• Know Your Lawn Grasses
• Dealing with Shady Sites
• Seeding and Sodding Lawns
• Watering, Mowing & Fertilizing
• Thatch & Lawn Renovation
• Weed Problems
• Grubs & Other Insect Pests
• Managing Home Lawn Diseases

Watering, Mowing & Fertilizing

Importance of Proper Mowing

Although often overlooked, mowing has a major impact on lawn appearance and health. Follow a few simple guidelines to assure lawns are mowed properly:

• Don't make the common mistake of mowing too short. For most lawns in northern Illinois, a mowing height between two and three inches is suggested; with the upper range best for summer. Lawns mowed at higher heights tend to have deeper roots, less weed problems, and look much better. Mowing too close invites problems such as weed invasions. Simply raising the mowing height can have a major impact on the quality of many home lawns. A mowing height of two inches would be fine when grasses are rapidly growing, but the height should be raised as growth slows, stress increases, and when the lawn is in the shade.
• Base mowing frequency on the rate your lawn is growing. Do not remove more than one-third of the grass leaf in any one cutting. Mowing on a regular basis as the lawn needs it is essential. Don't mow when the grass is wet.


Grass wilting and "footprinting" signal a need to water this lawn.

• As long as the lawn is mowed on a regular basis and the clippings readily filter back down into the lawn, clippings do not need to be collected. Returned in this manner, clippings readily decompose (contain 75 - 80 percent water) and do not cause thatch (thatch is discussed later in Thatch and Lawn Renovation). Clippings also recycle nutrients, in particular nitrogen, so less fertilizer is needed.


Overwatering, such as this soggy sodded lawn, can be a common problem.

• Selecting a mower can involve a number of factors, many being personal preference. A study at the University of Illinois showed mulching mowers did not provide any additional benefit over conventional rotary mowers returning clippings, assuming proper mowing frequency and lawn fertilizing was followed. Regardless of the type of mower, blades need to be kept sharp.
• Mow in the direction that is safest. Periodically change directions if desired, although mowing the same direction each time should not be a problem on taller grass of home lawns.