks unkempt with weeds growing everywhere and uncut grass, we as humans can't help but pass a little bit of judgment.

I didn't make the rules! That's just how our brains work. Not everyone can afford incredible landscaping with fountains, retaining walls, rock-filled walkways, privacy fences, etc. Barring any medical issues, the one thing everyone can afford when it comes to yard maintenance is...effort.

Everyone is capable of pulling or spraying weeds, trimming around the edges, and mowing their lawn. You don't have to be a professional landscaper or an agronomist to have a decent-looking yard.

Get our free mobile app

Just about every neighborhood has that one house that appears to be a bit of an eyesore and if you don't want to be that house for the remainder of the summer and fall, don't make these lawn mowing mistakes.

Custom Lawn has put together some of the most common mistakes people make when cutting their grass. You might be doing a few without even knowing it!

10. Don't Mow Too Often - There is no set number of days you need to wait to mow. You should only be mowing when you need to remove about 1/3 of the height of the grass.

9. Don't Mow Too Low - This is one of the biggest mowing mistakes. Scalping your lawn will make your lawn more prone to growing weeds. Grass blades have a root system balance between their size and the length of the blades. Cutting your grass really short can actually make your lawn grow thicker and cause you to have to mow more.

8. Don't Cut Wet Grass - Most yard owners know this already but avoid cutting your grass when it's wet. This can cause uneven cuts and the wet clippings can clog your lawn mower. Your wheels can also mat grass, causing the mower blade to miss some of the blades of grass.

7. Don't Rush Mowing - Take your time while mowing. Trying to sprint through this chore can cause uneven cuts and leave clumps of clippings in the yard.

6. Don't Mow in the Same Pattern - There might be parts of your yard that are impossible to change the direction you cut but in the areas where you can change directions, you should every time you cut the grass. Cut across your yard one day, then cut with the yard the next. This can help the blades return to a more upright and straighter position.

5. Sharpen Your Mower Blades - Sadly, I'm guilty of doing this from time to time. Dull blades "tear" instead of cut the grass which can leave the blades open to diseases and pests. You should sharpen your blades every couple of months if you can.

4. Don't Bag Your Grass - REJOICE! Bagging grass is one of the most annoying parts of mowing. The good news for you and I is...we shouldn't be using a bag. Grass clippings can act as a "mulch" and helps your lawn retain moisture in the soil. They also will help add nutrients as the clippings decompose.

3. Don't Make Your Rows Too Far Apart - Overlap each pass by at least three inches. You'd rather overlap and take the extra minutes as opposed to missing sections or chunks of grass.

2. Don't Blow Grass On Driveways & Sidewalks - This isn't exactly lawn care but fresh cut grass can cause stains on your walkways or driveways. Change the directions you mow along the edges if you can and allow the clippings to blow into your yard.

1. Don't Buy an Edger - Unless you're a professional landscaper, you can accomplish a good edge trim by using a string-trimmer. You can turn your string-trimmer to a vertical position to get a clean cut along the edges. If you're not worried about the price of an edger, you can certainly invest in one if you choose.

All of the tips are provided by Custom Lawn and for additional information on these 10 tips, you can visit their website.

Summer is almost half over but it's never to late to start using these tips for a better looking lawn!