You Really Don't Have To Mow Your Grass Right Now

SHOULD YOU BE MOWING?

You might drive by my house and say, "Wow...Those people sure don't take care of THEIR yard!" When actually, I'm doing the best thing I can for my yard right now...and this is just leaving it alone.

Sure...it looks a little scruffy. But since we've had no rain, the University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardeners that I've talked to say mowing is highly unnecessary right now.

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YOUR GRASS ISN'T DEAD

Most of us here in Minnesota have Kentucky Bluegrass. They explained to me that even though it's been dry, and our yards appear to have dead grass in them, the grass is actually NOT dead.

The grass knows that it's dry. So it's going into dormancy for now since conditions are not good for growth. Some of the leaf tissue may die, but the roots and base are still alive, and the grass will green up when moisture returns.

If you are mowing your grass in these drought conditions, your lawn mower and fertilizers can cause damage. It's best to limit traffic on your lawn right now. If you are worried that your grass is too long, it really isn't. We should keep our grass mowed at a height of 3-4 inches to have healthy grass, with roots that reach deep into the ground. If you are mowing more frequently so it looks like a golf course, it's not going to be as healthy as it should be.

NOT A GOOD TIME TO SEED

I bought three bags of a combo fertilizer seed for fixing spots in my yard, but clearly, this is not the time to be trying to seed grass. I'm saving it in my garage for when moisture returns. I'm hoping it will be soon.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

If you would like to know more about how you can help your yard, you can contact the U of M Extension office, or click HERE to learn more.

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Categories: Lifestyle