The Frayed Blade: Reasons Why Your Landscapers Should Constantly Check Their Mowers.
Have you ever looked across a commercial lawn and wondered why it has a brown tint, while another has a beautiful green surface? It could have something to do with the frayed blade.
The frayed blade is an issue that happens when a lawn is cut with a dull lawn mower blade. When grass is cut with a dull blade it causes the blade of grass to split vertically and tear along the top surface. This leaves a brownish hazing across the top of the lawn.
Your lawn is a living breathing plant. The more open surface, the more issues. Cutting your lawn opens the blades tips. Open grass blade tips are more susceptible to insect and disease issues. Lawns with frayed blades use much more water than those with a clean cut. This effect is compounded by torn blades which have a lot of open tissue and a lot of area for insects and diseases to invade.
Other reasons blades split are from cutting too much at one mowing. This causes the mowers engine to slow down, which slows down the blade speed. When the blade tip speed is slowed the grass is no longer being cleanly cut, it's being torn off.
A couple of rules to follow if you want to have a beautiful lush thick green lawn. Make sure your lawn service mows your lawn...
- With sharp mower blades
- With the engine throttle wide full open
- Never cut more than 1/3 the total length of the blade at any one time