For many individuals, maintaining a lawn is chore they would rather do without. Due to the physical nature of operating a mower and cleanup, it can become overwhelming especially during the summer months. Because of this, grass does not get cut and becomes unmanageable.
Although simple enough, grass maintenance and keeping a tidy lawn greatly enhances curb appeal, safety, and helps to avoid any unforeseen consequences. In this article, I will discuss the importance of lawn maintenance and what may possibly happen when your grass and lawn is left uncut.
What Happens if you Don’t Cut Your Grass?
All too often, it seems many individuals choose to not perform any routine maintenance to their property due to a multitude of reasons. Routine maintenance can include cutting back shrubs, cutting overgrown trees, dealing with pest and so on. While a basic of task to perform on one’s property, it ultimately is the most important. In the following, we will explore why.
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Overgrown Lawn Problems
When a lawn is neglected, the very first thing to happen is, it gives off a shaggy look where some areas are longer than others depending on the seasons summer grass will grow much more quickly in the summer where winter grass goes dormant.
Over a period of time, those areas become even taller, and depending on the type of grass, some areas will start drying and dying out. Wait even longer, weeds, small plants, and woody shrubs start appearing. This is because birds and wildlife drop seeds where they are left to germinate and grow. This doesn’t take into account if irrigation is running which gives more life to weed and other woody shrubs.
Depending on the type of grass you currently have, Bermuda grass, St. Augustine, Zoysia and others produce creeping rootstalks, and when left unchecked, find there way just about anywhere. Most of the time flower gardens, fences, floor boards, wood structures, cement, and anything, for instance, Bermuda can grab onto, will eventually covering up to a certain height, sometimes up 2 ft. Many times, certain grasses take hold onto cement and asphalt due its porousness, and eventually lose border edges and walkways.
If you’re lawn or grass area has no irrigation system, many lawns will eventually die and dry out and will be replaced with drought tolerant weeds that grow much taller such as,
- mustard weed
- carpetweed
- Yarrow
- Speedwell
- Russian Thistle (Commonly known as Tumbleweed)
- Plantain
Although there are more types of invasive and non-invasive weed types not listed here, when weeds are established it is quite difficult to get of them. However, when a lawn is not properly cut, or not cut at all, as you can see, not cutting will eventually lead to other problems down the road. From a view point of someone that makes that performs lawn maintenance, it allows you to walk your property and see things that may need immediate attention.
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In the following below, these are other weeds and nuances create new problems all together.
Woody Weeds
While overgrown lawns and grass areas can be easily addressed in the early stages, wait long enough and you will develop woody weeds which can be a headache to deal with.
This is because some woody weeds can become the size of small trees and will grow just about anywhere and spread throughout a property and destroy fences and small wooden structures. Some examples of woody weeds include:
- Mulberry Ash
- Sweet Gum
- Black Locust
- Honeysuckle
- Blackberry
It may seem simple enough to control with routine maintenance, but when an area is neglected, these woody shrubs really do take off and are a pain to cut down. When dealing with these weeds and they have an obvious trunk, its best to use an herbicide to kill the root system because if not killed at the root, they will grow back.
For more information on cutting woody weeds and branches, check out this article: Loppers (Types, Uses, and Common Problems)
Vines
On the other end, when lawns and grass areas are not cut, vines from nearby areas will overtake lawn areas just as quick and easily. This includes fences, walls, gardens, patios, and so on. Some examples of such vines are,
- Poison Ivy
- Virginia Creeper
- Trumpet Creeper
- Clematis Vine
- Wisteria
- English Ivy
Although a short list, this gives you an idea what can possibly grow in areas that get zero maintenance and are allowed to grow and overwhelm areas that should not have any. This also becomes a problem along telephone lines, powerlines, and trees where they completely engulf plants and trees.
Overgrown Lawns and Pests
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that overgrown lawns and grass areas attract pests. This includes insect, rats, mice, snakes, raccoons, opossums, gophers, and other small creatures that find a home in the spaces that provide coverage and safety.
This is especially true if you have Mexican fan palm trees (Washingtonia Robusta). This happens because they create a dress-like bottom when they shed their canopy. When small they usually fall to the ground and create a home for many rodents because it provides a cover and shelter. Usually rats and mice like this kind of environment. On top of that, it potentially creates a fire danger since it’s completely dried out.
This is also true when you have scrubs that are left unchecked and are allowed to grow to a massive size. While it may seem grass and shrubs don’t have anything in common, it really does because if the grass is not cut on routinely, the shrubs can take root just about anywhere with or without water, for example, Russian Sage.
One particular grass that gets quite tall is St. Augustine among others, where it makes proper maintenance difficult. Somethings should really be addressed because it can become hazardous if there are hidden dangers, not just for homeowners, but children and maintenance workers that need to access the property.
Strange enough, these are not the only things at happen when you don’t cut grass, you may be surprised about other occurrences that can happen as well.
If you have a problems with gophers, click to read article here. How to Get Rid of Pocket Gophers in Your Yard?
How Does Overgrown Grass Affect Irrigation Systems?
If you have a working irrigation system that is actively going through it watering cycles, but it has been sometime you have not cut your lawn or grass area, you will run into problems sooner or later. If not for the sprinkler head itself, it will be the valve box.
In a large lawn setting, for example, a public park, you may have many multiple sprinkler valves, and many sprinklers installed throughout the area. Most of the time, the sprinklers are controlled by a water clock which runs on a timer. Let’s say, if proper maintenance is performed, which includes weed cleaning around valve boxes and sprinkler heads, 95 percent of the problems will take care of themselves because there is a visual inspection on what is going on.
Whereas, if there is a lack of maintenance around value boxes and sprinkler heads, this leads to broken sprinkler heads and value boxes when the time comes to actually mow the area, and is especially true if the lawn has not been cut for a while. This happens because grass grows over the sprinkler, where it does not let it popup, or retract when the watering cycle is complete ultimately leading to a broken sprinkler head when the mower passes over the top. This then lowers the sprinkler pressure to the rest of system, and the uniform coverage is stopped.
On the other end, if there has not been any maintenance cleaning around irrigation valves and a value gets stuck, it may be difficult to locate because the grass has completely covered the lid of the valve box. This leads to overwatering and flooding of an area until is can be shut of completely and repaired. If you have ever passed a park, and seen water going on for hours, this is what has happened, but it can also be because a valve just went bad, and is stuck in the open position.
Regardless, if it’s a park setting or residential, it all the same because most valves are plastic, and once broke, your water main has to be shut off. That’s why it’s always important to keep these areas clear and have a shut off valve before the irrigation valves and boxes so when things come up, you easily shut off the water at the source.
In all, tall grass and sprinklers don’t mix if there is no on-going maintenance. Usually there will be unnecessary water usage, time, and money to repair a sprinkler just because the grass is too tall to see, among other objects that are not easily visible and become hidden.
For more information on why sprinklers break, check out this article: Sprinkler Heads Always breaking? (Here’s 4 reasons why)
Is Tall Grass Hard to Cut?
When routinely cutting grass, it is normally easy. You start your machine, start in one section and follow a pattern making sure to overlap. The job is normally pretty quick if you don’t decide to perform any other maintenance in around your property. But like everything else, there are times when it may be more time consuming, and those times are usually during the spring and summer when the growing season hits hard.
During these times, it is normal for the grass to grow tall. Summer grasses such as Bermuda, Centipede, Zoysia, St. Augustine to name a few, grow rather quickly and when mowed on a weekly basis keeps it under control. If the grass has not been cut in weeks, the grass can become over a foot long in some areas, and other areas don’t grow at all. This is where you run into problems because you think it’s under control while going at a speed your used to, then bam, there it is.
Some problems include, as previously mentioned, are the covering off sprinkler heads and valve boxes. When actually mowing tall grass, it puts strain and pressure on the mower engine and belts that spin the blades untimely slowing you down. This makes it even more difficult because if you have a mower with a catch in the back like a Honda walk behind, the catch will fill up rather quick, and you will have to constantly stop to empty out the bag. Sometimes, you may have to make more than one pass to cut the grass down to height you want. Click to here to read more about the different types of cutting blades. The Benefits of Using Lawn Mower Mulching Blades.
On other equipment such as a riding mower, if the grass is too tall you may still have to make more than one pass, but you will leave a lot of grass clippings behind. Usually, once the grass clipping has dried up a little, it’s a good idea to run the mower to give it a clean appearance because It spreads the clumps of wet grass more evenly.
If your wondering if you can cut grass with string trimmers, click here: Can I Use a String Trimmer to Cut Grass? (Pros and Cons)
Furthermore, most often when dealing with tall grass, you will very likely be dealing with burrowing animals depending on your area. This is mainly because tall grass hides, for instance, gophers’ holes where they make many mounds connecting their burrow system. This is where it is especially hard on power equipment and cutting blades because you are forcing blades thorough dirt which it is not really meant for.
If you want to use something other than a mower to cut down tall grass, weeds, and small shrubs, there is power equipment called a hammer knife / flail. This can be purchased as a mower itself or an attachment for a small tractor. This is ideal for cutting through the heavy grass, weeds and scrubs where a typical mower will have problems performing. With all equipment such as these:
It is always important to wear PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and always walk unknow areas before any work is done, and ask questions about the work location.
Hidden Dangers of Tall Grass
It can become quite dangerous when dealing with tall grass especially if you have a huge lawn or grass area. This is because you never really know what’s underneath the tall grass if you’re planning on mowing grass that you are not familiar with.
Some dangers include above ground utilities such as gas valves, fallen electrical lines, underground vaults, water mains, and just about everything else. Another factor to consider is if the area is completely dry and dead, you run the risk of starting a fire depending on the type of equipment you are using.
It’s always best to walk an area the best you can to see what you are dealing with before attempting to mow any grass. All too often, if the site is accessible to the public, many people leave trash and other things behind that can wrapped up in the blades damaging equipment.
Another factor to consider is if you are mowing in the vicinity of a golf course, the golf balls can and will get caught up in the blades and shot out like bullets. With all safety in mind, it always best to use PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) which should include hardhat, ear plugs and eye protection.
To perform this safely, it would be an excellent idea to:
- Raise your deck to the highest possible height setting
- Go slow
- Then bring it down once you have a clear visual of what you’re working with
Many times there will be situations where you cannot access a certain location because it is to small of an area , and these situations work best with a line trimmer. If dealing with tall brush it’s sometimes best to use a gas powered trimmer such as the ones feature below because it gives you the powered to plow through the thickness of the brush. Also, they have different line attachments depending on what your working with.
It may be time consuming, but there is no sense in rushing a job where you don’t know the lay of the land and can’t see what’s ahead of you. Safety is key.
City Ordinances of Not Mowing Grass
Depending on where you live, it can and will get tricky if you don’t mow and cut your lawn or grass area. Some cities and areas are very strict on circumstances such as these, and is always best to follow rules and regulations.
While you may not be fond of partaking of the upkeep of your lawn area, some cities require you to personally mow your lawn, or pay to have it done. If you choose not to adhere, you can and will be fined, and other possible consequences. Some areas after attempts of contacting you will take it into their hands, and perform the job themselves while giving you a huge bill in the end. As a homeowner, you are expected to live up their regulations, usually because of associated hazards, or things the city wants to avoid, for instance fire dangers.
To learn more about this check your current city codes so you won’t run into situations like this because if something happens, you will be held responsible.
Reasons Why You Should Cut and Mow Your Grass.
You would think that it would be obvious to why someone should keep a neat and tidy lawn and grass area. The majority of the time it makes for great curb appeal while encouraging other to do same. While stating the obvious here are some examples.
Helps to deter rodents and pests
This is because there is nowhere for them to hid. If you have no piled-up trash and litter throughout your property chances are they will look elsewhere. This is also true for burrowing animal because once you see the damage being done, you can address the problem.
Helps to deter flying insects and termites
Many times, insects and bugs like to handout in garden areas where there is overgrown trees and shrubs. If everything is pruned and cut to size the chances of having any kind of infestation of any kind is extremely low. This is true with dead trees that are cleared out because if left for a long period of time, termites will definitely eat away at the deadwood, and eventually make their way to your home.
Watering cost will lower
Since you are managing your lawn and gardens, you can see exactly what is going on and won’t constantly water areas that don’t need it resulting in a lower water bill. This applies if you have a mainline leak around your home because it will be obvious if you constantly see a wet spot in an area where there should be none.
You Save Time and Money in the Long Run
You may not think you are saving money now, but in the long run you definitely are. This is because small tasks like clearing small shrubs by mowing over the top and getting rid of them are easy. If you never cleared them out, they could potentially grow to become unmanageable. This is also true for trees and other plants that can get rather problematic and potentially cause damage to your property. It also helps to know exactly what you’re planting and how it grows.
Many times, people like to plant material that gets out of hand fast while expecting to just to water and grow. This is especially true if you plan to plant trees on your property that don’t require much water, while always watering your lawn or grass area.
After a while if the tree becomes big enough, and you watered way too much, or just neglected your lawn all together, the tree many decide to one day potentially fall over onto your car, and or home. It’s always best to ask question, before installing. We have an article written about Sycamore trees that explain just that, click here to read more. Sycamore: Pros, Cons, and Cautions of The Great Deciduous Shade Tree
Safety of Others
This should really be top priority. This is because other people that come and visit don’t necessarily know what’s in and around your property. As specified before, you may have an underground vault with rotted plywood over the top and covered with dried brush and grass. If you can’t see the dangers, other can’t, and you don’t want to wait till something happens to address the problems.
Curb Appeal
If you as a homeowner are always complemented on how great your place looks, it gives you a sense of achievement. Taking care of a lawn and garden takes time and knowhow, and if people are saying how good everything look, you’re doing something right.
Although it’s a personal choice to take pride in where you reside, choirs like this are like everything else. The more you let it go, the more it compounds with time, effort, and possibly money to get it back to how it originally was. Instead of waiting for that letter to arrive in the mail that tells you, “you have to do something about it, or we will”, simple and routine maintenance goes a long way.
Final Thoughts
For any homeowner, you should take pride in the place you reside in because it is a reflection of you. Although the small things like mowing your lawn may be insignificant, people are really watching. This doesn’t take into account all the possible money you save in the long run by keeping an eye on what’s already growing on your property.
By taking the time and doing the small things here and there, over time the labor you put out shows while boosting your property value. So, it’s a win, win situation, by checking you and your neighbors safe.
