Two years ago, my father shared a simple lawn care tip with me: set the deck near the top and leave the grass a little longer.

Of course, I couldn't see how that made any sense. I wanted my lawn to look like a golf course fairway. Plus, if I cut it shorter, doesn't that mean I can wait longer between mowing?

Well, he was right, as always. Near the end of the year, I had crabgrass, clover and every other type of weed creeping across my lawn. I tried fertilizers, herbicides, lime, etc. Still, the weeds were taking over.

This year, I decided to try his little tip. I set the deck on one setting below the highest. It took me about a month to get used to cutting it longer. There were times when I'd start mowing, only to realize I wasn't cutting anything.

Dear old dad was right though. The longer blades of grass stayed healthy all year long. Those pesky weeds had a tough time getting a foothold.

You see, when I was young, my dad used to cut his grass short. Somewhere along the line, his stepfather had seen excellent results from leaving it longer. Thus, he passed the tip onto my father.

The funny thing is, I see a lot of neighbors who still haven't figured this out. Of course, lawn care is a bit of a personal thing for men, so I haven't been one to offer up any advice.

I'm sure you've had a similar experience in farming. What bits of knowledge have you inherited from your fathers? Of course, seed genetics and chemicals have changed tremendously over the years. Anyone have a tip you no longer abide by, simply because technology has evolved?

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