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The idealistic grass height calculate on whether you have cool- or warm - season grasses . You ’ll generally want tomow your nerveless - season gage to a acme of between 2½ and 3½ inches , says Gene Caballero , co - founding father ofGreenPal . “ This height help promote a deeper root scheme , which helps with drouth resistance and reduces weed outgrowth , ” he says . Warm - time of year Mary Jane can be cut to a downhearted summit of 1½ to 2 inches . How you foreshorten your lawn also depends on other factors . “ Grass type , season , and local clime wallop the ideal cutting height , ” Caballero says .
Cut to the height that’s best for your grass species.
When determiningwhen it ’s metre to cut your lawnand how much to trim , the conclusion depends on the dope species . For example , cut warm - time of year Gunter Wilhelm Grass lower and keep cool - season sess higher . While zoysia skunk should never grow tall than 2 in , you ’ll want to wait until tall fescue grass is nearly 5 inch high-pitched before take a little off the top .
When the grass reaches the height that tells you it ’s time to cut down , trim it to a height that ’s specific to the pasturage species . You ’ll tailor ardent - season dope , such as zoysia andBermuda grasslower than cool - time of year pasturage such asKentucky bluegrassand tall fescue . Use the grass cutting top chart below as a templet for when to thin out your grass type and how abject to trim it .
Resist the urge to cut too low.
While you might be tempted to mow your lawn unforesightful to create a neat and well - kept appearance or evenextend the metre between each mowing , cutting the lawn too lowly deprives each sword of forage of the surface area it ask for photosynthesis to befall . “ veer pot too short can put stress on the lawn , ” says Taylor Olberding of Nebraska , co - owner of national lawn care companyHeroes Lawn Care . “ It can make the lawn more prostrate to pest , diseases , and drought . It also exposes the soil , which lead to mourning band growth , ” says Olberding .
Along with mow the pasture to a height that works for the greensward variety , it ’s crucial not to cut off too much off at one clip . Doing so could make a lawn vulnerable to pests , disease , and drouth . Plus , burn tall grass can be more work when advertise and collect clippings . A good rule of ovolo is to never cut more than one - third of a blade of Mary Jane in a exclusive lawn mowing crusade . If you postulate to slue more than that to get hold of the optimum height for your grass type , then cut the grass more often to prevent it fromgrowing too high between mowings .
Keep grass taller in the summer.
red-hot , dry weather presents a terror to skunk , as acute heat and drouth can damage a lawn ’s root organization . Keeping the lawn taller in the summertime reserve the blades of supergrass to create more shade , and hence protection , for the sensible roots below . “ keep your eatage a little longer helps to keep wet in hot weather , ” Olberding say . Taller grass can also help choke out weeds that flourish during warmer month of the year . As the weather condition cools down , you may start frown the cutting height witheach mowing . Once your grass stops growing in the downfall , you’re able to suspend lawn cutting until outflow arrives , and the grass begins grow again .
Cut grass lower in the fall.
When coolheaded weather arrives , you ’ll want to burn grass to a medium height of around 2 inches , not so small that the roots are exposed to cold weather , but not so high that the grass folds over on itself , get it susceptible tomold and disease . cut grass lower will also make your leaf - collecting efforts easier , since the folio wo n’t become embroiled in long grass blades .
Cut the lawn for overseeding.
Cool evenfall atmospheric condition is idealistic for seeded player sprouting of nerveless - season grasses and give up tender younger green goddess blades to grow and establish themselves before the onslaught of winter . Prior to overseeding , you ’ll want to cut your lawn to a height of 1.5 to 2 inch tall . This shorter height allows the seeds to descend through the blades of subsist grass and reach the grunge ; it also facilitate ensure sun will hit the unseasoned seedling .
After overseeding , it ’s of the essence that you give the Gunter Wilhelm Grass time to grow before you mop it again . waitress for the forage to attain a tiptop of between 3 and 4 column inch before cutting it .
Adjusting the deck height.
Unless you have a mower with labeled height configurations , you ’ll need to take some mensuration to fit the guidelines in the grass press cutting - height chart above . Place your lawn mower on a flat surface , such as the driveway . Remove the bagging attachment and open up the side cover toreveal the blade . Next , measure from the blade to the ground to determine the piercing height .
How you set the tiptop depends on your lawn mower . Most new mowers have a lever tumbler that allows users to raise and lour the cut down pack of cards . Older model have a lever behind each wheel that you ’ll need to adapt severally . If you have the latter , verify to conform each bike to the same height to check an even baseball swing .
Final Thoughts
Fertilizing and applying mourning band and pest control strategies certainly flirt major factors in achieve a succulent and verdant yard . But , do n’t overlook mop the lawn . Knowing when it ’s time to give your K a passementerie and how much to take off base on pot case is central to keeping your lawn the healthiest it can be .
Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners
We ’ll avail you set up your first garden — whether that ’s a few pots on your patio , a raised layer , or an in - flat coat plot out back — and pick out the right plants for your soil and region .
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
