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How to cut grass properly

A beautiful lawn is never arrived at by accident and mowing is one of the key processes by which it can be achieved. The two guiding principles you should follow are mowing height and mowing frequency. Steve Welch, lawn care expert at TruGreen explains why:

Mowing height

A lawn cut at the correct height has more ability to absorb and use nutrients efficiently, will stay greener in adverse conditions, minimise weed germination and have greater resistance to diseases. Weeds and weed grasses can dominate if the lawn is too short as it exposes bare areas of soil allowing for them to take hold. A taller grass length shades the soil and is an excellent weed prevention tool.

Recommended heights of cut

For coarse grass types which are commonly found in family gardens the following rules apply:

• Winter, spring and autumn – 1 ½ inches or 38 mm
• Summer – 1 inch or 25 mm

For fine leaved varieties more common on an ornamental lawn:

• Winter, spring and autumn – ¾ inch or 19 mm
• Summer – ½ inch or 13 mm

Mowing frequency

Lawns grow at different rates depending on the season. During the spring and autumn your lawn produces more grass and your mowing calendar should mirror this. Start regularly mowing around the end of February, after the snow and as the weather becomes more clement. Every 10 days should be fine in the spring and autumn, becoming more regular as growth intensifies. During the winter you can reduce this down to once a month from November to January. Generally you should adopt a little and often approach to your mowing and ensure you sharpen your mower blades at least once a year.