Mowing does more for how a lawn looks than any other job, and it is the easiest one to get wrong. Cut too often or too short and the grass struggles. Leave it too long and you end up scalping it to catch up.
Follow the one-third rule
Never remove more than a third of the blade in a single mow. If the lawn has grown well past its ideal height, bring it back in stages over a week or two rather than in one hit. Taking too much at once stresses the grass and can leave brown, patchy areas.
How often to mow through the year
There is no fixed schedule, because grass grows with the weather. As a rough guide for a warm-season lawn:
- Spring and early summer: growth is at its fastest, so expect to mow about once a week.
- Hot, dry weather: a stressed lawn grows more slowly, so mow less often and keep the grass a little longer.
- Autumn: growth eases off, and mowing every two weeks is usually enough.
- Winter: many lawns slow right down, so mow only when the grass needs it.
Watch the lawn, not the calendar.
Treat the list above as a starting point. Mow when the grass has grown about a third above the height you want to keep, and your lawn will tell you the right rhythm.
Set the right height for the season
Shorter is not tidier. Taller grass shades the soil, holds moisture and copes better with heat, so lift the blades in summer. Different grasses prefer different heights, so check what suits couch, kikuyu or buffalo before you set the mower.
Keep the blades sharp
A dull blade tears the grass instead of cutting it, leaving ragged tips that turn brown. If the lawn looks frayed a day after mowing, the blade probably needs sharpening. Changing direction each time also helps the grass stand evenly and stops wheel tracks forming.
Leave the clippings or collect them?
Short clippings from a dry lawn can stay where they fall, because they break down and return nutrients to the soil. Collect them when the grass is wet or very long, or after a long gap between mows, since heavy clumps smother the lawn underneath.
When it is worth calling someone
If the lawn has got away from you, or you would simply rather spend the weekend elsewhere, our garden maintenance service takes care of the mowing, edging and tidy-ups on a regular schedule. Request a free quote and tell us a little about your garden.
