Will mowing alone turn a yard around?

[Varsity L&G]

I believe so and have pictures to prove it.

This is just mowing at proper height with a crap mower.No fert or anything was done to this yard. Just raised the deck as high as it would go.

[Varsity L&G]

This is after 3 months

[Varsity L&G]

Another shot

[trying 2b organic]

If the mowing was the only thing wrong then fix that and things improve. i.e. If the customer had good soil and grass but was scalping you can see improvement just by fixing that.

Most lawns are bad for a combo of reasons, just fixing mowing height/sharp blade/mulch will only do so much is the soil is crap or there is no fert.

[mhunt]

you're in greenville, so i'm sure the weather hasn't been too different than here. This has been one of the wettest summers in years, so that has a lot to do with it.

[Varsity L&G]

You have got that right.

Nothing but rain all summer long. Same as last year though.

This yard was nothing but weeds when we got it.

Raise the blades choke out the weeds and I think it is 100% better then before.

Watching this lawn get better is what has inspired me to go back into lawn care.

[Scotts' Yard Care]

I think you're right in that mowing properly is 90% of what makes a beautiful lawn. We've taken over some that were in fairly bad shape and turned them around. Lot of satisfaction in that

[LandscapeSolutions]

I'd say that generally proper mowing only contributes to about 25% of the health of a lawn. The other 75% comes from a variety of other factors such as ample water, proper fertilization, monitoring soil pH and other properties, preventing soil compaction, etc.

You likely have good soil and receive enough rainfall to achieve a lawn as you have in the pictures just from good mowing practices. Keep an eye on it though.....soil is the most important element to having a good lawn. Soil conditions can vary from year to year.

[topsites]

Originally Posted by trying 2b organic

If the mowing was the only thing wrong then fix that and things improve. i.e. If the customer had good soil and grass but was scalping you can see improvement just by fixing that.

Most lawns are bad for a combo of reasons, just fixing mowing height/sharp blade/mulch will only do so much is the soil is crap or there is no fert.

Yes, I agree.

And yes, you CAN improve a yard JUST mowing, it's one of the goals of my business... But like he said, SOMEWHAT - That yard is far from perfect but it DOES look a lot better and that is what I aim for myself, whether they spend the extra on aeration / fert/ seed/etc or not.

Conversely, you can RUIN a yard just mowing also, thou in your case it is doubtful this will happen very much, but it happens to me sometimes I turn a lawn brown in the HEAT of Jul-Aug, it is by accident.

Some things that help me are to wait until it NEEDS cutting (forget that cut once/week regardless crap), keep the blades at 3" and do NOT spin a tire in a turn or in the dirt, NEVER cut in the worst heat of the day, etc, etc.

[hole in one lco]

yes it does its called cultural practices