Tips for Mowing Your Texas Lawn

Texans have big lawns. And I don't mean to make a pun of that. Considering it's the second largest state in the US, mowing can be a challenge. Some people value their lawn and gardens so much since green healthy plants can be such a scarce commodity in Texas. That's why plants and lawns are precious. Many lawn care businesses thrive because of the demand for beautiful Texas lawns.

Of course, you don't have to employ the help of lawn and landscaping businesses to keep your lawn in great shape. There are certain rules that are specifically created for Texas lawns -- how often they should mowed, how short the grasses should be kept, and what are the best lawn mowers that should be used.

The best height for the common bermuda grass is three-fourth to one and one-fourth inches. St. Augustine blades and buffalograss should be kept up to as high as two to three inches. If you own fescue, cut it down to two or two and a half inches. Rye and zoysia pretty much should maintain the same length of halfway between one and two inches.

Neil Sperry, author of Complete Guide to Texas Gardening, advises to follow the height rule strictly. That's because if you keep certain varieties shorter, your Texas lawn will look so scorched during hot days. If you keep them longer than they should be, however, the turf will look lanky and too weak to keep the unwanted weeds from growing and crowding out the lawn.

For easier mowing, there is nothing more serious than buying a quality brand of lawnmower. There are generally two types: the rotary and reel mowers. To make for a pretty Texas lawn made of St. Augustine grass, rotary mowers are usually the best type to use. They cut like knives because they are parallel to the ground. Professional landscaping businesses usually use the reel mower because this type cannot handle St. Augustine and most other common types of lawn grasses. Reel mowers are best for dwarf hybrid bermudas.

Quality lawn mowers lose their precision if the blades are not sharpened at least monthly. And just like cars, the oil needs to be changed regularly.

How often should you mow your Texas lawn? Or better yet, when is the best time to mow? If you're the early bird type, you should mow before the sun gets high in the sky, and the grass is still fresh with dew. It is also advisable to mow in the late afternoon or early evening, when it's a lot cooler. Mowing doesn't have a schedule, but it's recommended to mow as often as you can. In fact, mowing often is a good way to create small grass clippings that eventually can be used by your lawn for organic fertilizer, just like mulching.

Finally, if you want your lawn to look as gorgeous as Texas football fields, mow in different directions. The best method is to mow the grass twice at right angles so it creates a crisscross pattern on the ground.