One of the most common and costly lawn care mistakes is scalping the grass – cutting off more than one-third the height of the blade at any one time. Removing too much of the grass blade in any one mowing shocks the plant and dramatically slows the growth of the roots. It also exposes the shaded stems to too much sunlight, causing them to burn. On the other hand, cutting one-third or less of the blade allows the roots to continue growing deeply to strengthen the plant.

If the lawn has a yellowish or brownish cast immediately after mowing, that’s a sure sign it has been scalped.