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Mow High For A Good Looking Lawn

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Too many homeowners don’t understand the need to mow their lawn at the proper height.  How high a lawn is mowed is dependent on the grass type.  Here is a quick reference guide:
Turfgrass Species Height in inches
Kentucky Bluegrass 2.5 to 3
Perennial Ryegrass 2.5 to 3
Fine Fescues 2.5 to 3
Tall Fescue 2.5 to 4
Bermudagrass .75 to 2(Raise in fall before 1st frost)
Centipede 1 to 1.5(Raise in fall before 1st frost)
St. Augustine 2.5 to 4
Zoysiagrass Minimum - 0.75 to 2
          In this picture we received from Tom Addington, our franchisee for lawn care services in Springfield, MO, you can easily see why you need to mow high.  Tom services the lawn on the right and it is mowed at the correct height.  The lawn on the left is mowed too short, has lots of crabgrass and is in bad shape.  Here are the reasons why you want to mow at the correct height:
  • The leaf blade is where the plant produces food through photosynthesis.  The less leaf surface available means less food production.
  • The longer grass blade will shade the ground underneath, keeping it cooler and therefore moister for a longer time.  That means you have to water less often.
  • The longer grass blades, by shading the ground underneath, will reduce the amount of sunlight that filters through to weed seeds, keeping them from germinating.  Therefore, your lawn will have fewer weeds.
  • It is a natural balance of nature that the roots will correspond in depth to the height of the plant.  Mowing higher will allow the plant to develop longer, deeper roots.
Raise your mowing height.  Your lawn will look better if you do.