For the healthiest and most sustainable approach, Michigan State University Extension says 3.5 to 4 inches is most desirable. Lawns mowed at 3.5 or 4 inches out-compete weeds, tolerate grubs and look just as good as lawns mowed at 2.5 inches.
For a typical residential Midwest lawn, maintain a height of 3 inches or higher. Taller grass shades out weed seeds and keeps soil cooler.
The most important way to maintain a healthy lawn is to keep your grass at a minimum mowing height of 2.5 to 3 inches. This advice may be surprising: many suburban lawns are kept much shorter. The reality, however, is that keeping your grass a bit longer has a number of important benefits.
Cool-season grasses should typically be cut to about 3 to 4 inches high. Warm-season grasses should typically be cut to about 2 to 2 ½ inches high. The common cool-season grasses include fine and tall fescue grass, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass. Common warm-season grasses include Bermuda grass, St.
Cutting your grass at 3 inches will help promote a lush and healthy lawn that is easy to maintain. It may even make you the envy of the neighborhood! When fall comes, you can always go back to a shorter height if you prefer it.
For this reason, some people prefer to mow at 3 or 3.5 inches. For the healthiest and most sustainable approach, Michigan State University Extension says 3.5 to 4 inches is most desirable. Lawns mowed at 3.5 or 4 inches out-compete weeds, tolerate grubs and look just as good as lawns mowed at 2.5 inches.
Most grass cutting heights are between 2-3 inches in length, according to Pennington's full list. Two exceptions that should be cut at an inch height or less are Bermudagrass and Zoysia, which are both warm-season grass types that thrive at temperatures between 60 and 75 degrees.
A mowing height between 2.5 to 3 inches is best for most of the season, except during summer stresses when the lawn mowing height should be raised one-half inch to mow at 3 to 3.5 inches. Raising the mowing height provides more insulation from summer heat and reduces water loss from your soil.
The mowing height range for most grasses is between 1.5 and 3 inches. In general, for most lawns 2 to 2.5 inches is optimum because if you are mowing at 3 inches, your lawn may grow to 5 or 6 inches before you mow it again. Here are some problems associated with letting your grass grow too long: Lawn thinning.
Ideally, keep your grass 3+ inches tall for most of the season. In extreme heat, consider leaving your lawn 4 inches tall for maximum resistance. In the fall, consider cutting to 2 inches high, as no new weeds come up at that time, to faciliate fall clean-up.
Each time you mow, do it in a different direction. If you always cut your lawn using the same pattern, not only will you end up sending your brain straight to snoozeville, but your grass will start to lean in the direction you mow and you may even end up with ruts in the lawn.
However, most professional gardeners would agree that between 8 AM and 10 AM is the best time of day to cut your grass. The reason for that is that lawns need time to heal before evening. Grass needs the benefit of the day to dry and heal before dusk settles.
If your yard is more wide, mow in horizontal rows to cover the longest part of your lawn with the least amount of turns. Longer lawns can be cut vertically for the same reason. If your yard is more of a square shape, congrats! You can cut in either direction.
Cut your lawn to possibly the shortest height you have all season. The ideal height is around 2 1/2 inches. Cut it too low and the grass might not be long enough to photosynthesize and provide nutrients to the roots. Too high and the frost might become matted after a snowfall.
How often should you mow? Normally, weekly mowing is the rule, but some lawns need cutting more often. Other lawns will grow more slowly and might need cutting only once every ten days or two weeks. Generally, don't cut off more than one third of the grass blade.
As the heat of summer arrives, raise your mower height for cool season grasses and keep it closer to four inches. A taller plant shades the soil and keeps the root zone cooler during periods of high heat.
Lawn clippings usually do not need to be bagged. Recycling lawn clippings can reduce your fertilizer needs and improve your soil. Recycling clippings to the lawn does not contribute to thatch. If you must remove clippings, they can be composted or used as mulch.
How short should grass be cut in the spring? Along with monitoring when to start mowing your lawn, you'll want to be careful of how short that first cut is. The first mow should be more of a trim leaving grass as long as 3 or 3.5 inches.
Keeping your grass short can put a lot of stress on your turf. People sometimes forget that grass blades are leaves. A larger surface area is needed for photosynthesis to occur. Limiting the amount of sunlight and air that your grass is exposed to can inhibit successful development and weaken the plant's roots.
During a heat wave—a period of abnormally hot weather that lasts longer than 2 days—it's recommended that you do not mow your lawn.
Is it bad to cut grass in a heat wave? Yes, it can be. The heat leaves your grass 'stressed' and cutting it too often or too short can make this worse. If you do mow, try doing so a day or so after it rains, when your grass is likely to be happier.
Can You Water Grass After Mowing? Yes, you can water grass after mowing, however it is healthy to water it but only if it requires it. Watering will help the mowed blades perk up and survive being cut better. Take care not to water a lawn overwatered or from noon till late into the night.
Mowing actually helps make your grass grow thicker because the tip of each blade contains hormones that suppress horizontal growth. When you cut the lawn, you remove these tips allowing the grass to spread and grow thicker near the roots.
Frequency of Mowing
The rate of grass growth and desired height of your lawn determine how often you need to mow. Typically, mowing once a week during the growing season should suffice to keep your lawn healthy. The rest of the time, you can reduce the frequency of cutting to every other week, as necessary.
Never remove more than one third of the grass blade on any one mowing. If your lawn mower is set for a 1” cut then you must mow at or before the grass gets to 1 ½” whether that's 4 days or 8 days between cuts. That means you only remove one third of the grass blade.