Mowing your lawn is the most fundamental element of good lawn care; grass keeps growing and a trim now and again is something every gardener has to do. Believe it or not, cutting a lawn well can keep your grass nice and healthy, whereas cutting it badly can damage it instantly. Mowing really is that important, so it's important that you get it right.

First, let's take a look at just what it is you're working on. Grass is a living organism and if you know how it works, you can understand how to look after it. The lowest part of the grass, closest to the soil, is the most sensitive. It's normally shaded from light and the elements, so if you cut the grass very short and expose this area, it will scorch and die. This is why it is so important not to cut your grass too short!

If you do find that you've let your grass grow too long, cut it very regularly for a few weeks, lowering the height of your mower blades by a little each time. If you gradually take the grass back down to the right height, it will have time to get used to each stage instead of being damaged by exposing the lowest parts of the grass too soon.

The longer the stems of grass, the longer roots your grass will have beneath the soil. There must be enough roots for the grass to thrive, so if you

cut your lawn no shorter than 2cm, you'll have at least 2cm of roots. This is enough for the plant to get all the nutrients from the soil that it needs.

Grass grows fastest in summer, and slowest at the coldest part of the year. While there are no particular rules about how often you should mow your lawn, obviously it needs mowing more often when it's growing the quickest. Many people leave it too long between cuts, letting the grass grow long before trimming it right back. This can actually be detrimental to the plant; you should never take off more than a third of its height at any one cut. This means that if you cut the grass regularly, you have to take less of the length off, and you preserve the integrity of the plant.

What do you do with all the grass clippings? Grass is full of nutrients so it can be left on top of your lawn to degrade into the soil. The only time you shouldn't leave the clippings is when there are so many that they'll obscure your lawn from the sun. If your mower saves the clippings, put them on your compost heap.

There are no mowers that are a lot better than others; although there are different types, it doesn't matter which one you use as long as the blades are kept sharp. A clean cut does less damage to the plant, whereas a blunt blade can damage the grass stems and lead to an unhealthy lawn.

If you've laid good lawn turf to begin with, keeping it in top condition should be easy. Grass seeds take time to grow, and you have to spread them evenly to ensure you get a filled-in lawn. Either way, regular mowing maintains the look of your lawn, and helps it to thrive.

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