What is the best height to cut grass?

Maybe you didn't spend too much time thinking about that, but there is actually a right and wrong height to cut your grass. How to do it properly and how often is important to know if you want to have a nice and neat lawn. 

Short cut

Some people will say if you cut your grass as short as you can then it will take much longer to grow back again and you won't need to mow the lawn so often. In fact, this is completely wrong. If you cut your grass too short, roots and the soil below them will be expounded and vulnerable.

If it's summer outside, the sun will burn and dry your soil and you will end up with a yellow lawn, and that's something you don't want. Another thing why you should avoid cutting grass too short is weeds that will show up very quickly and once they do, it will be a real nightmare to get rid of them.

Too long grass

Opposite the previous subtitle is longer grass. Like in the case before, some people state that you should let your grass grow and skip mowing between. This is also a bad solution mainly because it will prevent the sun from reaching the base. Long grass will be tempting to numerous insects, so avoid it at any cost. Additional work when you have long grass is a bunch of grass clippings that should be raked.

Grass type and some math

Before mowing and determining what is the best height to cut grass, you need to determine what type of grass is in your garden. There are warm-season grass and cold-season as well and each has its own peculiarities. One to two inches are a perfect range for grass height but in some cases, it can b up to four inches.

Let's put this aside, even grass type, your motivation for mowing, or season. To be sure you can just go outside and measure your grass as the first step to finding out the perfect grass height. Find a decent spot in your garden where is healthy grass and measure it. The rule is to cut about a third of what's already there. If you follow that, your grass won't be too short or too long. You may look silly doing that but this is a proven method.

Other useful tips

We mentioned why too short or too long grass is bad for your lawn but there are some tricks that can be useful. During the summer, high temperatures, and drought it's recommended to leave your grass a little bit longer in order to protect the soil. Also, before winter you can cut your grass a little bit shorter because of the snow and its effect. Shorter grass won't be folded over when the snow covers it. Make sure to purchase the right tools for your lawn and by that, we mean the best possible mower for you. Weedeater is also a good investment to keep your lawn clean and healthy.

Grass heights by season

How to cut grass in spring - in the spring you should go for a shorter cut to remove all excess from the winter and prepare your lawn for a new, fresh growing season. Cool-season grass should be cut to a height of 3+ inches while warm-season grass between 1 and 1.5 inches.

How to cut grass in summer - we already mentioned that, but with bigger temperatures in summer, grass also should be higher to protect the soil. Cool-season grass should be mowed about 3 - 3.5 inches, warm-season on the other hand about 2 - 2.5 inches. 

How to cut grass in fall - too big grass can be damaged during winter, while too short grass will be exposed to low temperatures, so in fall it's vital to find the balance between these two. Cut cool-season grass for about 2.5 inches and warm-season grass for 1.5 to 2 inches.

Final thoughts

To sum up, probably the best method for you is to get acquainted with the type of grass you have and then go outside and measure it to be sure. You can also follow the schedule by season and cut your grass like that if you are not sure. Avoid cutting grass too short or leaving it too big for the reasons already mentioned.