Hi Turf Doctor team,
I have a question about lawn mowing cut height. I usually mow my lawn once or twice a week in the summer, and sometimes (due to how quickly it’s growing) it’s shorter after a mow than others. Is there such as thing as mowing my lawn TOO short? Should I be watching out for this? And what are the consequences?
Thanks,
Dan
Hey Dan,
You’re right to be mindful of mowing your lawn too short. Mowing once or twice a week in the summer sounds good, but it’s more about the height you cut it to than the exact frequency. Here’s the thing:
Mowing too short can stress your grass. It’s forced to draw on reserve energy stores, which starves the plant and stunts its growth.
Shorter grass means less shade for the roots. This can lead to them drying out, especially in hot weather.
Shorter grass is more susceptible to weeds and pests. They love bare patches of soil, and short grass leaves more of that exposed.
So, how short is too short? It depends on your grass type, but a good rule of thumb is to remove no more than one-third of the grass blade at a time. This keeps it healthy and allows it to recover quickly.
Here are some signs you might be mowing too short:
The grass feels spongy or soft when you walk on it.
You see a lot of brown patches or dead spots.
Weeds and moss are popping up more frequently.
What to do if you think you’ve gone overboard? Well, it’s highly unlikely to be the end for your lawn, so don’t stress it.
Just adjust your mower height for the next cut and let the grass grow a bit longer. You can also help it recover by watering deeply and less frequently (which encourages the grass to grow deeper roots) and maybe adding some lawn fertiliser.
All that to say, you can still carry on with your lawn mowing routine. What’s more important is that you adjust your mower’s height of cut accordingly.
Hope this helps!