DIY Lawn Care Tips for Oklahoma Homeowners

Interested in taking care of your lawn yourself, but don't know where to start? Here is a guide for DIY lawn care in Oklahoma!

How often, how high, how short?

There is not a universal mowing height for all grasses. Each different grass has a recommended height. The rule of thumb is to never cut off more than one-third of the total leaf surface in one mowing. Generally, mowing once a week should keep you within the rule of thumb. However, during peak growing seasons, mowing every four to five days may be necessary. Here are some guidelines:

• It's better to cut too high than too short.
• If cut too short routinely, your grass will begin to thin out and die.
• If your lawn has a mixture of different grasses (most do), then average the over-all recommended heights.
• Gradually raising mowing height during peak heat season will help to insulate and shade the soil, decreasing moisture loss.

Height recommendations

If you hire a lawn mowing service, make sure they follow these guidelines—they may not take the time to adjust mowing heights from lawn to lawn throughout their busy day, so we typically see lawns being cut too short. Here are our recommended heights:

Start with the above heights, then observe and adjust to how your lawn is doing according to its specific needs. Ask one of our state-certified professionals if you need help determining which height is best for your lawn.

Take Note: Increase mowing height by 1/2 inch for shady areas, if lawn becomes weak from insects, disease injury, or from high traffic.

Mulch or bag?

Recycling isn’t just good—it’s easier.

Leave the clipping. Nutrients from clippings, fertilize the lawn. Lawns that do not have clippings returned to the soil, require 25-40% more fertilizer. It’s a common belief that mulching the clippings will end up causing thatch build-up, this simply isn’t true. In fact, the clipping decomposes within six weeks. As long as you follow our mowing height rule of thumb, thatch will not be an issue. Today’s mulching mowers do an especially good job of returning the clippings to the soil. Mulching mower blades are designed to cut grass clippings extra-fine, making mulching a lot easier.

Don’t like the look of dead grass on top of the lawn? Use a blower to push the surface clippings back into the soil, or raise the previous mowing height and re-mow the surface clippings only.

Always keep mower blades sharp

How often you should sharpen your blades depends on the use. Check the tips of the grass after you mow. If they are frayed, then it’s time to sharpen your mower blades. Frayed tips mean the grass plants have been injured. A big increase in the possibility of insect or disease problems can come from frayed grass blades. After one day of mowing with dull mower blades, the frayed tips will generally make the grass appear less green. On today’s lawnmowers, changing the blades are faster and easier than ever before. Keeping an extra set of sharp blades around will help to keep you on schedule and make your lawn happy.

Change up your mowing directions

When you mow in different directions, grass grows correctly. Mowing in the same direction every time can cause slanting of the blades in the lawn. Tires or wheels from your lawnmower can cause compaction tracts that become unsightly. Altering directions makes for an even cut, grass blades will grow more upright, and your grass is less likely to develop a set growing pattern. Try changing your mowing pattern to diagonal, horizontal, or vertical to give a healthy look to your lawn, especially in lawns of shorter grass types.

When to choose a professional lawn care company

Sometimes lawn care can be overwhelming. You have to buy all the equipment and maintenance tools and read up on how to take care of your lawn (if you know what type of grass you have)—and that doesn't even include hours you spend upkeeping! You should be spending those hours with your family. Let the lawn care professionals at Nutri-Green take care of your lawn for you. We bring the most up-to-date equipment and knowledge to your lawn, as well as 15 years of experience! Check out our lawn care services and call us today at [phone-number]; we would be more than happy to take this chore off your hands!