How high do you mow your grass?

[rekees4300]

This is from my JD X500 Owner's manual
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The following recommendations will produce the best lawn cut quality and appearance:

. Keep mower blades sharp. Dull blades will tear grass; tips of grass will then turn brown.

. Cutting grass too short may kill grass and let weeds grow easily. The suggested finished cut height range is 44 - 70 mm (1.75 - 2.75 in.).

. Adjust cutting height to remove only 1/3 of the grass at a time.

. Do not mow wet grass.

. Mow grass often. Short grass clippings will decay quickly.

. Mow with engine at full throttle.

. Adjust travel speed to match mowing conditions:

. Travel at slow speed when you mow thick, tall grass, make sharp turns or trim around objects.

. Travel at moderate speed when you mow thin grass.

. Use a different mowing pattern each time you mow. Overlap mowing paths 50 - 100 mm (2 - 4 in.).

. Drive over ridges and through shallow ditches straight-on, not at an angle.
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[sixdogs]

If I mow at 3" and want to go to 3 1/2", do you think this will make much of a difference in how the lawn looks ?

 

[oosik]

I mow at around 3". If you mow 1/2 inch higher it will probably make the entire lawn look a bit thicker & greener.

 

[rswyan]

Anywhere from 3" to 4" - shorter during cool wet weather, longer during warm dry weather.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

Here are a few good general rules for mowing.
1. Mow 1/3 of the height of the grass at each cutting. Example - If you wish to maintain your grass at 3", mow it when it gets to 4". This may be every 3 or 4 days when it is growing fast.
2. A higher mowing height is better than lower.
3. Mow in a different direction each time. This helps prevent compaction from mower tires.
4. Keep blades sharp. In my experience, new blades will need to be sharpened at about 20 hours of use, then about every 10 hours after that, and will need to be changed at about 50 hours.

 

[the old grind]

^^This.^^ :thumbsup: (on edit)

Taller the better in most cases. Different types (fescue, rye, etc) will gain height at different rates. When scalped, some will regrow faster and look uneven sooner. Removing the 'green' reduces ability to feed from the Sun so leaving more 'on there' will deplete the soil less and allow better fill-in if lawn isn't too busy growing back height that's been sheared off.

New weeds can be deterred by mowing taller, but well-established ones will remain until killed or aged out. They will thrive at low cutting heights disasterous to grasses. The more clippings you bag/remove the more fertilizer you might need in the long run. Check Ph of areas that do poorly and adjust accordingly, or don't expect fertilizer to do much good.

Funny thing about mowing 'tall' is that it may be more difficult to tell when you need to mow, as grass will tend to be of more even height between cuts. Anti scalp wheels are just that, not gauges for cutting height, and I laugh whenever I see someone's deck riding on them vs properly adjusted for height. Never mowed with a rider's deck more than one notch below the highest setting.

Don't expect to fix a weedy lawn in one season no matter what you do. Results take time and years if you keep doing what works.

 

[DuckSlayer1017]

I mow mine at 4". The longer grass shads the roots from the hot sun and also prevents some light from reaching the soil so it stunts weed growth. I fertilize three times per year May, July and Sept. I also spray with 2-4-D in early May and late September to control weeds. The September 2-4-D application really helps keep the dandy lions from coming up in the spring. I also dethatch the entire lawn in the spring.

 

[DK35vince]

2 1/2 to 3 inchs

 

[SPIKER]

Re: How high do you mow your grass? Well all depends if it is warm or not, if HOT then at least a 6 pack to get me going, but then I tend to wander around some & lines are not as straight

OK SOMEONE had to say it lol....

a couple posts up was good for me, usually keep mines in the 3" or so maybe less when rain in forecast...

Mark

 

[Egon]

I cut my lawn as close as I can. I keep trying to kill it, but so far no luck. I hate mowing, so it grows up to about 3" before I cut it again. When the dry part of the summer comes along the neighbor, that pampers his lawn, has a brown lawn. Mine, to spite me, is still green and growing. I can't win.

Be kind to your lawn. Add lots of nitrogen fertilizer. That will give you the colour you desire.