To ensure that your grass can stay happy and healthy, you will need to mow it regularly throughout the spring and summer months.
This is when your grass will naturally start to grow more voraciously, so it will need a helping hand to be well maintained. Frequent mowing will also keep your grass healthy, and even encourage it to grow more.
However, there are different recommended mowing heights depending on when it is that you’re cutting your grass.
You won’t want to leave your grass too long, as it will look unkempt. You also won’t want to cut your grass too short, as this could damage it, and even cause bald spots to form.
The best height for cutting your grass is around 2.5 inches. This is the optimal height for your lawn during the cool season.
However, if you are only just starting to mow your lawn after the winter months, you will need to set your blades to a higher height so as to not shock the grass.
You will need to mow your lawn once a week, gradually lowering the height of your mower blades until they are around 2.5 inches in height.
It’s also important to remember that you won’t need to stick to this same height throughout the entirety of the year. This is because as winter starts to approach, your lawn will start to slow down its growth.
So when you get into the fall months, you will need to raise the height of your mower blades until you are mowing your lawn as little as possible.
What Grass Has The Lowest Recommended Mowing Height?
Some of the most common grasses that have a lower height are tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and fine fescue. These types of grasses can feature a minimum height of around 1.5 inches.
However, even though this lower height is possible with some grasses, it’s not recommended. A standard height of between 3 to 2.5 inches will be more than suitable for your type of grass.
Where Should I Set My Mower Height?
The height of your lower blades will differ depending on the time of year that you are cutting your grass.
When you first start cutting your grass again after the winter months, you should set your mower blades to one of the highest settings, and then gradually lower it until you reach around 2.5 inches. This will help you to keep your grass happy and healthy.
When it gets to the fall months, you will need to start gradually heightening your mower blades, as well as reducing how often you mow your lawn. This is because as the temperature starts to plummet, your grass will naturally start to slow down the growth rate.
By the time that winter rolls around, you will want to be cutting your lawn as little as possible, and may even need to consider retiring your lawnmower until the spring months.
What Height Should Grass Be Cut In Summer?
During the summer months, you should be cutting your grass to a height of between 3 inches to 2.5 inches. This will keep your grass happy and healthy, and will allow it to thrive during the warmer months.
If the area that you live in is going through a period of drought, you may even need to avoid cutting your grass altogether, as this can cause your lawn unnecessary stress.
To ensure that your grass can grow properly, it will also be crucial to give it a thorough watering every now and then. Your grass is a living thing and will need the right amount of water to help it grow strong.
It’s best to give your grass a good, thorough soaking at the start of the day so that any unused moisture can evaporate throughout the day.
Is It Better To Cut Grass High Or Low?
If in doubt, it’s always best to cut your grass higher instead of lower. This is because the lower down the grass stem that you cut, the more you’ll be reducing the depth of the roots in your lawn.
This can put further stress on your lawn, especially if you are currently living through a period of drought.
If your lawn has the optimal conditions in terms of sunshine, water, and warmth, you can keep cutting your grass to around 2.5 inches in height. Anything less than this and you could put stress on your grass.
When adjusting the height of your mower blades, it’s best to do this in small increments so that your lawn can get used to the different heights.
Does Frequent Mowing Thicken Grass?
Yes, frequent mowing does help to thicken up your grass, but only if you do so at the right time of the year. During the warmer months when your grass is growing well, frequent mowing can help to encourage the blades to grow more thickly.
This can also help to prevent weeds from setting in your lawn, as the grass will naturally start to fill any sparse patches.
It will be important to remember not to mow your lawn during the colder winter months, as this could actually damage your lawn.
In Summary
And there you have it! The general rule of thumb is to cut your grass to between 3 inches to 2.5 inches during the cool season. This will be the optimal height for the vast majority of grass types.
It’s also important to remember that you will need to adjust the height of your mower blades throughout the seasons so that your grass can stay happy and healthy.
At the start of the spring season, you will need to heighten your mower blades, and then gradually lower this height in small increments. During the summer months, your blade height should be around 2.5 inches.
When fall starts to set in, you will need to gradually increase the height of your mower blades, and decrease how often you mow your lawn.
