Page 3 - ART OF MOWING QUICK GUIDE

2. Sharp mower blades: Keep the blades on your mower sharp and bal- anced. This allows for a clean cut as opposed to tearing the grass with dull blades. Tearing the grass will not only leave the grass brown at the tips but also makes the plant more susceptible to insect and disease pres- sure. Always inspect your machine thoroughly to make sure your blades are sharp, fluid levels are within range, and have a clean air filter.
3. Do not bag clippings: Realize that natural nutrition is held throughout the entire plant. Grass clippings alone can account for 25% of your lawns fertilization needs. Therefore, it is important to know that the clippings provide nutritional value that can be reused by the plant once it decom- poses. However, there may be a time occasionally where the clippings need to be removed. Remove clippings only if there is a buildup of excess clippings that covers the plant resulting in smothering out the turf grass underneath. This can quickly lead to turf grass injury because of lack of sunlight and oxygen.