Lawn grass needs to let its hair down first thing in the spring, says
Ieuan Evans, a senior research scientist with Alberta Agriculture.
“Before you take that first cut of lawn grass, let it grow up to around
7.5 centimetres or three inches high or higher,” he said.
“Tell your neighbours that the wait to cut the grass will be well worth
its temporary ‘shaggy’ appearance.”
Evans said lawn grasses lose all of their root systems in the winter,
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and have to re-grow new roots in the spring.
“If you let the grass grow tall, the roots will go down much deeper
into the soil.”
Longer roots means less watering if the summer turns dry.
“Taking that first cut early and cutting the grass short results in a
shallow root system, which causes the turf to dry out more quickly.”
He said a mulcher mower should be used if possible, but more
importantly, make sure the mower blades are sharp, because dull blades
make the lawn look brown.
When broken down by soil microorganisms, lawn clippings will release
small amounts of nutrients that the grass can use. This doesn’t replace
fertilizer applications, but is environmentally friendly.
Clippings also contribute to improved soil structure and will
dramatically increase the rate at which water infiltrates the soil.
