The last mowing of the lawn is very important. We have to do it at the right time – if we mow the grass too early, it will be too high. It will then start to rot under the snow or become an ideal place for the development of fungal diseases, e.g. fungal mold. In turn, if the treatment is performed late, the blades will not grow enough to survive frost – the root system will be deprived of natural protection.
Of course, we cannot forget about the correct technique of performing this procedure. By following the most important rules, the grass will survive frosts and snow and will delight with its appearance in spring. In this article you will learn when and how to properly mow the lawn before winter.
The weather plays an important role in the last mowing of the turf. Experienced gardeners recommend carrying out this procedure around October 15i.e. twenty days before the arrival of frost.
Sometimes, however, it happens that it is quite warm outside and the grass is still growing. In such a situation, we postpone mowing until the end of October. It is important to do it before All Saints’ Day.
Then the turf will reach the appropriate height and will not grow any more, because there is little chance of sudden warming at this time. The most important thing, however, is that under no circumstances mow the lawn after frost. Then the blades will become brittle and susceptible to damage.
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Not only the timing is important when mowing grass, but also the technique itself. We should leave the blades at a height of about 4 cm. This will prevent them from rotting and their roots will be protected from the cold.
After the treatment, we must carefully rake the turf surface to get rid of grass remnants, but also leaves and twigs. All these elements favor the development of mold.
Let’s also not forget about fertilizing the lawn in autumn with fertilizers rich in phosphorus and potassium. These two minerals strengthen the root system and increase frost resistance. First of all, they do not stimulate the turf to grow like nitrogen fertilizers, which should not be used before winter. This applies to all plants, not just grass.
After winter, do not rush to mow the grass, because during this time it is weakened and needs to regenerate. This treatment is usually carried out at the turn of March and April, and sometimes even at the end of Aprilif it’s cold.
It is worth paying attention to the height of the blades. If they are 8-10 cm, we shorten them to 5-6. Only with the second mowing do we go down to 4 cm.
Before we start the mower, let’s first aerate it – these two treatments allow you to get rid of moss and felt, thanks to which the roots have better access to air.
To sum up, the last autumn mowing and the first spring mowing have a huge impact on what the turf will look like in the next season. If we apply all the above-mentioned rules, we can expect a thick, lush green carpet in May.
