Cut it high, keep it green.
Why scalping your lawn in a Richmond July does more damage than the heat.
The fastest way to wreck a lawn in a Richmond July is to cut it too short. Short grass bakes, the roots cook, and the bare spots fill in with crabgrass before you've put the mower away.
Taller grass shades its own roots, holds moisture, and crowds weeds out before they get started. We run most lawns at three and a half to four inches this time of year, and we never take off more than a third of the blade in one pass.
If it got away from you and it's tall, bring it down over two mowings, not one. Mow in the evening when the lawn isn't already stressed from the heat of the day.
It looks like less work, and it is. You water less and weed less all summer.
A dull blade tears the grass instead of cutting it, and the torn tips turn white then brown a day later. If your lawn looks hazy the day after a mow, it's the blade, not the lawn.
- Scalped lawnsThe short ones are already browning on the south side.
- CrabgrassMoving into every thin, short spot.
- Japanese beetlesOut in force, chewing up the crepe myrtles.
That's the ticket. See you in the yard.
Pamela and the YardMasters crew
Need us in your yard? Get a free estimate, or text the crew at (804) 744-4733.
Midlothian, VA · since 2009
