Cutting Grass how high???

[Pickelfarmer]

I have read several posts and replys about cutting height and how important it is but no one ever says how high to cut. Do you leave it 1 inch tall? 2,3 inches? what is a good length to cut grass and way is it so important??

[ranger20]

i leave it about 2 inch that way the sun wont burn it so easy,i have only cut it once this year but even leaving it high this year it seems to burn and look dry anyways

[hotrod1]

It depends on how much maintenance you want to do to your lawn.

3-4" is a standard height for home lawn. Longer grass typically needs less water and can hold up to dryer weather better then short grass.

I have a hiher maintenance lawn. I cut my lawn at 1" with a reel mower and it is dry this year in spots. I fertilize 4 times a year which isn't alot for the sand i am on but I have to mow it at least twice a week or it gets hard to get a clean cut and keep it looking nice. I also get alot of ants that can be unsightly on shorter grass.

My opinion is heat stress is the toughest thing about short grass.

[LwnmwnMan2]

Typically, 3-4" tall for KY blue grass, 2 1/2 - 3" tall for the fescues.

The reasons are that the taller grasses will shade their own root structures, plus try to snuff out weeds that are trying to germinate.

[fishersofmen]

We go around 3 inches in the Summer.....

[WaveWacker]

2.5 for me

[Quetico]

Leave it grow higher, 3.5-4". Its better for the plant and will require less irrigation. The longer grass does better in drier conditions, aka this spring.

Also, I know a great deal of the lawn services are moving to taller mowing heights. Most I know are mowing at 3.75" or 4".

[crothmeier]

i try leaving mine longer, but the guy my neighbor hires cruises over with his giantly oversized lawn tractor and shaves hers off clean, and at the same time thinks he's doing me a favor by mowing a pass or two onto my yard. frustrating. well, the rest of my lawn looks 100% better than hers does.

[SkunkedAgain]

Talk to your neighbor about his mowing (and it is HIS mowing, regardless of who is actually performing the work). Then keep mowing at the higher level.

[ottertailguy]

4" and I fertilize just before it rains or during. The reasoning on the rain is that it is soft water vs hard from the city well that comes from the ground and has minerals in it. The soft rain water makes the fertilizer work much better. Also make sure the blade is sharp on your mower. If it is not sharp it will rip the grass and not cut it. By ripping it the grass will lose moister much faster. I once had a neighbor that mowed it short and on to my lawn. I just talked to him over a beer and he didn't do it again.

[fishuhalik]

From what I've been told, the main reason rain is better than city water is because of a higher nitrogen content.

[deerminator]

I'm a firm believer in setting your mower on the highest setting for many of the reasons mentioned. Its the best weed prevention method available, you can water much less often, your lawn looks better and it feels great on your bare feet. I love walking around on that thick green carpet in the summer verus the crunchy stubble many people feel they need to have in order to have a well-groomed yard. I fertilize heavily in the spring and fall with some Milorganite, and reseed every spring with a blend of bluegrass and fescue I mix up. Then I let mother nature do the watering unless she goes more than a week without rain. Then I water with sprinklers for about an hour in each spot. A good heavy soak no more than once a week in the absence of rain. The long grass really holds the water well then.

[pisces]

And you dont actually have to get on your knees in the lawn with a tape measure (what would the neighbors think?). Just measure the height from the garage floor to the bottom of the mower deck (the lowest point not counting the wheels). I put this at 3 inches and then the grasss is left after the cut just a bit longer than 3 inches.

[ZEEK1223]

I read once, but cant remember....(maybe someone can help me out) It was something to the effect of not cutting to much off at one time. If your lawn gets a little high, you should raise your mower a bit from the normal setting

[bbqhead]

I have raised the mower deck to 3.5 inches, The lawn is nice and green. All the lawns around me are just starting to turn green again. I like the full look!

randy