How Often Should You Mow Your Lawn Depending on the Type of Grass You Have
Every adult in their social circle has at least one “lawn lover” and there’s a reason why “lawn people” are so obsessed: there are few things in this world that require more care and planning than a lawn . Lawns are thirsty, hungry vampires of time that turn brown and brackish in no time if your attention falters. The thing is, grass needs to be ruthlessly tamed, and that includes regular mowing so it doesn’t have any ideas and doesn’t grow wild like nature intended. But if you think that grass is grass and that the mowing schedule for one lawn can be easily applied to any other lawn, you are deeply mistaken. There are many different types of grass, and the type you deal with will determine how often you need to mow your lawn.
How tall should the grass be before you mow it?
As a general rule, you should let your lawn grow a little – unless you’re absolutely sure your grass is the type that grows well when cut too close, resist the urge to cut it too short. Remember the “one-third rule”: never cut grass more than a third of its height in one mowing session. Once your lawn is established and growing, the frequency of mowing depends on how high the grass is raised. First, find out what kind of herb you are dealing with. Most lawn grasses fall into one of two main categories :
Cool season herbs
If you live in the northern United States, you are probably dealing with fescue, bluegrass, or ryegrass. These herbs grow quickly in spring and autumn and speed up if there is a lot of rain. Ideally mow fescue (which has broad stems and a shiny appearance) when it reaches 2-3 inches in height, bluegrass (with V-shaped stems) when it reaches 2 to 2.5 inches (note that bluegrass can grow up to 2 feet tall if you’re not into it), and ryegrass (which has narrow stems and a lighter green color) when it reaches 1-2 inches tall.
Warm season herbs
Bermuda grass, zoisia grass, buffalo grass, and St. Augustine grass are classified as warm season grasses. Mostly found in the southwestern United States, these herbs thrive in hot weather. They grow quickly in the heat, but often do not tolerate cold. Like their cold weather cousins, heavy rains will encourage faster growth. Bermuda grass is rough, remains fairly low to the ground, has above-ground roots, and needs pruning when it reaches a height of 1 to 1.5 inches. Buffalo grass is softer and more runny and you will need to let it grow out a bit – cut it off when it reaches 2 inches. Zoysia is light green but retains its color longer – cut it aggressively when it is three-quarters to an inch long. St. Augustine is a popular choice because although it is rough to the touch, it forms a dense carpet – you have to let it rise above 2 inches before cutting it off.
What is a shady lawn?
Occasionally you will hear “shade lawns” referred to, implying that this is a whole separate category of grass. It’s true and it’s not—shady turf is typically cool seasonal grass that has been carefully mixed and engineered to thrive in low sun conditions. They can be fussy lawns to grow for obvious reasons, so if you’re trying your hand at shady grass, let it grow a little longer than it would otherwise before you mow.
Unknown
If you’ve inherited a lawn and have no idea what grass you have (and don’t want to do the necessary research to find out or replace it), just follow the aforementioned one-third rule and mow about once. a week. This will likely save most lawns; if your grass starts to turn yellow, let it grow a little and then resume your schedule.