Maintaining a healthy, lush lawn is a point of pride for many homeowners. However, achieving and maintaining a beautiful lawn requires proper care and attention. One of the most important aspects of lawn care is mowing your grass to the right height. In this article, we’ll explore why mowing your grass to the right height is so important and why you should avoid mowing it too short.
If you purchased sod through Legacy Turf Farms, you can find the specific mowing height details for your specific grass variety by picking your sod from our Sod Types page! Comprehensive lawn care guides can also be found on the individual sod information pages.
How to Determine the Right Height to Mow Your Lawn
So, how do you determine the right height to mow your grass? The ideal height for mowing your lawn will depend on the type of grass you have. Different types of grass have different ideal mowing heights, so it’s important to research the type of grass you have and determine the appropriate height for mowing. In general, most types of grass can be mowed to a minimum height of around 1-2 inches with some exceptions (more on that later!).
Why Mowing Your Grass to the Right Height is Important
Mowing your grass to the right height is important for several reasons. First, it helps to promote healthy grass growth. When you mow your grass to the right height, you’re removing only the top portion of the grass blades, which allows the remaining blades to continue growing. This promotes healthy growth and helps to keep your lawn looking lush and green.
Second, mowing your grass to the right height can help to prevent weed growth. Mowing frequently keeps weeds in check. If you see visible weeds, of course you may choose to do a granular or liquid weed treatment. But, mowing can also help eliminate weeds by removing the seed heads from the top of the weed. Bag your clippings to ensure you’re not spreading the weed seeds all over your lawn.By mowing your grass to the right height, you can help to prevent these bare spots and keep weeds at bay.
Lawn Scalping
Many homeowners make the mistake of erroring on the side of keeping their grass long. While in other regions scalping your lawn may cause problems; in our Georgia climate scalping your lawn can help. Scalping your lawn is the process of cutting the grass extremely short, usually to a height of 1 inch. While this may seem counterintuitive, there are actually a number of benefits to scalping your lawn, including:
Scalping your lawn can help to remove dead grass and other debris, which can block sunlight and prevent healthy growth. By cutting the grass short, you can also encourage new, more robust growth to emerge. Thatch is the layer of dead grass and other organic material that accumulates on the surface of your lawn over time. Scalping your lawn can help to break up this thatch layer, which can promote better water and nutrient absorption in the soil.
A scalped lawn can look neater and more uniform, especially if the grass is mowed in a pattern. This can improve the overall appearance of your property and make it more attractive to visitors. A shorter lawn is generally easier to maintain, as it requires less frequent mowing and can be more resistant to pests and disease.
Looking for a Super Short Lawn Grass?
Some grasses, like Legacy Turf’s Tahoma 31 Bermudagrass, can be safely mowed down to a height of 0.125 – 1.5 inches. This makes it the perfect choice for golf courses, sports fields, or for homeowners who prefer the look of a much shorter lawn. Plus, its quick recovery time means that Tahoma 31 Bermudagrass is a great choice for families with pets, active children, or lots of foot traffic across the lawn. Legacy Turf’s Geo Zoysia is another varietal that can safely be mowed down to heights as short as 0.5 – 1.5 inches.
