Long grass lawn mower. Grass Cutting Height Chart: How High to Cut Your Grass

Grass Cutting Height Chart: How High to Cut Your Grass

David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience.

Sonya Harris is an award-winning gardening expert with two decades of experience teaching and sharing her extensive knowledge about small space gardening. She is a Master Gardener and founder of the award-winning Bullock Garden Project in New Jersey. Sonya has written for Martha Stewart Living, won South Jersey Magazine’s One to Watch Award, and is also a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.

Finding the optimal grass cutting height is important to maintain your lawn’s health. If you mow the lawn too short it can damage your lawn. But cool-season grasses and warm-season grasses also require different cutting heights. Below, review our grass-cutting height chart for types of grasses and learn how high to cut grass in the spring, summer, and fall.

How High to Cut Grass in Spring

In the spring, cut cool-season grasses to 3 or 4 inches. Once your grass reaches a height of about 6 inches tall, it’s time to mow. Warm-season grasses should be cut to 2 or 2 ½ inches, and you’ll know it’s time to mow once these grasses reach about 4 inches tall.

Grass starts growing quickly in the spring, especially after rain, and can be cut shorter at the beginning of the growing season to help remove winter debris and encourage new growth. It’s tough to know how often to mow because it depends on several factors, including rainfall amounts, grass type, and soil health.

How High to Cut Grass in Summer

In the summer, keep both cool-season and warm-season grasses slightly taller. Cut cool-season grasses to 3 or 3 ½ inches. Mow warm-season grasses to 2 or 2 ½ inches. In summer, grass can be kept a bit higher to prevent weeds, help shade the soil line, and maintain water in the soil.

How High to Cut Grass in Fall

Cool-season grass can be mowed down to about 2 ½ inches before winter’s first frost. Warm-season grasses can be cut to 1 ½ or 2 inches in the fall before cooler weather appears.

In fall, grass should be cut to a medium length to keep it at a reasonable height over winter but to keep the roots protect during winter. Finding that right height is a little tricky because grass that’s too tall in the winter tends to become matted and prone to diseases.

A Trick to Help You Remember These Measurements

Draw a line across one of your lawn mower tires that stands 3 2/3 inches above surface level. Draw an arrow, as well, to indicate which direction is up/down. That way, you’ll see where the grass level stands in relation to the line so you’ll know when and how much to mow your lawn. It can take some experimenting to see what mowing height you need to set your mower to and then you can mark that slot to find it quickly.

Different types of mowers have different ways to set the height so it’s best to consult your owner’s manual. You can typically use the mower’s levers or gears to set the correct height according to the type of grass you have.

The 1 out of 3 rule refers to the preference that you should never cut more than 1/3 of the grass blades every time you mow your lawn. For example, if you are cutting your lawn and it has grown 3 inches tall, do not cut more than 1 inch off of the blade, which is 1/3 of the total height. Cutting only 1/3 of the blade keeps the grass healthy without damaging its growth.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is mowing the grass too short in the summer. Keep the grass slightly longer in the summer so the longer blades can protect the roots from the harsh summer sun.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

How Mower Height Directly Affects Lawn Health

Kelly Burke is a professional turf manager who is accredited in organic land care and a licensed pesticide applicator.

Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and horticulturist with over 30 years of experience in organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia’s Farm and Gardens, a working sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column.

The most important way to maintain a healthy lawn is to keep your grass at a minimum mowing height of 2.5 to 3 inches. This advice may be surprising: many suburban lawns are kept much shorter. The reality, however, is that keeping your grass a bit longer has a number of important benefits.

Healthier Grass

A longer lawn means that the individual grass blades (the leaves) have more surface area for photosynthesis to occur. Increased photosynthesis results in more plant growth, a more extensive root system, and a healthier plant. In the long run, that means less need for fertilizer, aeration, and other time-consuming lawn maintenance.

Fewer Weeds

Weeds are drastically reduced when the lawn is maintained at a higher cut. Once turf adapts to growing at increased heights, it fills in and becomes dense and lush, crowding out weeds that normally invade when turf is weak and stressed. Longer grass also means that the ground is more shaded, so that weed seeds do not get the sunlight they need to sprout. Fewer weeds mean less time spent removing weeds, less use of herbicides, and more time enjoying your lawn.

Lower Need for Water

A dense, lush lawn maintained at a minimum height of 2.5 or 3 inches is more tolerant of infrequent watering and drought stress because there are increased moisture reserves in the leaf tissue and root system. Although your turfgrass will still need water when mowed higher, the effects of drought or community watering restrictions will be less noticeable and will take longer to occur, This can be the difference between your lawn turning brown or making it until the next rain.

Lusher, Greener Appearance

The most noticeable benefit of the longer turf is aesthetic. The increased amount of leaf blade surface makes for a dramatic improvement in turf color. After shifting to a higher mower height, you will find that the lawn becomes consistent, uniform, and lush looking. When given the right opportunity, shade zones, patchy areas, and weak spots in the lawn will fill in to achieve the dense carpet effect that every homeowner wants.

Mowing Frequency

Your 2.5- or 3-inch lawn will need to be mowed once a week during the growing season, but contrary to popular belief, it will not cause you more work. Once the grass reaches that uniform height, you will still be cutting off the same amount of grass with each mowing.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule and this one is no different. Some southern grasses just don’t like to grow that high and thrive just fine at lower heights. Also, in moist or wet climates, some lawn care experts advise giving your lawn a shorter buzz cut before winter snows come. This will keep the lawn from trapping a lot of moisture that can lead to fungal problems in the spring. Long grass can also be a haven for voles and other tunneling rodents seeking shelter under the snow in winter.

How To Cut Tall Grass With A Riding Mower

Are you fed up with your overgrown grass wreaking havoc on your garden? Then it’s time to learn how to use a riding mower to cut grass.

While you may believe that cutting long grass is the same as cutting any other lawn, you are mistaken. Long grass is a challenge as you get much more mulch and debris that can easily choke your riding mower.

Luckily, you can use techniques to cut tall grass with a riding mower that won’t break it or clog it, so it needs cleaning.

In our guide, you can learn all about how to mow tall grass with a riding mower. By the end, you’ll know all there is about how to keep any area of your garden clear when mowing overgrown grass with a riding mower. (Find the Best Riding Snow Blower)

How to Cut Tall Grass With a Riding Mower

It might be a daunting task to maintain a yard that has become overgrown with thick grass. Thick clumps of grass might resemble impenetrable jungle vegetation, and your lack of lawn care conceals a variety of hazards.

A well-maintained yard adds value to your home, and you can get fantastic results every time you’re cutting grass using the right approach.

Here are the step-by-step guides and other suggestions for the mowing process when dealing with taller grass than usual. (Find the Best Riding Lawn Mower For The Money)

Pick the Right Time

When it’s damp, don’t mow tall grass. You’ll find most overgrown grass moist, making the task harder for your mower.

Wet grass adds to this and makes the job troublesome in most areas and poses a dangerous mowing environment since riding mowers can lose traction on wet grass.

Mow long grass on a dry day in the spring, summer, or early autumn. The grass can safely recover from the shock of being cut. The best time is spring before the grass starts to grow, and you can easily carry out step two.

Clear The Mowing Area of Hazards

Just because you have a riding mower, it doesn’t mean there isn’t any preparation. Tallgrass can hide hidden dangers, so before you mow, take a quick tour around the area to check for stones, branches, and other debris among the grass.

If possible, remove any hazards you find since trying to mow over could damage your mower. If there are hazards too large to move, mark these with a stake and some flagging tape.

Before you start mowing, remove overgrown grass using a string trimmer or weed eater. Riding mowers can cut grass up to 8 inches tall, and cutting grass over this height is wasteful, laborious work, and puts a strain on your mower.

If the grass is taller than 8 inches, cut it roughly to 6–8 inches using your weed whacker, so it is suitable for your riding mower to deal with. If you have a zero-turn mower, you can often find they only deal with grass up to 6-inches rather than 8.

Adjust Mower Blade Height

Set the blade height on your riding mower to the highest setting before you start mowing overgrown grass.

Do this, and you can improve the cutting speed and quality of the mowing process and protect the grass. Cutting tall grass too short leads to the grass being severely weakened, or it could die. After this, wait for 3–5 days before mowing using a lower blade height should the highest blade height leave your grass longer than you want it. (Read Single Stage Vs Two Stage Snow Blowers)

Set Your Mower Speed

Mowing tall grass gradually is the key to success. Set the speed of your riding mower to a moderate strolling pace. Although it may feel you’re crawling, the result will be more even and tidy.

In the end, this saves time. When you mow tall grass too quickly, you’ll get a rough cut with a lot of long grass blades left over, which means you’ll have to mow the same area multiple times.

Cut Grass at Half Blade Width

Tall grass grows in thick, wet clumps that are tough to mow with your riding mower. After your initial circle, mow halfway through the tall grass and halfway through the previously mowed area to provide a clean cut without overworking your mower.

It takes longer, but you get better results, and it also means your mower won’t grind to a halt every few feet as it’s overloaded.

Reverse Mowing Circuit

If you mow tall grass with a riding mower in a circuit that blows cut grass to the inside, you’ll end up with clumps of long, cut grass stacking up in places you haven’t mowed yet.

Mowing over cut grass clumps and long grass is time-consuming, delivers poor results, and may need repeat mowing. To avoid buildup, periodically reverse your circuit path and blowing cut grass to where you have already mowed. (Find the Best Riding Mower For Hills)

Rest Your Mower

A riding mower has a tough time cutting tall grass. Turn off your mower completely every 30–45 minutes and inspect it. What to watch for are?

• Make sure the parking brake is on.
• Check your mower’s fuel level.
• Examine the blades. To avoid damage to the mower blade spindle, clean off any dead grass or debris like garbage bags using a utility knife.
• Remove any accumulated grass clippings and debris from radiator fins, engine components, and wiring.
• Let your mower cool down for 15 minutes since riding mowers are under a lot of strain, and riding mowers tend to overheat when used to cut tall grasses.

How to Cut Tall Grass with a Riding Mower Tips

Here are a few things to consider when dealing with an overgrown lawn using a riding lawnmower.

Empty Bag and Check Area

• Some riding mowers can use a grass bag to collect cuttings from the lawn mower. Empty it once you’ve mowed the entire area.
• Check your grass is evenly cut. You may need to take a slow pass with your mower again over your overgrown lawn if there are still uncut areas.
• Take your grass bag and empty it away from the mowing area. Check blades are clear of dead grass.
• If you need to cut your lawn lower to reach the desired length, let your grass rest for 24 to 48 hours. (Read About The Right Oil For Riding Mower)

Mow Again

• After slow-mowing the top layer of your lawn, you may be satisfied, but if not, you can cut long grass again.
• Check the blade before you begin, as they need to be clear to cut correctly.
• Once you let your grass rest and recover from your previous mowing session, rather than placing the mower deck at the highest position, lower it to the desired height.
• Start mowing, but you don’t need to worry as much about excess grass debris clogging up your mower this time.
• Now, you should have leveled grass from knowing how to cut tall overgrown grass with a riding mower.

Take It Slow

• The biggest mistakes most people make when mowing tall grass or an overgrown lawn is trying to cut it down to the desired height using the first pass.
• Most lawn mowers have their highest setting, and if your grass is still too long after one pass, you can use your weed wacker to cut the top layer of lawn down before using your lawn mower.
• After using your mower on the highest setting, make your first pass and reduce the grass height.
• Wait for the recommended time after you’ve made your first pass. It’s time for the second pass once you’ve reduced grass height to a manageable height.
• Take your time and clear out the blades while cutting; otherwise, your mower won’t cut correctly.
• Leave the lawn for a few days to help it recover.
• If you have a more extensive lawn, it can be much easier to use a leaf blower, in the long run, to help you clear up grass cuttings, small stones, and weeds.
• Depending on the size of your lawn, cleaning it could take all day, so postpone it until the next day, and you can have your final thoughts on your cut grass.

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How to mow the lawn: 16 things to consider before the first grass cut of the year

Once spring arrives, some of us will be looking to mow the lawn and start getting ready for the first grass cut of the year. This means dusting off the lawnmower and gardening tools to prepare for the season ahead. But when should we mow the lawn for the first time in a year and what important things should we consider?

Our garden lawns play an important part in our alfresco summer enjoyment – they host parties, provide a space to play, relax and read, and offer our borders and flora a plain backdrop from which they can shine. Therefore, it’s crucial we get the first grass cut of the year just right to set our lawns up for a summer of use.

Here are some practical tips from Flymo and Country Living on how to mow the lawn for the first time this year.

When should you mow the lawn for the first time that year?

The average date of the first lawn cut in the UK is 18th March 2023, although this is generally dependent on the weather and local conditions.

Last year, the 20th March was revealed as the best date to cut garden lawns. This day is officially known as ‘First Cut Sunday’— a term coined by Flymo.

Take a look at all the tips you need before you cut your grass this year.

Don’t mow all of your lawn

Choose the part you’d like to be neat and tidy but then let the rest stay a little messy. This is much better for wildlife and will encourage habitats to flourish throughout summer. You could even plant some wildflower seeds here and make it a real visual feature of your garden (Cornfield seed collection, BUY NOW).

Don’t mow all of your lawn. Find a corner of your garden where you can allow it to become, dare I say it, a little bit unkempt, implored Chris Packham during an interview with Country Living about spring gardening. That long grass will provide food for butterflies and other invertebrates and shelter for other animals – maybe even something as exciting as a hedgehog.

Cut fortnightly in spring

According to the RHS, you should mow your lawn once a fortnight or once in a week in spring. While growth is good, regular cutting will help to keep your lawn neat and in good condition. Regular mowing helps to eliminate weeds and encourage a denser ground.

Consider a mow path

In the spirit of helping wildlife, do you need a whole area to be mown or could a pathway leading through your wildflowers be enough? Remember that a rich garden ecosystem can keep pests under control naturally.

Have a pre-cut tidy

After months of being starved of sunshine, your garden may look a little neglected. It’s important, before your first grass cut of the year, to take time to clear any mess around the area you wish to mow, including dead sticks, leaves and any rubbish that may have gathered.

Check to see what is hiding in the garden; the likes of stones and thick branches may have made their way into the overgrown lawn and if the lawnmower catches these, it can damage the mower blade. Keeping the mower blade sharp is vital as the damage a dull blade can cause could be detrimental to the grass.

Don’t get rid of what you’ve collected. Add it to your wilder are as natural debris makes great habitats for wildlife.

Check for nesting animals

Check the area you are about to mow for any animals that might have made it their home during winter. Hedgehogs can often be found in piles of grass and leaves. If you do find a habitat, consider mowing a different part of the lawn instead and leaving it be.

The Woodland Trust say: Climate change is not only influencing our mowing regimes, it’s increasing the pressure on our wildlife too and more species are looking to our gardens for food and shelter. These mini wildlife reserves can become precious habitats for them to thrive.

Don’t leave it too late

Although the difference in climate can vary depending on where you are in the country, research has shown that the first two weeks in April are the most popular time to dig the lawnmower out for the first grass cut of the year.

Use the one third rule

When mowing your lawn for the first time, you should always follow the one third rule: Never cut more than a third of the blade of grass off in one go. Cutting more than this can stress the grass.

You should gradually reduce the grass length over a number of weeks to reach the desired length. Cutting the grass too short, too fast, is known as ‘scalping’ which can lead to disease and weed infestation.

Flymo explain: If your lawn has been a little unkempt throughout the colder months and has grown with a mind of its own then fear not, still follow the one third rule but take it in stages over a number of weeks. Gradually decrease the cutting height on your lawnmower each time to reach your preferred grass length.

And if your grass is really out of control?

If your lawn has been a little unkempt throughout the colder months and has grown with a mind of its own then fear not, still follow the one third rule but take it in stages over a number of weeks. Gradually decrease the cutting height on your lawnmower each time to reach your preferred grass length.

But only apply this to the smaller area you’d like to maintain, as mentioned above. Embrace the wildness in the rest of the lawn and allow it to flourish.

Contour your garden

Don’t forget about the edges when cutting your lawn for the first time. Overgrown edges can look unsightly and can mean time and effort spent working in the garden has been in vain. Trim the edges straight after mowing.

Don’t water immediately after

It’s best to avoid getting into the habit of watering your lawn immediately after mowing. There is no specific point in the month to give your lawn a hose down – it should simply be done whenever it needs moisture – however, there are a few guidelines on what time it should be done during the day:

• Watering late in the evening or at night can lead to fungal problems due to the fact the grass doesn’t have time to dry out.
• The middle of the day tends to be when the sun is at its hottest, which can lead to the water evaporating instantly or the droplets acting as a magnifying glass, burning the blades of grass.
• Therefore, the best time is first thing in the morning as the air is cool and the water can travel to the roots before drying up.

Know how long to leave a new lawn before cutting it

New grass that has been grown from the seed will be noticeably weaker than the rest of the lawn and can be easily damaged if cut incorrectly. It’s best to wait until the grass has grown over three inches in length until mowing for the first time to allow it time to build up strength.

Make it a habit

Following your first cut of the season, you may need to mow the maintained part of your lawn once or twice a week to maintain the length you desire. This is due to the warm weather encouraging your garden to grow.

Choose your tool wisely

It’s important to remember that no two lawns or gardens are the same even if they are side by side. Take into consideration the condition and size of your lawn, and your gardening needs when choosing the best tool for the job. Choose an electric lawnmower over a petrol one for the more eco-friendly option.

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Use the cuttings to make hay

RHS Chief Horticulturalist Guy Barter says that allowing our cuttings to turn into hay is great for seed-eating birds. He explains: Leave the summer mown grass in place for a few sunny days to become ‘hay’ and release seeds to refresh the lawn for next year and also provide food for seed-eating birds and other wildlife. The ‘hay’ can then be removed and composted.

Or compost your grass cuttings

Removing and composting all grass mowings also supports wildlife by reducing soil fertility, continues Guy. Running down fertility, assuming no fertiliser is applied, leads to turf becoming more sparse which allows room for wildflowers, particularly clovers, and wildlife.

Don’t forget to service or check your lawn mower

After months of sitting in the shed, your lawn mower may be a little rusty. Don’t forget to check for chipped or blunt blades — these will bruise the grass. As well as this, remember to clean yours out regularly to remove a build-up of clippings. The better you take of your lawn mower, the longer it will last.