Mowing

Proper mowing is just one of the many factors to take into consideration when trying to create a lush thick stand of turf.  Grass that is properly mowed will have fewer weeds, require less watering, stay greener longer into the drier periods, and will have fewer insect and disease problems.

Hawcott Lawn Service provides Commercial and Residential mowing services.  We maintain a fleet of push mowers, mid-sized walk behind mowers, and larger commercial riding mowers to handle any situation.  We can provide you with regular scheduled weekly mowing. For existing clients of our other services we can also provide temporary mowing services for times a client may be on vacation or recovering from surgery. We generally don't provide one time mowing services.  

PROPER MOWING HEIGHT

Cool season grasses such as Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass, and most Fescue grasses which are the three most prevalent types of grass grown in central Iowa grow best when cut at a height of 3”-3.5”.  This mowing height allows the plant to better shade the soil around the base of the plant which helps to better conserve moisture and will allow the grass plant to stay green longer into the dry summer.  The higher cutting height also helps to shade potential weed seeds which make it more difficult for them to germinate.  At Hawcott Lawn Service our mowing fleet is generally set to cut the turfgrass at 3.25”-3.5". 

CLIPPING REMOVAL

We leave the clippings on the lawn whenever possible.  Because the grass clipping is primarily composed of water and nutrients it will generally breakdown within a couple weeks and over the course of the summer add 1-1.5 lbs of Nitrogen/1000 sq ft of lawn.  This is like having an additional fertilizer treatment for the year.  During the times of the year when the grass is rapidly growing, such as in the spring, we may go over an area twice with the mowers to better cut up the clippings so they break down quicker.  During this same situation on yards we push mow we may bag some of the yard to reduce clumping and excess clippings. 

TIMING

We generally mow the grass once every 7-10 days.  We strive to cut the grass every 7 days but because of environmental conditions such as rain or wet periods, it may take extra time to get to your property. During the dry periods of the year we just mow the sections that are still growing (areas by down spouts, North side of buildings, etc.).  Our rule of thumb is that if more than 50% of the lawn needs mowed we will mow it. 

BLADES

Dull mower blades tear the grass and increase water loss and can create an entry for diseases.  At Hawcott Lawn Service we sharpen our mower blades after every 8-10 hours of use.