There is a little more to mowing than pulling the string and firing up your lawn mower. Before you go out and do more harm than good, we’d like to share some lawn mower height setting information you should know.
We mow lawns in Fort Smith, Arkansas and nearby and enjoy sharing the knowledge we have learned about maintaining lawns and landscapes with anyone who would like to learn. If you decide there is a little more to mowing than you are comfortable with, we’d be happy to provide you with a free, no-obligation lawn mowing quote.
Grass height topics covered in this blog:
Bermuda grass lawn mower height setting by season
What lawn mower height setting should my grass be cut?
Your lawn mower height setting should vary depending on the temperature, season, and grass type.
If you live in Fort Smith and have a warm-season grass like Bermuda grass you will want to cut your grass at 2.5” during the early spring while gradually raising the cut height to 4” during the summer. After the peak of the summer heat, you should adjust your lawn mower height setting down ending around the 3” mark in the fall.
Why adjusting your lawn mower height setting is important
Below are a few key points that address the importance and reasoning behind mowing your lawn at different heights depending on the season and growth rate of your turf.
Growth rate affects mowing frequency
The fastest-growing season for warm-season grasses is during the summer.
It is common for Bermuda grass to grow 2” or more a week during its peak growing cycle.
During the spring and fall, the turf’s growth rate will slow down dramatically. The growth rate directly relates to the “1/3 Rule” explained below.
You can see the fast growth rate in the picture above. This Bermuda grass lawn was cut just 3 days prior to this picture being taken and it had well over 1″ of new growth in 3 days.
Lawn mowings 1/3 rule
The 1/3 rule is simple, you should never cut more than 1/3 of your grass blade off at once. Cutting more than 1/3 of the grass blade will shock the turf and cause the root structure to become shallow which will lead to thinner grass and more weeds.
This is why the grass gets cut longer during its peak growing season.
If your grass is cut weekly at 4” and it grows 2” during the week, then you can safely cut your grass at 4”. However, if you cut your grass weekly at 2” and it grows 2” between cuts then you are cutting off ½ of the grass blade and damaging the turf.
If you want your lawn cut shorter during the peak growing season it will need mowed 2 or 3 times a week in order to keep the grass healthy.
Let your Bermuda grass grow tall!
Summer in Fort Smith is HOT!
Mowing the grass tall during the summer will help shade and insulate the ground from the sun, this will help retain moisture and keep the temperature down.
During the spring you want the opposite to happen, your grass will turn green the faster the soil heats up. That is why mowing lower in the early spring is good for bringing the lawn back to life.
Hire the right lawn mowing service
Lawn mowing services vary in quality, reliability, expertise, and price.
Riverview Turfworks is a locally owned and operated lawn mowing service in Fort Smith. We pride ourselves are providing a reliable, quality lawn mowing service at a reasonable price and take our continuing education very seriously.
We love when our clients come out to chat with us about their lawn and garden while we are at their home mowing their grass. If makes us feel great when we have the opportunity to educate them a little more on their lawn and how to properly care for it.