Lawn Care Wiki

Mowing

From the Lawn Care Wiki, published by Magnetize ME

Mowing is the regular cutting of a lawn to a uniform height. Mowing at the wrong height can harm grass roots, and the right height and frequency shift with fertilization and soil moisture.[1] The central guideline, known as the one-third rule, is never to remove more than a third of the leaf tissue in a single mowing.[1][2]

Mowing height

Recommended heights vary by grass species and by source:

GrassTypeRecommended heightSource
Hybrid bermudagrassWarm-season0.5–1.5 inUniversity of Georgia[1]
Common bermudagrassWarm-season1–2 inUniversity of Georgia[1]
ZoysiagrassWarm-season0.75–2 inUniversity of Georgia[1]
CentipedegrassWarm-season1–2 inUniversity of Georgia[1]
St. AugustinegrassWarm-season2–3 in (UGA); 2.5–4 in (Clemson)[1][3]
Tall fescueCool-season2–3 in (UGA); 2.5–3.5 in (Illinois)[1][4]
Kentucky bluegrassCool-season2–3 inUniversity of Illinois[4]
Perennial ryegrassCool-season2–3 inUniversity of Illinois[4]

Purdue and Illinois Extension recommend that cool-season lawns be kept at 3 inches or more, setting the mower at 3 inches and leaving it there all year.[5] For tall fescue in the Southeast, NC State raises the height to 3.5 inches in summer and advises keeping it above 3 inches to help limit brown patch.[6] Clemson advises raising the height for grass under heat, drought or shade stress.[3]

Frequency and the one-third rule

Under the one-third rule, a lawn is mowed when it is about 50% taller than its set height; a lawn kept at 2 inches, for example, is cut when it reaches 3 inches.[1] Removing more than a third at once can stop root growth and increase watering needs.[3] The University of Georgia suggests mowing hybrid bermudagrass every 3–4 days, zoysiagrass every 3–7 days, centipedegrass every 5–10 days, and common bermudagrass, tall fescue and St. Augustinegrass every 5–7 days.[1] Cool-season lawns may need mowing about twice a week in early spring but only every two to three weeks in summer.[5]

Blades and conditions

Dull blades tear and bruise grass, browning the leaf tips and leaving the lawn more open to weeds, disease and insects, while sharp blades cut cleanly and heal faster.[3][4] The University of Georgia advises mowing only dry grass: wet clippings clump and block light, and mowing wet soil can compact it.[1]

Clippings

Leaving clippings on the lawn, known as grasscycling, returns nutrients to the soil. Clippings break down quickly, possibly in under a week, and they do not cause thatch, which builds up from stems, shoots and roots.[7] Estimates of their value vary: the University of Georgia says grasscycling can recover up to about 20% of applied nitrogen,[7] NC State says clippings can supply up to 25% of a lawn's fertilizer needs,[6] and a three-year Penn State study found that Kentucky bluegrass clippings held 46–59% of the nitrogen applied as fertilizer.[8] Clemson describes clippings as roughly a 4-1-3 fertilizer.[3] The EPA recommends mulching or composting clippings so they do not wash into streams.[9]

Mowers

Edwin Budding patented the first lawn mower in England in 1830, applying the rotary blades used to finish woollen cloth to cutting grass.[10] Today rotary mowers are the most popular type for home lawns because they are inexpensive, easy to maneuver and simple to maintain, though most cannot cut well below about one inch.[3] Reel mowers give a finer cut and are best for bermudagrass and zoysiagrass,[3] but they are mostly used on low-cut turf such as putting greens; mulching rotary mowers work poorly when grass is too tall or wet.[4]

References

  1. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Waltz, Clint (February 21, 2002). "Proper Mowing the Best Gift for Your Lawn". University of Georgia CAES. fieldreport.caes.uga.edu
  2. ^ Soldat; Koch; Stier (December 2022). "Lawn Maintenance" (A3435). University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension. hort.extension.wisc.edu
  3. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Polomski; Shaughnessy. "Mowing Lawns" (HGIC 1205). Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center. hgic.clemson.edu
  4. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ "Mowing Your Lawn". University of Illinois Extension. extension.illinois.edu
  5. ^ ^ "7 Simple Steps to a Better Home Lawn" (AY-32). Purdue Extension and University of Illinois Extension. ag.purdue.edu
  6. ^ ^ "Tall Fescue Lawn Maintenance Calendar" (AG-367). NC State Extension, July 8, 2021. content.ces.ncsu.edu
  7. ^ ^ Waltz, Clint; Griffin (April 18, 2017). "Grasscycling: Let the Clippings Fall Where They May" (C 1031). University of Georgia Extension. fieldreport.caes.uga.edu
  8. ^ Landschoot, Peter (October 15, 2025). "Recycling Turfgrass Clippings". Penn State Extension. extension.psu.edu
  9. ^ "What You Can Do: In Your Yard". U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. epa.gov
  10. ^ "Budding's Patent Lawn Mower, 1832". Science Museum Group. collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk
Categories: Lawn care · Lawn mowers · Turfgrass