4 Easy Ways to Ease Allergies

Between one lawn mowing and the next, huge amounts of pollen, dust, and dirt can blow onto your grass from who-knows-where. And, then when you mow, you get clobbered with a cloud of it right in your face! But don’t worry. Here are a few easy ways to ease your allergies on mowing day—and all summer long:

Mask your mug. Protect yourself by wearing an inexpensive face mask (available at any drugstore) every time you head outside to mow.
Shut ‘em up. Close your windows before you start mowing, and leave them closed for a few hours after the job is done. And this means all windows, not just those on the ground floor. 

Mow low. Keep your grass cut to a height less than 2 inches. 

Rely on shower power. As soon as you’re done mowing, hit the shower to shampoo and soap away all the pollen that’s clinging to your hair and skin.

For even more lawn-lovin’ tips, tricks, and tonics, check out our bestselling book, All-American Lawns. You can also try it FREE for 21 days by visiting our website. And make sure to sign up for our Free E-newsletter while you’re at it!

Mower Maintenance Made Easy

It’s time to start thinking about mowing your lawn again! And that means keeping your mower in top shape. Follow these ten tips, and you’ll breeze through this year’s lawn mowing without a single hitch:

1. Don’t be a gas hoarder. Never store more than a month’s worth of gas in your garage or shed (and at today’s prices, who can afford to?). Old gas often collects condensation, which can gum up your carburetor. 

2. Give the blades plenty of elbow room. Before you start your mower, look underneath it. Clear away any built-up grass or other debris.

3. Sharpen the blade every third mowing. And keep at least two back-up blades handy and sharp.

4. Remember the oil. Depending on how much lawn you have and how often you cut it, change the oil at least once a season. Too little oil can put a death grip on your engine—a costly fate for you!

5. Keep the cooling fins clean.

6. Check the belt condition and tension each time before you mow.

7. Let your mower breathe clean air. Check out your air filter; replace it when it gets dirty. Otherwise, dirt will sneak into the engine, wearing down vital parts and making starting a real hassle.

8. Wipe down all the rubber and plastic parts with Armorall® once a month to keep them from drying out, cracking, and disintegrating.

9. Wipe down all chrome and metal parts with WD-40® every few weeks to keep them from rusting and sticking.

10. Check out all safety controls (automatic shutoff, all-wheel control, etc.) before each use.

A Little Off the Top, Please!

When it comes to trimming your grass, the four most important words to remember are these: Mow high, mow sharp. “Mow sharp” simply means that you need to keep a razor edge on your mower blade. That way, it’ll slice cleanly through the grass, leaving as little wiggle room as possible for escaping moisture and invading germs.

As for the first part of that rule, the classic rule of green thumb — and an easy one to remember — is to never cut more than one-third of the height of the grass at any one time. What that means in terms of actual inches depends on the type of grass and the season. In the heat of summer, your grass is most vulnerable to sunburn and water loss. So always let it grow beyond its maximum height by one-third to slow its growth, conserve moisture, and inhibit weeds. Then cut it back to its maximum, not minimum, height when you mow.

Now that I’ve delivered my mow-high lecture, I must tell you that it is possible to let your grass get too high. Turfgrasses that grow much over 3 inches tall tend to get thin and stringy; they don’t form that nice, uniform look that we love in our lawns. Overly tall grass also tends to fall over and to get matted in wet weather. Then it may take it a long time to dry out, giving fungal diseases a chance to set in.