Lawn mowing and lawn care in Markham

Most people don’t mind having a lawn. What wears them down is cutting, trimming and edging it every week from May to October, and that’s the part we take off your list.

A normal visit goes in this order:

1. We pick up sticks, toys and anything else the mower would throw.
2. We mow the front and back at the right height for the time of year, kept tall rather than short.
3. We trim along fences, walls, tree trunks and posts.
4. We edge walkways, the driveway and garden beds.
5. We blow clippings off the hard surfaces, back onto the lawn.

If we see a patch going brown, signs of grubs or a low spot holding water, we’ll tell you. A small patch is far easier to fix than half a dead lawn.

When an area does need replacing, our sod installation and lawn repair service covers it.

Mow high, take off no more than a third of the blade at a time, and use a sharp blade on dry grass.

Scroll sideways to see the whole table.

The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority recommends about 7.5 cm. Taller grass shades out sun-loving weeds, roots deeper and keeps the soil cooler and moister in a dry July.

For the weeds that still get in, our guide to creeping Charlie, crabgrass, clover and dandelions covers what Ontario’s pesticide ban still lets you use.

University of Illinois Extension advises against cutting more than a third at once, since that scalps the grass. The Ontario agriculture ministry’s turf IPM guide says scalping drains the plant’s reserves and slows root growth, and mowing too low thins the lawn and invites weeds.

A dull blade tears the tips, which opens the grass to disease. Illinois Extension also says never to mow wet grass, which clumps and clogs the mower.

Leave clippings unless they lie in heavy clumps. The Professional Lawn Care Association of Ontario says they only need picking up when they’re long enough to smother the lawn.

Markham has no curbside option for them anyway: the city’s yard material rules say grass clippings aren’t accepted in yard waste or clear-bag garbage.

Lawn size, access and how often you want it cut matter most, so we quote each property after seeing it. For published GTA ranges and a worked-out season, see what lawn mowing costs in Markham and the GTA.

Access changes how long a visit takes: a narrow side gate, steps down to the backyard or carrying the mower through the house all add time.

Slopes, trees, beds and play structures mean more hand trimming. Knee-high grass on the first visit takes more than one pass.

Adding hedge and bush trimming or a spring or fall cleanup to the same visit saves a trip.

Around Markham it runs roughly April to November. Landscape Ontario’s lawn calendar starts with a spring clean-up in April and ends with a late-season feed in November.

Lawns here are cool-season grasses, which green up quickly in spring and fall and slow down or go dormant in summer heat. Spring and fall are when you mow most often.

From June 1 to September 30, Markham’s water use by-law allows lawn watering in one window, 6 to 9 a.m. or 6 to 9 p.m., on odd or even days to match your house number. New sod is exempt for two months.

Health Canada advises watering about once a week at most, at least 2.5 cm each time.

Our Ontario lawn care calendar lays out the year, and the fall lawn care guide covers overseeding before winter. After new sod goes down, see how often to water new sod.

Mow it yourself if you have a decent mower and trimmer, a free hour each week and you enjoy it. Hiring it out pays off when time is short, you’re away for part of the summer, or the lawn keeps getting away from you.

Missed cuts are hard on grass, because the next one takes off far more than a third of the blade.

We do lawn care and grass cutting across Markham and nearby, including Richmond Hill, Scarborough and North York. One of our sod jobs, with new sod, an interlock border and fresh mulch, is on the sod and edging project page.

The quickest start is to text a couple of photos of your lawn to (437) 684-2535 with your street or postal code. We’ll come by and give you a free quote.

• The grass is past your ankles before you get a chance to cut it
• You don't own a mower, or yours has given up
• Grass is creeping over the edges of the walkway and into the beds
• Brown, scalped strips where the lawn was cut too short
• Clumps of old clippings sitting on top of the grass
• You're away for part of the summer and the lawn can't wait