Homeowner advice- Do you mow your lawn?
Homeowner tips for mowing your lawn. If I missed a subject or you would like to add something email me at owner@totalsprayllc.com. Thank you for reading our blog.
How high should I mow my grass?
- St Augustine- We recommend mowing at the highest setting. The grass should be four to five inches after cutting.
- Bahiagrass- We recommend mowing at three inches. When Bahia goes to seed it may require making two passes.
- Empire zoysia- We recommend mowing at 3 inches. Zoysia will require extra watering during dry periods. This type of turf will go into dormancy or protection mode during dry conditions.
- Bermuda should be mowed around 3 inches.
How often do I sharpen my blade?
We recommend monthly during growing season. Atleast 3 times per year. Dull blades are harmful to the grass. In addition it can cause the lawn to look brown.
Should I bag my clippings?
You should not bag St Augustine grass. If you have an excessive thatch issue or weed issue you may temporarily bag the clippings. This should be a short-term solution. These issues could be caused by overwatering or improper fertilization.
Bagging clippings will take away important nutrients from the lawn. Leaving the clippings could reduce the required fertilizer by 25 percent.
Fertilization and Treatment Questions
I have a fertilization company, should I apply products to boost the results?

If you are paying a professional, you should never apply products in between treatments. You should trust he is giving your lawn everything it needs.
You could damage the lawn by applying more products. It is also harmful to the environment. Fertilization companies follow IPM. IPM ensure’s we do not damage our waterways and our natural resources.
Another factor to consider is if the products have a different mode of action. It could cancel each other out and neither product will work. Some products are designed to attract the insect. Other products are designed to repel the pest.
I pay a fertilization company, why does my lawn have bugs?
All responsible fertilization companies practice IPM. This means we only kill turf destroying pest when they have reached a destructive level. If we overuse pesticides the pest will grow immune. We also need a couple destructive bugs to attract the natural enemies. The big-eyed bug is a natural enemy of chinch bugs and is mistaken for chinch bugs.
Should I aerate my lawn?
If you have compacted areas in your turf, you could benefit from a core aeration. It will allow water and nutrients to enter the soil. It will also help with puddling and water runoff. Check out this article on the benefits of aeration from Ryan Aerators.
Thank you for reading a Total Spraying Post,
John Hesford (904) 982-2500