Lawn Care Basics

Use a sharp lawnmower blade – A dull blade shreds the leaf. Frayed leaf tips lose more moisture, turn brown at the tips, take longer to heal, and are more susceptible to diseases.
Don’t mow wet grass
Mulch your grass clippings instead of bagging them.
Don’t cut your grass too short – Taller grass provides shade for the soil, keeping it cooler and allowing the soil to stay moist longer. It also encourages deeper roots and allows grass blades to capture more sunlight.

How often should I mow my lawn?

When your lawn is actively growing, you can mow at least once a week. Frequent mowing helps thicken your lawn by encouraging it to spreading laterally and crowd out weeds. Remaining weeds will be cut before they have a chance to mature.
As it gets hotter you can mow cool-season grasses less often.
When you cut your grass, try not to cut off more than 1/3 of the height of the grass blade in one mow. If your grass has grown tall and you mow it short with one cut, you can damage the grass and make it more susceptible to disease. It can also slow the growth of your lawn and thin it out, leaving room for weeds.
Following this 1/3 rule will tell you when to cut. For example, if you want to cut your grass to 3 inches, mow when it reaches 4.5 inches (or before).

How short should I cut my grass?

The ideal mowing height varies depending on what kind of grass you have.
Cool-season grasses – (Mostly Northern USA) – Such as Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and tall fescue: 3-4 inches during summer
Warm Season Grasses – (Mostly Southern USA)
- Centipedegrass: 1 to 2.5 inches
- Zoysia grass: 1 to 2.5 inches
- St. Augustine: 2.5 to 4 inches
- Buffalo Grass: 2 to 4 inches
- Common Bermudagrass: 0.75 to 2 inches
- Hybrid Bermudagrass: Depends on which hybrid and what kind of mower. Usually shorter than Common Bermudagrass
Seasonal Adjustments
- Spring: Lower end of the height range
- Summer: Higher end of the range
- Fall: Middle of the range

What time of day should I mow?

The best time to mow is late afternoon or early evening (before sunset). This applies to both both warm and cool-season grasses. Temperatures should be lower, so your grass will suffer less heat stress. And your lawn has all night to recover before the next heat cycle.

The second best time to mow is mid-morning (8-11am), especially for cool-season lawns.

Avoid early morning because of the morning dew. (Don’t mow wet grass.) Avoid late morning to early afternoon because you’re exposing newly cut grass blades to strong sun and high heat resulting in water loss through the cut blades.