Mowing Height

Mowing height is the most important aspect to mowing. Mowing height can affect the appearance of any lawn no matter what it's condition is. Cool season grasses (Bluegrass and Fescue) can be affected by mowing height more than warm season grasses (Zoysia and Bermuda). Cool season grasses do not tolerate being mowed short very well. Only in the spring and fall will they tolerate it. Cool season grasses grow best when cut tall, in fact, as high as your mower will go. We have never seen a mower that cuts too tall! Most people say to cut cool season grasses between 2 1/2" and 3" high. Well, who knows how many inches a mower cuts? Forget about inches. After the first mowing of the year, SET THE MOWER AS HIGH AS IT WILL GO! This is the main thing we stress here at Tobin Lawn. Too many homeowners think their lawn should look like a golf course, and they cut too short. First of all, they don't have the time and resources a golf course does. So it's not going to respond like a golf course. Grass grows better when it is cut taller. Period. The higher grass is cut, the deeper the roots will grow. Mowing short reduces vigor by reducing the plants ability to manufacture food. The grass will thin, weeds will invade and the roots will be shallow. Mow TALL!

Additional Information

For the first mowing of the year, generally around the middle of March, mow the grass as short as you can. This removes that heavy blanket of dead grass that has been insulating the soil all winter. By removing this it will allow the soil to warm quicker which in turn greens up the lawn faster. You will have a green lawn quicker than anyone else! Remember to bag the grass this time.

Keep your mower blade(s) sharp! A dull blade tears and rips the grass, leaving a shredded tip which turns white the next day making your lawn look whitish losing it's dark green color.

Remove only 1/3 of the grass blade at any one mowing. This means that in the spring and fall you may be mowing every four or five days, but in the summer you may be mowing every 2 or three weeks. In fact, only mow when necessary. Don't mow every Saturday morning because that is what you do. Watch the lawn and let it tell you when to mow.

Let the clippings fall. Clippings are composed of mostly water, so they break down very quickly. It is not true that clippings contribute to thatch. Clippings also have a high content of nitrogen, so you will be replacing nutrients back to the soil.

Lastly, mow in different directions. This will keep the overall cut looking even. And try to keep your lines straight.