Mowing is the most important part of any program.  It has the ability to greatly help the maintenance program or signficantly undermine it.  Follow these simple tips for best results -

 

Mow tall - set your mower for 3 - 3 1/2 inches.  Tall mowing keeps the grass cool, which helps preserve and extend the life of the crabgrass preventer.  It also helps by shading out broadleaf weeds and encouraging deeper rooting.

 

Mow often - aim to remove only one third of the blade at a time.  This means that sometimes you'll need to mow more than once per week, especially during the spring or in wetter weather.

 

Mulch - leave the clippings on the lawn when possible.  Clippings are 80% water and will decompose quickly and return water and other nutrients back to the lawn.  Don't beleive the old myth that clippings add to the thatch level.  Not true!  Thatch is made of dead roots, not clippings.  It doesn't matter what type of mower you  have.  A side-discharge mower works fine as long as you vary the pattern to ensure all the clippings aren't going in the same direction. 

 

Be careful with your string trimmer!  Crabgrass always germinates first in hot or weak areas.  Areas along sidewalks and driveways are already hot from the asphalt or concrete - trimming too short puts even more stress on those areas.

 

Keep your blade sharp.  A dull blade will tear the grass, which will open the grass plant up to diseases. 

 

Myth - You don't have time to mow more than once a week.  Consider this - most people can mow their lawn twice while mulching in the same amount of time takes to mow the lawn once while bagging.