Snapper 1700, 2700, 400 Lawn Care, How and When to Water, Fertilize & Aerate, Mowing Information

	Lawn Care
	& Mowing Information
How and When to Water,	HOW TO WATER YOUR LAWN
Fertilize & Aerate	The best method of watering a lawn
Most lawns are watered too often,	is to imitate a slow, soaking rain,
	applying about 1 inch of water.
but with too little water. However
	HOW TO FERTILIZE YOUR LAWN
too much water can allow develop-
	Fertilizing with a slow-release fertiliz-
ment of diseases with your lawn. It is
best to water the lawn only when	er provides missing nutrients which
necessary, and then to water it	help create slow, even growth.
slowly, evenly, and deeply—imitat-	Remember that over-fertilizing can
ing a slow, soaking rain.	cause harm, and that most fertilizing
WHEN TO WATER YOUR LAWN	should be applied in the spring so
	that it will release into the lawn
When the lawn begins to wilt, the
	through the summer.
grass’s color dulls, or footprints stay compressed for
	AERATING YOUR LAWN
more than a few seconds, the lawn is beginning to dry
	Consider aerating your lawn in spring. Using an aerator
out, and needs additional moisture. The best time to
water is early morning to allow the water to soak deeply	to remove cores of soil from the lawn increases the
into the lawn and reduce the amount that evaporates in	speed of clipping decomposition and encourages deeper
the hot afternoon sun.	root growth by opening up the soil and permitting greater
	movement of water, fertilizer and air.

How High To Mow the Grass

Cutting the grass too short causes weak, thin grass plants, which are easily damaged by dry periods and pests.

Letting grass grow a bit longer—especially when it is hot and dry—reduces heat build-up, preserves needed moisture and protects the grass from heat damage and other problems.

Cutting off too much at one time shocks the plant’s growth system and weakens the grass plants. A good rule of thumb is the 1/3 rule: to cut no more than one third of the grass height, and never more than 1 inch at a time.

Cut less than

1/3 Optimal cutting point at less than 1/3 from top of grass blade

Cutting down to this area contributes to

thatch problems

Cut Here On	Cut
First Pass	Here On
	Second
	Pass

Tall Grass Requires Incremental Cutting

For extremely tall grass, set the cutting height at maxi- mum for the first pass, and then reset it to the desired height and mow a second or third time.

Don’t cover the grass surface with a heavy layer of clippings.

TP 600-2136-03-UV-SMA

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