A healthy, attractive lawn can be yours — without damaging your plants or trees. From mowing the lawn the right way to ensuring proper nutrition with organic lawn food, Jobe’s explains how to maximize curb appeal by taking a few simple precautions.

Tree Protection

Protect your trees, especially the young ones. Young trees are surprisingly vulnerable to trunk damage. Hitting a tree trunk with your mower can cut off the delivery of water through its vascular system, preventing it from making food. Safeguard it by placing a heavy-duty plastic sleeve extending 18″ up the trunk, or create a two-to-three-inch mulch barrier around the tree to avoid mowing around its base.

Get Edgy

Edging keeps plants, gardens, walkways, and other areas out of harm’s way during lawn mowing. You’ll need a power edger that handles curves well; if yours doesn’t, a manual edger is great for finishing the details. Mark off the area to be edged by placing a rope or hose around it to create a safe distance when mowing the lawn. The space between your marker and the pavement or lawn is where the edging will be done. Start at the end for a straight edge; work your way out from the center when working on a curve.

General Mowing Tips

1. Sharpen those blades.

Prevent discoloration, pests, and disease by keeping your lawnmower blades clean, sharp, and in good working condition. Consider keeping an extra blade on hand.

2. Leave your mower at a higher setting during the summer.

Keeping your grass longer discourages weed growth, encourages roots to grow deeper into the ground, and reduces the rate at which water evaporates. For your final mowing session in late autumn, reduce the setting so your grass is shorter. This prevents snow mold growth in cold climates.

3. Stay safe with the right apparel for the job.

Always wear footwear to prevent from tripping into your hot mower, as well as eye protection to stay safe from flying debris. Also, kids under 12 shouldn’t be operating a mower.

4. Use adequate techniques under adequate conditions.

Avoid the following to ensure a healthy lawn:

  • Mowing wet grass
  • Mowing in full sun
  • Cutting grass too short
  • Compacted soil

Do add lawn food to provide your yard with what it needs to stay green and lush. From creating wood mulch barriers around trees to mowing the lawn at the proper length, there’s a lot you can do to help your lawn look its best. Jobe’s has the all season lawn food and other products you need to enhance the health and beauty of your grass, trees, and plants.