If you’re a keen gardener, you’re probably in the habit of regularly trimming your grass to keep it looking fresh and verdant. However, if you’re not careful, you could end up “scalping” it.
In this post, we take a look at what scalping actually means and what you can do to avoid it. Read on to learn more.
What is scalping?
Scalping is the act of cutting your grass too short and damaging it. If you cut too close to the base, you expose the delicate grass stems, hampering the future growth of the lawn. Furthermore, removing most of the blade decreases the ability of the plant to photosynthesise, causing it to die back. You’ve “scalped” your lawn if it appears patchy and brown after you mow it.
How to avoid scalping your lawn
Scalping is a serious lawn-related blunder. It can make it challenging for the grass to survive. In the worst-case scenario, you may have to wait and reseed in the spring.
Fortunately, there are many methods you can use to prevent lawn scalping. These include:
Sharpening your mower blades
Blunt mower blades don’t slice cleanly through the grass. Instead, they rip it upwards from the ground and then chop it close to the root.
To stop this, you can sharpen mower blades with tools supplied by the manufacturer or take them to your local sales and repair shop. You can also swap out the old blade for a new one.
Set the correct blade height
Blade height is adjustable on most mowers. This allows gardeners to cut their grass to the desired length. Ideally, you want to cut the grass to one inch during cool seasons, and 2.5 inches during warmer seasons. Going any shorter than this will expose the stem and lead to scalping.
Mow in the cool part of the day
Finally, don’t mow in the midday sun. Instead, wait for the cooler part of the day. Direct sunlight and high temperatures can further damage the grass by evaporating the remaining water the plant contains after mowing, causing it to dry out.
Are you new to mowing your lawn and want the best equipment for the job? If so, get in touch with Redblade Mowers in West Lancashire, and find out more about how our products make mowing easy.
