I have a tip that could save you both time and money when you mow your lawn. Many people already do what I am about to suggest but there are some who are either mis-informed or just missed out on the news. This tip will actually cause you less work and give you benefits too!

O.K., my big tip is to let the grass clippings fall when you mow. Yep, that means no more stopping periodically to pull the bag catcher off, lug it somewhere (which hopefully isn’t a trash can or bag!) to dump it and then return to the mower, hook it back on and resume mowing.

Life is much simpler when you forget the catch bag and just let the grass clippings fall back to the ground. I mentioned that there are also benefits to doing this and one of those is that when you let the clippings fall you are actually adding nutrients back to the soil. The clippings will gradually break down and provide the grass with as much as one to two pounds of nutrients per year. Another benefit is that the clippings are organic matter that our sandy soils desperately need. And, don’t forget about the time that you’ll save mowing when you don’t have to stop a lot and hassle with those heavy bags of grass.

I am aware that some people don’t let the grass clippings fall because they have heard that this could cause thatch. This is not true as the primary causes of thatch are over watering and over fertilizing. Thatch is actually an intermingled layer of dead and living shoots, stems, and roots that develops between the growing turf above and the soil surface below. I have been called by people who believe they have thatch because their lawn is spongy when walked on but this is not a good method for determining the presence of thatch since St. Augustine grass is normally spongy when walked on. Basically, if you can put your finger through the grass and touch the soil easily then you do not have thatch. If you do find some thatch this is an important sign that you are most likely applying too much fertilizer and water. The University of Florida recommends that St. Augustine grass be fertilized two times a year, spring and fall, with a complete fertilizer. If the grass gets yellowish in the summer then an application of iron can be supplied to green it up without causing a new flush of growth. The recommendation for watering is only on an "as needed basis." When a section of the lawn shows signs of water stress, the leaf blades fold in half which gives the turf a blue/green appearance or footprints remain visible in the turf, then the irrigation should be turned on. It is important though, to calibrate your irrigation system so that when the turf is watered it is watered deeply. It is very easy to calibrate the system and you only need to do it once. Get a number of small, straight sided cans like cat food or tuna fish cans and place them randomly throughout each zone. Turn on the system for how long it normally runs. When the zone is done then measure the water in each can. If each can has anywhere from 3/4 to 1 inch then the time is fine. If there is less than 3/4 of an inch in any can then the time should be increased until at least 3/4 of an inch is applied. Once every zone has been calibrated then the irrigation system can be operated manually by letting the turf indicate when it is time to water again.

Some thatch can be present in a lawn but if there is an inch or more than it is recommended that the thatch be removed.