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There are tools known as “sprinkler donuts” that are specially designed to aid in cutting the grass around your sprinkler heads by protecting them from your mower or weed whacker. You can also use a pair of hand shears to do the job manually if you’re willing to get a little dirty.

It’s fine to water your grass after mowing, but it is advisable not to water your lawn before mowing. Wet grass will clump up and clog your lawn mower.

Chiggers thrive in overgrown lawns, so regular mowing will deter these annoying mites. It may not remove every single chigger, however, so follow that up with weeding and trimming any nearby trees and bushes. Pay special attention to moist, shady spots, as these are a chigger’s preferred habitat. When all else fails, sprinkle your yard with diatomaceous earth. It kills chiggers by dehydrating their exoskeletons. Diatomaceous earth is basically ground-up shells, so there’s no risk of injury to animals.

The time you should wait before walking on new grass depends on whether you used seed or sod. If you laid new grass seed, it's best to wait about eight weeks before stepping on it, as new grass is fragile. For sod, it typically establishes itself in the ground in about two weeks. For heavy traffic, like driving a car across a new grass driveway, you might need to wait an entire season.