THREE MOWING MISTAKES
From trim height to straight rows, there’s precision that goes into properly cared-for grass and turf. Perficut’s roots are in mowing, and we take pride in the knowledge and experience of our landscape maintenance experts. They keep their minds on the details and turn every site visit into an opportunity to achieve mowing perfection.
Here are the top 3 mowing mistakes — and how Team Perficut avoids them.
Mistake 1: Cutting Too Short or Too Long
Grass that’s trimmed too short falls prey to nutrient loss and over-drying. There simply isn’t enough foliage to grow healthy roots. On the other hand, grass that’s left too long is more likely to harbor turf diseases and pests.
Not surprisingly, Perficut is exacting. Dustin Johnson, our mowing manager, sends his crews out each week to mow grass 3.5 inches tall.
Not 3 inches and not 4 inches. “Right at 3.5” really is the ideal height,” he says.
Mistake 2: Always Mowing the Same Pattern
Mowing in the same direction each time does a disservice to lawns. It won’t technically affect the health of the grass, but it will result in an uneven appearance. “If you mow the same direction each week, the mower tires will smash the grass down, so you’re not getting all the grass cut each week,” Dustin says. “You’ll end up with shaggy tire tracks.”
Dustin recommends this routine for the green season: Mow north and south the first week, then east and west the next week. Repeat that for two more weeks. When that’s established, add in diagonal cuts.
Mistake 3: Rushing
Perficut maintains a full machine shop and takes pride in clean, high-performing mowing equipment. When the blades are sharp, mowing is a super satisfying activity, Dustin says. It can be so much fun zipping around a site on a riding mower (or in Dustin’s case, walking behind his favorite John Deere push mower), it’s tempting to speed through the work. But he says that’s the third mistake people make with mowing: “If you’re really blasting through there, the result is not going to look as good as when you take your time with it.”
It’s no wonder Dustin is one of Perficut’s mowing managers. As he is known to say: He kicks ass at mowing grass. The high standards he sets for himself he also sets for his mowing teams—resulting in Perficut’s industry-leading reputation for excellent site management.
