Did you ever drive down a road on a really hot and humid day around 1pm and notice someone trying to start their lawn mower? What are they thinking? I guess they feel that the lawn needs cutting and that this is the only time they can get to it. I don't care how high you cut the grass or how careful it is edged, cutting the grass during the heart of the day with the temperature in the 90's is lawn suicide.
Lawns should only be cut either first thing in the morning or after 5pm. Also, the hotter the temperature, the higher off the ground you should adjust the lawn mower. Usually, in March or April, the idea is to cut as low as possible to let the lawn get a good growth start. But once the temperature gets really hot, the lawn should only be cut with the mower adjusted to at least 4 or 5 inches off the ground. Also, The lawn should only be cut once every 7-10 days depending on the grass height. I usually cut the lawn after 5 pm. Once I am done cutting, I usually water the lawn for 10-15 minutes to let the water hit the grass roots overnight.
The reason I know all this is from bad experience. I bought my first lawn mower in 2005, and cut the grass too low. That's when I learned how easily grass burns and how long it takes it to recover. Let's just say that yellow, orange and brown areas of your lawn probably won't recover until September or October, no matter how much you water the yellow, orange, or brown spot! Bottom line...don't cut the lawn at 1pm!
If you have suggestions or comments, please post them or email me at rhilston@aol.com
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