Get Some Exercise, Mow Your Lawn

A lot of people reading this posts title will be saying to themselves, “What the hell does mowing your lawn have to do with being healthy?”

Well, let me elucidate for you. That means I really don’t have a clear cut answer but I’m going to rattle on for awhile anyway.

Just think about it. The sunshine, smell of freshly cut grass, pure air, bugs, sweat, lawn mower exhaust. Whoops, where was I? Oh yeah, mowing your lawn can be a good way to get some exercise and if you’re going to do it, do it right.

Here are a few commonsense tips to think about before mowing your lawn.

1.    Don’t mow your lawn when it’s wet. If you water in the morning or there is dew on the grass, you should wait until it dries to mow. I have to admit that sometimes I’m guilty of mowing to early in the hotter parts of the summer. Trying to get out early and beat the heat seems like a good idea but all it does is create big gobs of grass that have to be mowed again, bagged or raked up.
2.    Don’t cut too much off at one time. If your lawn has gotten ahead of you and the grass is 5 or 6 inches tall, the best thing to do is cut 2 or 3 inches off one day and then a couple of days later, cut it down to your normal lawn height. This allows the grass to recover between cuttings.
3.    Don’t mow in the same direction every time. This works the same way as carpet. If you go the same way every time, ‘wear’ patterns will appear. Alternate the direction from week to week. Horizontal one time, vertical the next. I like to throw a diagonal cut in from time to time as well.
4.     Mulching is good. A mulching mower is designed to cut, then re-cut the grass before dropping it back onto the lawn. The clippings will then be absorbed as natural fertilizer by the soil. Keep your mower blade sharp if you’re going to mulch!
5.    Fertilize all year round. Scott’s Turfbuilder has fertilizer that is formulated to be applied at different times throughout the year. Of course, the more you fertilize the more you water and the more you have to cut.

See, I told you that mowing would help keep you in shape. Just think of all those miles of walking behind the lawnmower. Not to mention the thousands of deep knee bends and heavy fertilizer sacks you lifted. Your neighbors will appreciate your dedication.