How High to Mow Grass

Go High

Many experts give a blanket piece of advice: never cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade when mowing. This might encourage you to mow slightly higher than you might otherwise think is necessary. Mowing high shades out weeds and undesirable grasses from growing by cutting off the access to sun, air, and water they need to grow. Chopping off more than 1/3 of the length of your grass blades prohibits proper grass growth. If you mow too high, you can leave your lawn with scraggly, unattractive turf, so be sure to cut at least 2-1/2″ when you mow.

Turf Types

Some lawn experts advise judging by the type of turf you have in your yard when you mow grass. Here’s how to tell with both climate-specific types:

• Cool-season turfs: includes fine fescues, tall fescue Kentucky bluegrass, rough bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and bentgrass. The active growth for cool-season grass occurs during spring and fall. The ideal height range for cool-season grass is 2-1/2″ to 4″.
• Warm-season turfs: the only warm-season turfs in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware are mainly zoysiagrass and Bermudagrass (to a much lesser extent). Their peak growth occurs during summer. The ideal warm-season grass height range is 1″ to 3″ high.

We Know How to Mow Grass Properly

If you have any follow-up questions about how high to cut, how often to cut, or anything else lawn related, we’re the ones to call. The lawn care experts at Green Lawn Fertilizing are here to help. Contact us today at 855-469-0692 with any questions or to schedule a free quote.