How Often Should You Mow Your Lawn

We all enjoy the look of a fresh, green lawn, don’t we? A perfect solution to brighten up your garden, give the kids and pets a nice place to play or improve your summer barbecue experience, lawns can bring many benefits to your home. However, they do require frequent and consistent care.

One of the main tasks on your gardening to-do list should be mowing. But you may be asking, how often should you cut grass? Or perhaps you’re wondering just when to mow the lawn? Well, don’t worry! If you:

• Are wondering how often you should mow your lawn;
• Want to know which seasons are best for mowing;
• Are looking for some extra grass cutting tips,

Then read on! In this post, you will find the answers.

How often should you mow the lawn

When wondering how often to cut grass, keep this in mind – aim to keep it at the recommended height for the specific type. Usually, this means you should mow once a week. That is just a guideline, though, and it might change, depending on how fast your grass is growing.

Keeping the grass at the optimal height is important to its wellbeing. If you cut it too short, your lawn will be at risk of yellowing and shorter, weakened roots. The grass blades are what make the food for your lawn, after all, and cutting too much off means it won’t be getting the nutrients it needs to thrive.

On the other hand, if you let your grass grow too long, it will limit the amount of sunlight, weaken the blades underneath and may even smother them. So, keep the grass blades at the required height for a lush, green, and healthy lawn.

If you aren’t sure what height you should aim for, check out this helpful table by Dummies. It includes several types of grass and lists the best height for each one.

What determines how fast grass grows?

There are many factors that might affect the speed at which your lawn grows. The type of grass that you have is one of them, as different grasses may shoot up at different speeds.

The season and the weather also matter when it comes to grass growth since the temperature is more suitable at certain times of the year.

Another factor is how you take care of your lawn. The amount of water and fertiliser your grass gets will greatly affect how fast it grows, especially during its active season. Naturally, the more you water and feed your lawn, the faster the grass will grow, meaning you’ll have to mow more often.

When to mow the lawn

When you need to mow the lawn depends on several things, including where you live and the type of grass you have. Typically, though, you should start mowing at the beginning of spring and stop in mid-autumn, usually around October.

As a general rule, you should mow the most when the grass grows the fastest. This depends on the type of grass.

Warm-season grasses grow the most during summer. Cool-season grasses shoot up the fastest during spring and autumn and slow their growth in the summer heat. Here are some examples of both grass types:

During your lawn’s active season, you may need to increase the mowing to twice a week, depending on the factors mentioned previously.

When winter comes around, you can put away the lawnmower and take a well-deserved break. This is the time when the grass stops or slows its growth due to the cold weather.

Lawn mowing tips and tricks

• The One-Third rule
  You may have heard of this guideline, and for good reason. What it means is that you should never cut more than one-third of the grass blades’ length at a time. Taking too much off at once will cause yellowing, weakened blades and roots, and your lawn will lack the ability to create the nutrients it needs.
• Mulching
  After mowing the lawn, you can leave the clippings spread across it. They make for excellent fertiliser and will return the lost nutrients to the grass. Just make sure they are short and not long or clumped together. Otherwise, they can limit the amount of sunlight your lawn gets and smother it, doing more harm than good. If you have a mulching mower, it will take care of longer clippings on its own.
• Avoid strimming wet grass
  When your lawn gets wet, your mower will have a hard time getting a clean cut of the grass. This can rip the blades and cause significant damage to your lawn. If the weather doesn’t allow the grass to dry out completely, make sure your mower’s blade is as sharp as can be.
• Maintain your tools and blades
  Speaking of sharp blades, you should always make sure your mower is taken care of. Dull or clogged blades can cause the same issue as strimming wet grass, rupturing and damaging it.
• Gradually reduce grass height
  If you have neglected your lawn for too long and are aiming for a shorter height, always follow the One-Third rule. Don’t be tempted to chop off the overgrown grass all at once. Start at the highest blade setting and slowly make your way down over the course of the week.

No time to cut the grass?

Sometimes a busy schedule can get in the way of proper lawn maintenance. Do you have too much on your plate already? Why not let the lawn care specialists at Fantastic Services help? You can keep your grass looking lush without lifting a finger!

We always send two experienced gardeners to inspect and take care of your lawn. Need help on a weekend or a bank holiday? Not a problem – we work seven days a week, even in bad weather!

Spend your time where it matters. Let Fantastic Services take care of the rest. Simply contact us using our booking form!

Takeaways

• How often you mow depends on how fast your grass is growing, but usually, once a week is enough.
• Mowing little and often is the key to a happy, healthy lawn.
• You should mow the most during your grass’ active growing season.
• Find out what the optimal height for your specific grass type is.
• Always follow the One-Third rule.

***

Did you enjoy this article? Do you have any other questions about lawn mowing? Let us know in the comments below!

Image source: shutterstock / shablovskyistock

Posted in All About the Lawn, Garden Advice