During the warmer months when your grass is growing, there is a mowing schedule you should follow to encourage the lawn to be green and healthy.

If yours looks "unhappy" after it's been cut (turns pale and might have some browning), you might be tempted to mow it less often.

That's the Wrong Move!

Usually, grass needs to be cut every 5 to 7 days, based on a typical growth rate.

But it matters more that you mow often enough - based on how long the grass is.

If your lawn looks yellow and dried out after you've mowed it, you probably have the blade on your mower set too low and are cutting it too short.

Some people want a super-short lawn like a putting green, but doing that requires both a specific variety of grass and a lot of extra care spent on fertilizing and other upkeep.

If you don't want to devote the extra time and money to keeping it looking like that, stick with the standard height.

Note that grass, from 2-1/2 to 3" in height, is also more comfortable to walk on barefoot than short, short grass.

The first time cutting the lawn in the spring, it's best to cut it on the longest setting. Following that, it should get cut about every 1-2 weeks, depending on how much it grows, then adjusting the lawn mower blade lower until it's on about the middle setting.

A good rule to follow to cut no more than 1/3" of the grass blade off in a single mowing.

Benefits to Keeping Your Grass at the Right Height

• Regular cutting at the right height to stimulate shoot growth and the lateral spread of the grass plant. Your lawn will get thicker, quicker. Thicker lawns will crowd out weeds and prevent them.
• Cutting more often means less work to do each time. You can mulch it instead of bagging or raking the clippings.
• Weeds grow faster and higher than grass. When you don't give them the chance to grow high, they will naturally be in a weaker state.
• Most weeds tend to flower at a taller height that is higher than grass. And once a weed flowers, it produces seed heads, which in turn produce more weeds.
• Your lawn will simply look much better! It will be at an even height and will make your home appear tidier and well kept
• A good rule to follow is to is to never allow your grass to grow long enough that you would be cutting no more than 1/3 of the blade off in a single mowing.
• In a hot and dry summer, if the lawn isn’t growing as fast, so you can mow as needed using the one-third rule.

Some Pro-Tips:

Mow in an Alternate Direction

Don't always cut your lawn in the same exact direction each week.

This is to prevent rutting in the soil and to prevent grass from learning to lean a certain way. It also helps the grass to stand up straighter for a better overall appearance and a healthier lawn.

Keep your Lawn Mower Clean Underneath

Build up from grass clippings will stick to the underside of your lawn mower deck and make it a lot harder work.

Clean the deck after each use to keep your lawn mower in like-new condition and prevent clogging.

Tune-Up Your Mower

An older gas lawn mower can be an energy hog, so by keeping it well tuned, your machine will burn gas more efficiently with less emissions. It's best to start each spring by changing the spark plug, greasing the wheels, sharpening the blades, and cleaning or changing the air filter.

Now that you know how tall to keep your grass for it to look its best and be the healthiest it can be, you can grow it and mow it with confidence.

If you can't keep up with regular mowing, or you just don't like doing it... give us a call for a free estimate on weekly lawn cutting:

Greenways Landscaping    905-464-5789​