Length is More Important than Time
When talking about mowing lawns, it is more dependent on grass length and growth than it is on time between mows. In general you’ll want to mow every one to two weeks, but it varies depending on how long you keep your lawn and how much rain you have gotten (unless you water your grass).
If you tend to get a yellowed, dried-out lawn after mowing, odds are you’re cutting your grass too short. Some people like to keep their grass short like a putting-green, but this requires a lot of extra work and attention not to mention a specific type of grass. Instead of keeping your mower set to the lowest setting try moving it up.
The first cut of the season should be with the mower deck moved to the top. The next week, go back over the lawn with you mower setting about half-way dropped. This should be a decent length that still looks well kept while not damaging the lawn. If you notice yellowing or drying out, move the mower up a little bit over subsequent weeks, if it seems like it can go shorter, drop the deck a little more over subsequent weeks.
Soooo How Often Should You Mow the Lawn?
If you skip watering your lawn, then your actual schedule of mowing is gonna rely on Mother Nature. If you have had a decent amount of rain, then it is probably smart to mow your grass weekly as it is gong to grow quickly. However, in times that rainfall is minimal, every two weeks will be more beneficial. Over mowing will cause patches to dry out and eventually die off.
The reason it is suggested to start your mowing at a higher height and shorten it as you go is because of a general rule not to cut more than 1/3 of the grass’s height. Basically if you’re aiming for a 3 inch lawn (this is generally considered to be a healthy height for most types of grass) you should mow your grass when it reaches 4.5 inches. This is also why a weekly mowing schedule is generally the best way to go.
The top of the grass is the healthiest part of the blade, so that is why it is important not to let it overgrow. If it gets too long and you cut off too much at one time, you are essentially depleting the lawn of it’s nutrients.
Other Useful Info
There are a lot of factors that go into the health of a lawn besides mowing. It is important that your blades are SHARP. A dulled blade will tear the grass instead of cutting it (more on the importance of sharp blades here). If you cannot sharpen the blades yourself, there are many places that will sharpen them for you. Our store has an in-house service shop that does blade sharpening.
Don’t bag up your grass every time you mow your lawn. The process of cutting the grass and leaving the clippings on the lawn is called mulching. It is recommended that you mulch twice and bag once. You should basically only bag your grass once a month because the clippings can help restore nutrients to the soil. They also assist in shading the ground to help protect your roots.
