In a perfect world, we’d never have to mow our lawns to keep them in top condition. However, clipping your grass as short as possible isn’t a good solution to the problem of mowing. Choosing the wrong clipping height can lead to unsightly brown spots, or cause you to replant your lawn entirely. On the other hand, leaving your grass too tall can lead to other problems. When considering optimal clipping height, you’ll also need to account for sloped areas and any small hills or ground features that are not readily apparent.
Hazards associated with clipping your lawn too short
Even though grass plants grow very close together, it’s important to remember that each blade of grass represents an individual plant. Therefore, if you cut them too close to the ground, they may not be able to recover. In addition, if your lawn mower blade is not sharp enough, it can cause the grass to develop the equivalent your hair's split ends. As you may expect, the grass plants won’t be able to grow correctly after suffering this kind of damage.
Clipping your lawn too close will also cause a situation where the lawn dries out faster. Even if you water your lawn regularly, heat from the sun will cause it to evaporate before it can reach the grass roots. In addition, because the water doesn’t have a chance to reach the soil, it may contribute to fungal growth on the grass plant before it evaporates. This, in turn, may encourage insects and other pests to invade your lawn.
Problems associated with infrequent mowing and leaving too much grass
Yes, finding time to maintain your lawn can be difficult. After all, who wants to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon working outside? Unfortunately, if your grass gets too tall or if your mower blade isn’t set to remove enough grass, you’ll likely to be plagued by weeds. Aside from dandelions, your lawn may become a seasonal carpet of everything from Queen Anne’s lace to clover and ragweed. Because weeds grow faster, you may even find that the grasses are choked out altogether.
Grass that is too tall will also attract rodents, snakes, and insects. This can be especially dangerous if you have small children or pets that like to play in your yard. While mowing your lawn will get rid of the snakes, rodents can be quite difficult to get rid of once they start nesting. Remember that scene from Caddyshack? Spending a day hunting down gophers isn’t a great way to spend your weekend either.
With a little attention to detail to your lawn’s particular needs, you can identify the mowing height that best suits your lawn care needs. Because each species of grass has special requirements, follow the specific directions listed on the seed bags. If you didn’t plant the lawn or don’t know what type of grass you’re dealing with, it’s best to check with a local lawn and garden store or with your county extension agency. They’ll be able to give you some basic guidelines for what clipping heights will work best in your area.
