You want a lush, green lawn in spring and summer in Northern Virginia. Who doesn’t want to sink their toes into velvety, thick, carpet-like grass? You can feel your stress melt away just thinking about it.
Getting the healthy, thriving lawn you crave takes some effort. To avoid unsightly brown spots and the effects of your kids and pets playing on your lawn, you need to care for your beloved grass. If you neglect it, there won’t be much happy grass to sink your toes into.
Regular, proper fertilization based on soil test results helps maintain the soil’s nutrients at a consistent level to keep your grass happy.
But you might be wondering, “Should I mow before lawn treatment?” After all, you don’t want to waste your effort.
Don’t worry. Turf’s Up has your back. Here is everything you need to know about timing your mowing around lawn treatments.
Why Fertilization is Important
You want to answer the question, “Should I mow before lawn fertilization?” But before doing that, you should understand why fertilization is important.
When developers build homes, they move soil around, taking away nutrients and organic matter during the whole process. This certainly doesn’t create the ideal environment for growing anything, especially your green grass.
That’s why your lawn needs fertilization. But one random application here or there won’t help.
A consistent fertilization schedule can help to build a great lawn. Fertilization is as important in the spring when the growing season is kicking off as it is in the fall when the growing season is settling down. That way you’re building top growth and root growth at the time when both of those things are happening with your grass.
Should I Mow the Lawn Before Fertilizing?
During the growing season in Northern Virginia, you should be mowing your lawn about once each week.
Should I mow before lawn treatment? As mowing frequency increases as the weather warms up, timing it around fertilization and weed control treatments can feel pretty tricky. You might be confused about which time is best.
These mowing tips and tricks should clear up any confusion.
Best Times to Mow Your Lawn Around Fertilization and Weed Control
Let’s start with granular fertilization. This type of fertilization is rarely impacted by mowing.
But liquid weed control treatments can be impaired. You usually don’t want to mow your lawn within 24 hours before any such treatment.
This is because if you mow right before an herbicide treatment, there isn’t much leaf area left to absorb the weed control product. If a broadleaf weed control doesn’t come in contact with enough of the plant’s foliage, it won't be as effective as it can be.
While you’re worrying about how to prepare a lawn for treatment, you should also know how to treat your grass after lawn care treatments.
You should wait to mow for 24 to 48 hours post any weed control treatment. This is because it takes at least 24 hours for broadleaf weed control to translocate throughout the vascular system of the plant. If you cut the grass too soon, you’re not letting the herbicide get into the plant.
The Grass Clipping Benefits
Should I mow before lawn treatment? It’s best to mow your lawn 24 hours before any treatment to be safe.
After treatment, when it’s time to mow again, it’s always better to leave the clipped grass blades on the lawn.
These clippings act like barriers to help hold in the newly applied nutrients. Bonus: They also provide your lawn with organic nutrients to complement the fertilizer and improve your lawn soil.
Never Neglect Mowing Basics
When thinking about how to prepare a lawn for treatment, remembering the basics is essential to ensure your lawn thrives and you don’t waste your time.
First, make sure your mower is properly prepped. This means sharpening your mower blades, filling the tires with air, changing the oil, and ensuring it’s working correctly before the growing season is in full swing.
Then, when you mow, remember that your grass blades should be 3.5 to 4 inches tall after you mow. You never want to remove more than one-third of the lawn at any one time so as not to stress it out. This typically amounts to mowing approximately once a week during the spring and early summer.
Sometimes you might be tempted to cut your lawn short to look like that of your favorite golf course or to try and save yourself some work later. Cutting your lawn too short stresses it out and could cause yellowing, browning, or let weeds in. And it will still grow just as fast, so you’re not saving yourself any time.
Don’t Be Afraid to Call in a Pro When It Comes to Better Understanding Your Lawn
You should never feel ashamed to tap into a professional for your lawn care services when wondering how to prepare a lawn for treatment.
Lawn care can be a lot to take on and understand. We get it. Whether you’re at your first home or your second, handling your lawn care on your own can take up a lot of time you don’t have. You might even think you can save money doing it on your own.
But, in reality, everything from application timing to weed and insect identification to lawn care knowledge is a lot to take on. And if you miss a beat – whether it’s focusing on your full-time job or taking care of your family – your lawn can suffer.
Lawn care mistakes can be costly. It’s perfectly OK to eliminate the hassles and headaches and hire a trusted professional to take care of your lawn. They can not only take care of proper timing, but they can also provide advice on your mowing schedule, as well as offer other tips to maximize your lawn’s health.
To Mow or Not To Mow: Turf’s Up Answers Your Questions!
Mowing is an important part of a healthy lawn. And doing it right can keep your lawn happy and maximize the effectiveness of lawn treatments.
Regular mowing not only improves its appearance, but also helps your lawn grow thicker, choking out weeds. That’s a win-win!
If how to prepare for a lawn treatment is still confusing to you, never fear. Here at Turf’s Up, we’re happy to answer your questions about proper timing and mowing techniques to help you take better care of your lawn. It’s what we do here in Northern Virginia, and we’re always happy to share our knowledge about what your grass likes best.
Ready to learn why Turf’s Up could be your totally awesome choice for lawn care services in Northern Virginia? We’re stoked to learn more about you and help you have the best lawn on the block. Get started today with a free quote. Together, we can prepare a customized plan that is perfect for you and your lawn.
Image Source: Lawn mower blade
