The Wild Gardener: Advice on why you shouldn't cut grass
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Summer sees many gardeners pulling their lawn mowers out of hibernation and getting to work trimming their green space. However, the length you cut your grass can have a major impact on its overall health.
While you don’t want to leave your lawn looking long and unkempt, cutting it too short can have a detrimental effect, according to William Mitchell of Sutton Manor Nursery.
He explained: “This is a mistake that a lot of people make without realising that they have ever made a mistake.
“This can cause a chain reaction of problems for your grass that can be truly catastrophic.”
Mr Mitchell added: “It’s understandable as to why people make this mistake, they feel like the shorter they cut the grass the less they will have to mow it.
“While this is correct, it is only because you do not have to cut dead grass.”
How can cutting your lawn too short damage it?
Mr Mitchell explained: “When you cut your lawn too short what you are doing is cutting away the food supply to the grass.
“In the summer months, the grass relies on that food supply to survive the hot and dry conditions.”
By shortening the blade length, Mr Mitchell warns Gardners are also taking away the lawn’s food supply.
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He said: “You severely reduce its ability to produce more food as the leaf has been cut that helps to make the food.
“It then also has to work far harder to produce the new food that it needs which in turn sacrifices the development of the grass roots.
“This is extremely bad for your lawn as the grass has nowhere to store any water and cannot obtain any nutrients from the soil.
“All of this added up will undoubtedly lead to the death of the grass.”
How long should your lawn be in the summer?
Longer grass is better equipped to cope with periods of drought and can help to keep its colour more vibrant.
Lengthy blades are also stronger and less prone to wear and tear.
Mr Mitchell said: “Leaving your lawn slightly longer actually has far more benefits to it and will actually grow a lot slower.
“It will leave your grass looking fuller and healthier while maintaining all of the leaves and nutrients that the grass needs to stay alive, especially in the warm and dry summer months.”
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