Hate Weeds? Mow High!

Weeds!! We hate weeds, you hate weeds, the only thing that likes weeds is…No one likes weeds! So what can you do to eliminate these little buggers from your lawn? While you might say napalm you would be wrong (okay, it would get rid of the weeds but also most of your neighborhood) the key to eliminate weeds is to make life miserable for them so they just pack up and leave.One easy tip for a weed free lawn: mow it. That’s right, you’re doing that anyway so you might as well do it right. We’ve already talked about how to water it so now that we’re watering and it’s growing its time to cut it down.Grass and weeds fight for sun. If the grass is higher than the weed it will shade the weed. Shaded weeds aren’t happy weeds and will get weak and die. Poor weeds. But grass will only shade a weed if it’s tall enough. That’s why you need to mow high.Mow high? But if I mow my grass down to the nub I won’t have to mow again as soon, right? Probably but mostly because your lawn will be dead. Mowing high will prevent essential light from reaching the weeds to germinate or keep the ones that do germinate from growing. Mowing too short will also prevent your grass from performing photosynthesis (remember science class?) as there will be less leaf to do it and that keeps the roots from proper nutrition. This makes the grass unhealthy and unhappy. It actually makes the grass grow faster as it struggles to feed itself. Healthy and well-fed grass grows slower and will make more healthy and well-fed grass.If you’re a reformed short mower still battling weeds consider mowing twice as frequently as you normally do. The part of the grass that’s the most vulnerable is near the soil but the most vulnerable part of the weed is at the top. So off with their heads! As the weeds began to go away you can reduce the number of mowings as well. Oh and just an aside, sharp, sharp mower blades make this a treat.Taller grass also retains water (less runoff) and prevents soil erosion. And as the weeds begin to lessen there will be less to spread into your landscaped beds and in-between stones or pavers. Taller grass also keeps the roots cooler and this makes your lawn even greener with less water and this is our goal all along isn’t’ it?So let’s review. Mowing higher is good because:Taller grass means thicker turf and less weeds.Taller grass means less mowing as healthy grass grows slower.Taller grass means shadier, deeper roots and less watering.Taller grass looks awesome!If you’d like help in your lawn battle just call KC Landscape Curbing. We will mow, fertilize or even get rid of those pesky weeds all at once to start you off with a pristine lawn. Which you will then cease to scalp, right? So tell your teenagers that cutting your grass down to the dirt will only mean more work for them!ll