How High Should I Cut My Grass On Long Island?
Lawn Brothers Landscaping is the best choice when it comes to landscaping and snow plowing. When people visit your property, the first thing to note is the grass. Most homeowners know that keeping up with mowing, fertilizing, and weeding around is a lot of work. It is important to note that all lawns need regular mowing, making it one of the essential lawn care tasks. By changing a few standard practices on how you mow, you can dramatically improve your lawn's quality and vigor. The most common recommendation you will get from experts is to cut your mower blades as high as 3 to 3.5 inches and a maximum of 4 inches. This might be a surprise to you as most homeowners will cut their grass blades very short. They probably might be trying to emulate how golf courses look like. However, note that longer grass shades out weeds as it prevents the sun from reaching the ground. If you are wondering how high you should cut your grass, you need not worry as you are in the right place. This question is perhaps the most asked question about lawn care. How Does Grass Type Affect Mowing Height? Before understanding when you are supposed to mow your grass, here is a quick detour on the grass types. Different grass types have different needs, so you will need to make sure you are uniquely taking care of each kind of grass. Cool-season types of grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, or creeping bentgrass are likely found in colder climates. For instance, if you live in the Pacific Northwest region or Midwest, your grass falls on this category. If you live in warmer areas such as southwestern areas of the United States, you will find grasses such as the Bermuda grass and zoysiagrass. The Rule Of Thumb How long should you cut your grass? Well, here is the rule of thumb that helps determine grass height that would be perfect for your lawn. During the cold season, the grass has an optimal height of about two and a half inches. When mowing, you should only remove about a third of these blades. Also, the best time to mow is when the grass is about 3 or 4 inches high. When mowing, you must stick to this rule, which is to a lesser degree in spring or fall. However, for the summer season, if you can’t quite remember the measurements, mow the grass blades on the higher side. It would be best if you set your lawnmower on the higher settings. This is when the weather is hot and uses those settings until you now approach the fall season. How to Understand the Rule Of Thumb Wondering why two and a half inches is said to be the optimal grass height? Note that when mowing, you are looking for balance. Weighing both sides, mowing your land often is like tweaking the grass to stimulate growth. So if you do not mow as often as you should, you miss the chance to encourage grass growth, which makes your lawn healthier and more attractive. If you scalp your grass, basically cutting it too short, you will be stressing it? The height of the grass determines whether it is time to cut grass or not. It is your island’s way of communicating with you. It would be haphazard to come up with a proper mowing schedule based on the length. For example, someone may advise you to mow every week, which does not account for the grass's growing conditions. For instance, rain highly stimulates grass growth in lawns, so whether there is rain or not, the impact on your mowing schedule will be great. While the two and a half-inch height for spring or winter is recommended, it is not a mandatory figure that should always be followed all through this season. If you are trying to remove, for example, crabgrass, you need to make various adjustments between summer and spring. This is because these two times harbor the growth of the annual weed. The crabgrass will compete with your grass to grow. Some experts recommend keeping the grass around 3 inches tall during these two seasons. This is due to the extra shading that will inhibit crabgrass. In the cold season, you can now go back to keeping it up at two, and a half-inch height since the frost will have killed the annual weed-grown. How to Remember These Measurements Now how do you keep track of measurements of the rule of thumb? It would be weird if you keep going out with a tape measure each time you want to mow. For you to keep things more manageable, draw a line across one of the tires at three and two-third inches above the ground. Also, draw an arrow that shows which way is up or down. This way, when you feel it is time for you to mow, you will move the lawnmower outside and see where the grass stands. After getting the ideal mowing height, mark the wheel adjustment mechanism on your lawnmower wheel so that you will always know where it is. For a clear insight into the seasons, here is a brief explanation. The Ideal Height of Mowing the Lawn for Each Season Adjusting your lawnmower height or marking a line may not necessarily help much. However, it still makes the difference for the betterment of your lawn. How to Cut Grass in spring A shorter spring prepares your grass for the growth of new grass. This is because the grass has winter burned strands that may not look so nice. The cold season grasses should be cut to a height of 3 inches plus while the warm-season grasses should be reduced as low as an inch. What Height Should You Cut Grass In The Summer? When the temperature goes up during summer, the lawn also goes up. There are taller strands of grass to cover it, and the soil is completely shaded. This prevents weeds from growing and protecting the roots of the lawn from the sun. The cold season grass should be cut up to three or three and a half inches. It can also be cut up to 4 inches for the tall fescue grasses. The warm grasses should be cut up to about two and two and a half inches. What Is The Best Height To Cut Grass In The Fall? When it comes to fall, mid-length grass is best preferred. During winter, long grass is matted and can, at times, become diseased. If you cut this grass too short, the roots will be exposed and damaged by the cold temperatures. Be careful when cutting this grass so that you get the right size for winter. Cut the cool seasoned grass to about two inches before winter kicks in fully. For the warm seasoned grasses, cut it to about one or two inches in fall. This way, your grass or lawn will not at all be damaged. When it is the last fall of summer, ensure that you trim your grass to keep it healthy and will keep the mold away. Keep your grass looking good by mowing it to the right size during fall. Remember to fertilize it! Fall is the most crucial time to fertilize your island. Final Thoughts It might be a bit hard for homeowners to maintain their island organically, or some might be too busy and may want to hire professionals. If this is the case, do not worry as there are a lot of professionals who can help you with this. If you want to do it for yourself, you have an excellent guide prepared for you here. All the best, maintaining and keeping your grass healthy!