It’s a chore that many of us have to do, whether we put it off or love to keep our yard looking pristine with mowed grass lines. I personally am not the biggest fan of mowing my lawn and tend to put the project off compared to other yard tasks I need to do – so if you are like that, you are not alone!
But thinking about it made me wonder, how often does a person really need to mow their lawn to keep it looking good and healthy? Is it something that varies by region, climate or season?
I decided to ask a variety of lawn care and landscaping professionals about it so you know exactly how often to mow your lawn. In fact, you may actually be cutting the grass too much! Here’s what the pros have to say.
How often should you mow your lawn?
In an ideal world, there would be a simple answer to this question, but everyone’s lawn is different. However, the answer the pros gave me is still pretty easy advice to follow.
Gene Caballero, its co-founder GreenPal and longtime landscaper, explained to me that the frequency of a person mows their lawn they should follow the growth rate of their grass, which tends to be affected by changing seasons.
He said, “The right mowing schedule depends on the actual growth rate, not the calendar. For example, during the peak season, homeowners often mow about once a week. Then, in the slower season, some may need to switch to every two weeks.”
This is good advice to follow. However, if you know that your grass tends to grow more slowly, consider changing your weekly cut to every other week. Also, modify how high you mow the grass depending on the season.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
What makes a haircut too much or too little?
If you mow your grass too much when it is already short, you are more likely to have dry grasses growing yellow patches in hot weather.
Don Chouinard, a former contractor and lawn care expert, as well as a leader in Irrigreen explains, “Frequent short mowing encourages shallow roots. Grass keeps its energy close to the surface instead of pushing the roots down, and shallow-rooted turf dries out quickly in heat and recovers poorly from drought.”
A lawn that is constantly mowed also requires more care and water and may grow more slowly, because it needs to use up all of its energy resources to heal from the constant mowing.
If you mow your lawn too little, you are also more likely to damage the lawn – and yours lawn mower. Pulling long grass suddenly from the ground shocks the grass and may result in the blades pulling out of the root rather than cutting cleanly.
(Image credit: Alamy)
Common signs that it’s time to quit
Invest in a measuring stick, like this one grass meter from Amazontells you how tall your grass is. Knowing that is a simple way to know when it’s time to harvest. You can try to take it easy and just look at the grass itself. But a tool like this provides a specific metric, which is a better accountability partner to encourage you to cut when needed.
Brian Feldman’s TruGreen he also recommends following what’s known as the “one-third rule,” which he defines as: “Your mowing frequency should guide you to cut no more than one-third of the blade of grass in a single session.”
This will ensure that your summer lawn will not be damaged by a large cut. If your grass is already on the shorter side, you’ll be able to gauge more quickly if there’s even a third of the lawn blades that need mowing.
If you’re hosting a lot of barbecues and making the most of the sunny weather in your area, it’s important to remember that the weight of garden furniture and increased foot traffic can take a toll on your lawn too. Grass in high-traffic areas may not grow the same way as in areas of your yard that are left more alone, making it harder to know when or where to mow.
You can fix this by hosting in different parts of your yard, aerating your lawn, or examining pavement installation leading to frequently visited areas so that grass is not walked over repeatedly.
Shop for lawn mowing essentials
This simple turf meter is inserted into the soil of your lawn so you can tell at a glance if your lawn could benefit from a good cut.
Casusen Lawn Aeration Shoes
Aerate your lawn while you’re out mowing or enjoying time in the garden. Two birds with one stone!
Worx String Trimmer & Lawn Edger
A lawn edger like this will make getting into the nooks, crannies and corners of your lawn a breeze. It really helps to make things look neat and tidy.
