6 Lawn Care Mistakes That Damage North Mississippi Lawns

Is your lawn struggling to look its best, even when you feel like you’re doing everything right? We know this is frustrating. But even small mistakes can keep you from the healthy lawn you want.

If your lawn is falling short even though you’re taking care of it, you aren’t alone. Problems like improper mowing height, inconsistent mowing, watering mistakes, and other maintenance errors can weaken turf and undermine the lawn care treatments you’re paying for.

Lawn mowing mistakes are among the most common, but other issues can occur, too.

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• Common Lawn Mowing Mistakes & How to Fix Them
• Other Common Lawn Care Mistakes to Keep on Your Radar
• FAQs on Lawn Care & Lawn Mowing Mistakes
• Choosing Professional Lawn Care Services in North Mississippi

Even well-intentioned maintenance practices can do more harm than good when done incorrectly. That can be as simple as a timing error.

If your lawn isn’t delivering the healthy, lush, green outcome you want, it could be how it’s being cared for. Let’s talk about how to spot those mistakes and what you can do about them.

Common Lawn Mowing Mistakes & How to Fix Them

Mowing the lawn seems like common sense. But it’s a little trickier than you might realize. We frequently see mistakes like mowing too short or too infrequently.

We also find that people think they should "let their lawn go to seed" to get it to thicken. There is no truth to this. In fact, not cutting frequently makes their grass thinner and leggy.

We’ll share some of the most important things you should know about mowing a lawn correctly.

Mowing at the Wrong Height for Your Grass Type

The right mowing height optimizes lawn health, promoting thick, green growth and keeping weeds out - and it’s lower than you think.

The proper lawn height depends on the grass species you have growing. Understanding warm-season grass mowing heights is key to your success. The optimal height for each grass type includes:

• Bermuda: 1-2 inches

• Zoysia: 1-2.5 inches

• Centipede: 1.5-2.5 inches

• St. Augustine: 2-3.5 inches

Mowing Too Infrequently: How Often Should You Mow Your Lawn?

You generally need to cut your lawn weekly during the active growing season. The trouble with letting your lawn go is that you end up having to make drastic cuts to “catch up.” This is very stressful for the grass.

For the best results, follow the guideline of cutting no more than one-third of the grass blades at a time. Anything more than that puts too much stress on the lawn. Waiting 10-14 days between mowings means you are probably removing one-half to three-quarters of the leaf blade and stressing the grass.

Mowing With Dull Blades or an Uneven Mower

Your equipment's condition can also affect your mowing results. Make sure you’re mowing with sharp mower blades, a level mowing deck, and evenly inflated tires. All of this will help ensure a nice, level cut. When you cut the lawn with dull mower blades or uneven tires, you can create an uneven, stressful cut.

Other Lawn Care Mistakes That Can Damage Your Lawn

Of course, lawn mowing mistakes aren't the only way things can go wrong. We also see a lot of mistakes around homeowners taking lawn treatments into their own hands, even if they’re already paying for a pro.

DIY Weed Killer That Leaves Dead Spots in Your Lawn

People can get frustrated when weeds pop up between visits and take matters into their own hands. They might decide to spray the weeds themselves. But the right product used at the right rate for the right weed will make all the difference. Even getting one of those factors wrong can cause problems.

A common mistake that we see is when a homeowner just sprays a broadleaf killer like Roundup “just on the weed.” But it almost never hits just the weed. This creates large dead circles on the lawn because, no matter how careful they think they are, the spray travels in a wider arc than they expect.

Just leave it to the professional!

At Lawn & Pest Solutions, we even offer free return visits if a customer sees weeds in between visits. We’d rather come out and re-treat than have you take matters into your own hands and potentially cause more problems. Dead spots from weed killer can take a while to fill in and be a major eyesore in the process.

Free Re-Treatments: Leave the Weeds to Us

We sometimes see similar mistakes with DIY fertilizer as we do when homeowners take weed treatments into their own hands. Improper fertilization can lead to fertilizer burn, which can also leave a dead spot.

Most of the time, fertilizer burn results from a DIY lawn care mistake. A homeowner may mistakenly apply too much fertilizer (we know application rates can be confusing) or have an accident, such as a spill.

Using the wrong type of fertilizer or applying it at the wrong time can also damage your lawn. Using the right amount at the right time is more efficient than pouring tons of fertilizer onto the lawn. This is not a scenario where “less is more.”

This is another situation best left to the pros. You’ll get the best results and avoid damaging your lawn.

Watering Too Much, Too Little, or at the Wrong Time

Improper watering is another common way that grass gets damaged.

If you see yellow grass blades or an overall loss of vigor, it could be due to insufficient water or even drought stress.

To water correctly, add about 2 inches of water weekly. When the weather doesn’t deliver what your lawn needs, use an irrigation system or other supplemental watering.

While drought stress is more commonly known, you can also overwater your lawn. Too much water can be as problematic as dry spells & intense heat.

Water longer and less often to reach your weekly water goal, encouraging deeper, stronger roots and greener, healthier grass. If you water too frequently and shallowly, your lawn’s roots will hang near the surface. Deeper roots will always make stronger grass.

Also, ideally, you want to water early before sunrise. This is because wind and sun can evaporate water before it soaks into the soil where it's needed.

Lawn Care & Mowing Mistakes: FAQs

What are the most common lawn mowing mistakes?

The most common mistakes we see are cutting warm-season turf too high or mowing too infrequently. Unlike most of the country, our warm-season sods respond better to mowing low.

Can mowing your grass too high or too low damage your lawn?

While it’s technically possible to scalp your warm-season lawn, keeping the grass too high is a greater concern in North Mississippi. When grass gets too tall, it can bend over and mat down. This reduces air circulation and sunlight penetration, and encourages disease. It also makes mowing stressful, as you’re likely to cut too much grass at once to “catch up.”

How often should I mow my lawn in Mississippi?

During the growing season, mow once a week for the thickest, greenest turf. Follow the guideline of only cutting one-third of the grass blades at a time.

Can overwatering damage my lawn?

Yes, overwatering leads to insect and disease issues. It also leads to thinner, weaker turf with a shallow root system

Why does my lawn look worse after mowing?

If your lawn looks worse after mowing, you are probably cutting too high or too infrequently. The rule of thumb is to never remove more than one-third of the leaf blade in a single cut. Waiting 10-14 days between mowings likely means you're removing one-half to three-fourths of the leaf blade and stressing the grass.

What lawn maintenance mistakes can interfere with professional treatments?

Hand-pulling weeds is a common lawn maintenance mistake that interferes with treatments. Many of our problem weeds, such as nutgrass and buttonweed, actually multiply each time you pull them. Call us when you see weeds so we can assess and treat them. Do not take matters into your own hands!

Choosing  Professional Lawn Care Services in Tupelo, New Albany & North Mississippi

Choosing professional lawn care services in Tupelo, New Albany, and North Mississippi can help you avoid problems and give you an expert to lean on when you have questions.

Many companies can fertilize your lawn or treat your weeds, but you also want a company that treats you right and is there when you need them. You don’t want to have to make phone calls that go unanswered or work with a revolving door of technicians. You want a lawn care partner you can trust. You deserve this much when you are paying for their services.

At Lawn & Pest Solutions, we’re here to help. We know lawn care can be complicated, and questions often come up. But we’re ready to guide you toward the right answers.

When you make a smart, well-researched choice, you build a long-term relationship with a lawn care provider in North Mississippi and finally get the lawn, and the relaxation, that you deserve.

Want to improve your lawn’s health and create a thicker, greener lawn? Lawn & Pest Solutions can help you with lawn care in North Mississippi. Get started today with a free quote. Together, we’ll customize a plan that gives you the most attractive lawn on the block.