How often should I mow my lawn?
Brisbane has a lot of things going for it. But one of the best is the weather. After all, we get to enjoy nearly year-round sunshine. Of course, it’s not just people that enjoy all that good sunny weather. Your lawn does too. And a lot of sun often means a lot of growing.
How often should I mow my lawn?
Because lawns can grow quickly (and just as quickly get out of control!), many of our customers come to us asking ‘how often should I mow my lawn?’ It’s a good question. If we had to give an answer with no other information, then we’d advise every one to two weeks (in summer). But really, the right answer depends on a variety of factors.
How long is the grass?
Getting out into the garden is good fun (especially with a beer in hand) and it’s good for your mental health (to switch off from your busy fast-paced life). But most importantly, it helps you get to know your lawn a little better.
The best way for you to answer the question ‘how often should I mow my lawn’ for yourself is by taking the time to the check out its length. The general rule of thumb is that your lawn should live at around 3cm in summer and around 6cm in winter. You can generally determine a good time to mow it then by following the golden one-third rule.
The Golden One-Third Rule
The golden one-third rule simply advises that lawns do best when they are cut by one-third their length. So, if you’re maintaining your lawn at around the 6cm mark, then you’ll want to mow it when it reaches 9cm. If you’re maintaining it at the 3cm mark, then you’ll want to mow it when it reaches the 4.5cm mark.
It’s important not to mow your grass by more than one third even if it is quite long. If you do have long grass, then it’s best to mow by one-third, then wait a few days and mow again. You can repeat this process until your lawn is right where you think it should be (that’s cricket pitch ready, right?).
It’s important to remember that letting your lawn get too long is not good for it. It can block off sun to the lower parts of the turf, and when you finally do mow can cause more stress. A well-maintained, manicured lawn is often healthier than a long, lush-looking lawn.
What kind of turf do I have?
The type of turf you have will impact how often you should be mowing because each will have its own requirements for optimal health.
For example, Nullarbor Couch needs a dedicated maintenance program but requires less mowing than other varieties. On the other hand, beautiful and hard-wearing Palmetto Buffalo grass will need to be mowed every 7-10 days in warmer months (and cut to a shorter length). And emerald-green Empire Zoysia turf requires little maintenance all around, and may only need to be mowed every three to four weeks.
What season is it?
Your lawn is going to grow more quickly in the spring and summer than in the winter and autumn. So, if you’ve set yourself a mowing schedule it’s a good idea to change that each season.
In winter you will only need to mow your lawn occasionally. In fact, it may go dormant, and if that’s the case you won’t want to mow it at all. If your lawn continues to grow, and you feel it needs a mow, then don’t cut it as short as you might in other growing seasons. Taller grass develops deeper roots, and the longer leaves help promote photosynthesis.
That being said, in warm climates like Queensland, we can have a very long growing season. So certainly don’t assume that just because it’s winter you won’t need to mow. Watch your grass and cut it when it needs it.
When it comes to the other growing seasons, spring is a good time to get your lawn growing to ‘crowd out’ any weeds. By summer, your lawn is more likely to grow quickly, requiring regular trims to keep the turf healthy and thriving. When it gets to autumn, you can begin to adjust your mowing schedule to take into account the slower growth and as you prepare your lawn for winter.
Top 5 Tips
While there’s no exact formula to answer the question, ‘how often should I mow my lawn’, here are our top five tips:
- Get to know your lawn variety and set a regular mowing schedule.
- Aim for 3cm length in summer and 6cm length in winter.
- Never cut more than one third of the grass with each mow.
- Adjust your mowing schedule in response to the seasons.
- Your best guide is the length of your grass!
We’ve got much more than just lawn tips and if you’re still wanting more head over to our product info page. Perhaps you’d like to know our 7 tips for keeping your lawn green this summer, or read our ‘how to’ guide on top dressing your lawn? Keep tabs on our how to page to find helpful blog posts like this and more. And if there’s anything else, remember you can contact the expert team at Rock n Soil any time!