Buckeye Yard and Garden onLine

Oh, the sounds of spring: birds singing, bees buzzing, peepers peeping, and owners of conked-out mowers roaring! Now's the time to get those mowers in shape for hours of carefree cutting.

Blades are typically the first focus; however, blade-work is made safer by first removing the spark plug. This allows the plug to be inspected and it makes moving the blade around for inspection and deck cleaning easier by eliminating engine compression. Worn or fouled plugs along with dulled blades reduce mower efficiency which wastes gas and elevates exhaust emissions.

A close inspection of the mower deck (cleaned!) may reveal heavy corrosion which could weaken the deck presenting a safety hazard. Of course, over-wintered engine oil should be changed, and the air filter inspected. Next, adjust the mowing height of the cut to between 2 1/2 to 3 inches. Carbohydrates produced by high-cut turfgrass supports good root growth.

Make plans to enjoy your finely-tuned mower as needed rather than by the calendar. One should only remove one third of the leaf blade at a time. Cutting off more than one third of the blade weakens the grass plant and stresses the turf. Fast growing turfgrass in the spring and fall may require cutting as frequently as two or three times per week. Also, don't let wet weather get in the way of too many mowings; it is better to mow wet grass than to try to cut grass that's been allowed to grow to a height for baling!

For more information see:

• Mowers and Mowing
• Lawn Mowing