Mowing Overview
How often and what is included...
Before we mow:
Our comprehensive weekly mowing service includes:
- Mowing: A precise, even cut for your lawn done with blades sharpened daily.
- String Trimming: Around houses, fences, trees, driveways, and sidewalks for a polished look.
- Clipping Cleanup: Blowing off clippings from driveways and walkways for a clean finish.
- Turf Maintenance: Thinning out clumps in the turf to ensure an even, well-manicured appearance.
Even tall grass will appear professionally bagged, thanks to our premium mulching approach.
Why Choose Weekly Mowing?
- Regular mowing is essential for a healthy lawn.
- Cutting more than 1/3 of the grass height can stress your lawn and damage equipment.
Bi-Weekly Mowing
For non-irrigated lawns, we offer bi-weekly mowing during extended dry periods. However, this service is billed at 150% of our weekly rate to cover the additional time and effort required. We leave this up to our crew leaders weather its ok or should be left on a weekly schedule. Maintain a lush, vibrant lawn by sticking to a consistent weekly schedule whenever possible!
Before we mow:
Watering Guidelines
To ensure the best results, please follow these watering instructions:
- Watering should be completed 24-48 hours before your scheduled mowing and should not resume until 2 days after mowing.
- For example: If your service is scheduled for Monday, please avoid watering from Sunday through Tuesday.
- This schedule allows flexibility for potential rain delays, especially during rainy seasons.
- Most lawns need 1 to 2 inches of water per week for healthy growth. Avoid overwatering, as it can cause runoff, increase disease risk, and stress your lawn. Proper watering not only promotes a healthier lawn but also helps reduce your water bill.
Sprinkler Head Awareness
- Check that sprinkler heads retract fully into the ground.
- Mark problem sprinkler heads with flags or sticks to prevent damage and assist our team and repair personnel.
Pet Waste Policy
- Pet waste must be cleaned up before mowing.
- Excessive pet waste will result in an additional charge. Waste can get on equipment, our team, creating unpleasant and unsanitary conditions.
- For convenience, we offer dog waste pick-up services for an additional fee.
Yard Preparation
- Remove toys, tools, hoses, and other lawn accessories from the grass before mowing.
- These items can be difficult to spot, and while we train employees to avoid them, keeping your yard clear helps prevent accidental damage.
These policies help us provide the highest quality service while ensuring the safety of your lawn and our team. Let us know if you’d like more information about any of our additional services!
Important mowing guidelines
Mowing height
Why Gray and Grandpa Mows at 3.5 Inches or Higher
Our default mowing height is 3.5 inches, and we may go even higher when necessary. Unlike some companies that mow as low as 3 inches or less, we prioritize the health and resilience of your lawn. Here’s why taller is better:
Grass Anatomy 101
Grass has three main tissue types:
- Blades (tips): Similar to the branches and leaves of a tree, these are responsible for photosynthesis.
- Crown: The base of the grass blade, comparable to a tree’s trunk. This is where new growth originates and nutrients are distributed.
- Roots: Just like tree roots, these anchor the plant and absorb water and nutrients from the soil.
When grass is mowed too short, it risks damaging the crown—similar to cutting into a tree trunk. This can weaken the plant and slow its recovery. By maintaining a taller mowing height, we avoid unnecessary stress on your lawn.
The Benefits of Mowing Taller
- Crown Protection: Taller grass creates a larger boundary layer around the crown, reducing the risk of damage.
- Improved Soil Moisture: Taller grass reduces evapotranspiration, conserving moisture in the soil and keeping your turf cooler during hot summer months.
- Enhanced Photosynthesis: Taller blades mean a larger photosynthetic region, enabling the plant to produce more food using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide.
- Deeper Roots: Longer grass promotes deeper root systems that can access water deeper in the soil, reducing the need for frequent irrigation.
Seasonal Height Adjustments
The ideal time to adjust mowing height is in the spring. This helps grass grow thicker and more evenly, preparing it for the stress of summer heat.
By choosing Gray and Grandpa, you’re choosing a lawn care service that prioritizes your lawn’s long-term health over short-term aesthetics. Our approach ensures your lawn stays lush, resilient, and cost-effective to maintain!
Mulching Vs. Bagging
Mulching vs. Bagging: Why Mulching is the Clear Winner
Grass clippings are about 90% water, with the remaining portion containing vital nutrients like nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)—the same nutrients found in fertilizers that many people pay to apply to their lawns. When you bag your clippings, you’re removing these valuable resources, depriving your lawn of essential water and nutrients.
The Benefits of Mulching
- Natural Nutrient Recycling:
- Mulching returns essential nutrients to your lawn, adding up to 2 pounds of nitrogen per year naturally.
- This reduces reliance on synthetic fertilizers and supports sustainable lawn care.
- Carbon Sequestration:
- Returning grass clippings to the lawn helps sequester carbon into the soil, which improves its chemical, biological, and physical properties.
- These enhancements increase soil vigor, promote healthier grass growth, and reduce runoff.
- Improved Water Retention:
- Mulching boosts the soil's water-holding capacity, reducing the need for frequent irrigation and protecting your lawn during dry spells.
- Supports Soil Microbes:
- Mulching promotes nutrient cycling by feeding beneficial soil microbes, creating a more balanced and resilient lawn ecosystem.
Proper Mulching Practices
Mulching is most effective when done correctly:
- Weekly mowing is essential to avoid cutting too much grass at once or damaging the crown, which is the base of the grass blade where growth originates.
- Clump Management: Our team uses blowers to thin out excessive clumps, ensuring your lawn stays neat and even while maximizing the benefits of mulching.
The Verdict: Mulching Wins
Bagging grass clippings removes valuable organic material, water, and nutrients from your lawn, leading to higher costs for fertilizers and irrigation. Mulching, on the other hand, mimics natural systems, recycles essential nutrients, and promotes healthier, more sustainable growth.
When it comes to Bagging vs. Mulching, the choice is clear—mulching wins by a long shot!
Watering tips
Proper Watering Practices for a Healthy Lawn
To maintain a healthy cool-season turfgrass lawn (like fescue and bluegrass), aim for 1-2 inches of rain or irrigation per week. This is typically enough to keep your lawn thriving throughout the season. However, overwatering can be worse than under-watering and significantly increases the risk of disease.
Key Watering Guidelines
- Avoid Overwatering:
- Too much water creates ideal conditions for diseases and mold.
- If your lawn receives more than 1 inch of natural rain in a week, your irrigation system should remain off for that week.
- Timing is Critical:
- Morning Watering: Apply water early in the morning, before the sun rises too high. This helps prevent heat stress without raising the grass temperature.
- Avoid Midday Watering: Studies show that watering during the heat of the day can actually make grass warmer and less resilient.
- No Night Watering: Watering at night encourages mold and disease development.
- Irrigation Calibration:
- Use rain gauges or small plastic containers with vertical sides in each irrigation zone to ensure uniform water application.
- Coordination with Mowing:
- Watering should be completed 24-48 hours before your scheduled mowing and should not resume until 2 days after mowing.
- Example: If your mowing service is scheduled for Monday, avoid watering from Sunday through Tuesday.
Why Timing Matters
- Wet Soil Issues: Mowing a wet lawn can create dips, ruts, and bare spots due to equipment slipping on soft ground.
- Service Impact: Wet grass is harder on our equipment, requires slower mowing to avoid damage, and increases the need for clump management, which can impact the cost of your service.
- Blade Sharpness & Safety: Dry lawns help keep mower blades sharp, improve efficiency, and make for a cleaner cut—plus, nobody enjoys soggy shoes!
By following these watering practices, you’ll not only protect your lawn but also ensure efficient, cost-effective service while promoting the long-term health of your turfgrass.