How short should i cut my grass?

How short should I cut my grass

We've all been there before and we're all guilty of it. How short should I cut my grass? It's an honest question and you may be right or wrong. In short, it all depends on your grass type! I used to think grass is grass but here in Junction City Kansas, not so much. Being a southern native, I'm used to Bermuda grass and how short it can be cut. Well, to my surprise, you CANNOT CUT COOL SEASON GRASS AS SHORT AS WARM SEASON GRASS! So a little on Northern (cool season) grass and Southern grass(warm season). Cool season grass can grow during the cooler temperatures such as hardiness zones 5 through 9. When the ground reaches 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit the grass blades soon follow with growth. This is heightened when the air temperature ranges between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Zones 7 through 10, respond to soil temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit for normal spring growth.

So how do you know what grass type you have? Bermuda, Fescue, Rye, etc. Bermuda (warm season grass) will have vine-like "runners". Basically Bermuda grass spreads very easily and it's one of the only grasses that can spread and repair a bare lawn. However, it is VERY INVASIVE! If you don't like Bermuda, you will have a hard time killing it and planting a different grass type. So here's the answer you’ve been waiting for . You can cut Bermuda grass (warm season) at 0.5 to 2.5 inches. Yes you can cut it that short. Look at some golf greens and see how green and short the grass is. Now they provide TONS OF CARE for those greens but that’s another story for another time. Bermuda has stolons and this helps the Bermuda crawl/creep along the lawn. It repairs the lawn on it own hence the "runners". If you cut Bermuda grass from 4'' to 2'', you risk your lawn looking really unhealthy and diseased. The typical rule for any grass cutting service is to remove only 1/3 of the height.

Cool Season grass is a little different. As mentioned above, it thrives on cooler temperatures and there are many different types of cool season grasses. One of the most dominant and beautiful grasses here in Junction City Kansas is Tall Fescue. It stripes very well and has a professional manicured look when cut professionally. It's also different when it comes to fertilization. Warm season grass needs more fertilizer per 1,000 square feet. Tall fescue has many varieties such as creeping fescue, Kentucky blue fescue, Kentucky 31, Red Fescue, and the list goes on. Each species has its pros and cons such as high foot traffic via pets/family. So here’s the truth you've been waiting for. How low should I cut my cool season grass? You should cut it between 3.5 to 4.5". You may be thinking, "why so much difference in cut height". In the Spring, cut it at 3.5 but in the Summer, it's hotter and you need to make sure you don't stress it too much by cutting it too short. It goes dormant around 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Well I hope that clears things up on the cut height. It's a simple yet easy guide in the right direction. Happy mowing!