Finding the Right Mowing Height

Mowing the lawn can be a huge hassle. While some people may enjoy the work and sweat (along with the smell) of cutting the grass all the time, many people would rather be able to put it off as long as possible. Keeping the lawn mowed will make it look maintained and beautiful, but one of the more difficult parts of mowing the lawn is deciding what setting to put the mower on. It is tempting to just put the mower on the lowest setting, cut the lawn as short as it will go, and be done with it until it again grows too high. If you want a healthy lawn, however, much more effort will need to be made.

Some of the things you have to consider when deciding what height to put the mower blade are weather, foot traffic, amount of sun the grass receives, and the type of grass.

• If the weather in your area is generally rainy, your grass will be able to be cut shorter than in drier weather.
• Lawns that receive a lot of foot traffic should be cut longer.
• Grass in the shade should generally be cut longer than grass in the sun.

These rules are important because they determine how much sun and nutrients the grass receive, and how deep the roots go. For example, grass that is in the shade should be longer so there is more area for the grass to receive sun and process it through photosynthesis.

If you want to take the best care of your lawn, you should research what kind of grass you have and what heights it can tolerate, then follow the guide above to decide where you should cut it. As a general rule, you should never cut below half an inch. Just do not assume that because your grass can withstand the shortest length you should cut it there, because even a small difference in length can make a big difference.