Many people believe that a nice green lawn is a short one. Others will keep their lawn short in order to save time while mowing. There are several reasons why you should not lower your mowing height, especially in the summer months.
When you cut your lawn short, you are actually cutting off almost the entire blade of grass, weakening it since it will not be able to produce most of its food. It will take longer to grow which is a plus for those trying to mow less. What is not so great, are the weeds that will take over the weak scalped lawn. Shorter grass will also expose more of the soil and will increase the rate of drying, thus requiring more watering.
Why You Should Increase Mowing Height
There are many advantages to maintaining a taller lawn. It becomes more resistant to drought and weeds. It will shade the soil, thus keeping it cool during the summer months and preserving more water.
For a residential lawn, the ideal height is 3 to 4 inches. To ensure your mowing height is on the taller side, adjust your mower height to one of the 2 highest settings or measure the distance from the mower blade to the floor. If measuring, do not forget to remove the spark plug or battery so the mower does not accidentally start. A higher mowing height makes it easier to follow the all important 1/3 rule: never cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade. This will keep your lawn growing strong.
Best Times To Mow The Lawn
The ideal time to cut the grass is between 9 and 11 am or after 5 pm. Do not cut in the middle of the day when the sun is at its hottest. Cutting the grass is stressful enough on the grass plant which should be expected but if you can eliminate other stressful factors, do it. The bottom line is to not make it a habit of always mowing your lawn during the hottest part of the day.
