Dull Mower Blades = Torn Grass Blades

My post on brown patch required me to get up close and personal with my grass for the first time in a long time (okay, ever). After identifying lesions on the leaves, I noticed what I thought was damage to the tip of the blade from a dull mower blade.

I just assumed my husband never sharpened the blade. (I mean, if I didn't see him do it, did it really happen?)

Turns out, I was mistaken. Tom sharpened the blade last fall, and though it may be about due for another sharpening, it was not near dull enough to produce what the experts label "torn" grass. Turns out, what I thought was a "torn" blade was actually what grass looks like when mowed with a sharp mower blade.

A blade of grass from my lawn. The top of the leaf blade is actually in the lower left corner of the picture. Normal.

Torn grass blades from a dull mower blade. Note the dramatic difference.
Photo from K-State