Once your grass and weeds have grown to a considerable level, it’s time to dethatch or mow your lawn. Mowing is a job you need to do regularly to keep your grass in a presentable form. Using a properly functioning lawnmower to cut your lawn saves time and embellishes your yard if operated properly. There are various types and models of lawnmowers ranging from simple push lawnmowers to heavy-duty riding lawnmowers. Depending on the model you choose, the functionality will vary. Years ago, there were only gas-operated models. Now you can choose between electric and cordless mowers, that can do the job as well.
After some market research, you have opted for a lawnmower that is suitable for your needs. The next step is to start using it. When you begin, it is important to cut the grass at an optimal height. If you trim the grass too low, there is a potential risk that your lawn is more susceptible to weeds or can be damaged easily by heat. On the other hand, if cut too high, it does not look nice. And grass could cause difficulties during the next mowing session.
How to measure the Lawnmower cutting height, step by step:
- Step 1: Identify the grass type in your yard
- Step 2: Make a few measurements and adjust the lawnmower accordingly
- Step 3: Do some test Mowing
- Step 4: Check the height, and adjust if needed
Knowledge about the optimal lawnmower cutting height is a necessary prerequisite for good mowing. In this blog post, we will further investigate this problem and give tips and answers.
Contents
Measure the lawnmower cutting height in 4 easy steps.
● Step 1: Identify the grass type in your yard
Before you start mowing is a necessary prerequisite is to inspect your lawn. By inspecting, we mean knowing what kind of grass is present in your yard. This step is crucial in determining the best cutting height for your lawnmower.
Grasses could be categorized into numerous classes depending upon the climate, location, and soil type. This article will take a general approach and only discuss the cool-season grasses and the warm-season grasses.
Fine and tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, Perennial ryegrass are a few examples of cool-season grasses. They should be cut to a height ranging between 0.75 inches to 4 inches. Bahiagrass, centipede grass, and Bermuda grasses are examples of warm-season grasses. The optimums recommended height for them ranges from 0.5 inches to 3 inches.
● Step 2: Make a few measurements and adjust accordingly
For the second step, it is necessary to have a ruler or a measuring tape. With a ruler’s help, measure the specific point where the mower’s housing hits the ruler. Always keep in mind that the housing is the point under which lawnmower blades would not cut any grass.
We will adjust the mower’s height in the coming steps such that the finally the grass is cut at the ideal height. Once you have found it, note it so that you can use this in the future.
The height adjustment may vary from brand and model and the lawnmower type. It is recommended to check the user manual to see how it needs to be done in your case. For smaller lawnmowers, the basic procedure to adjust the lawnmower’s height is by pulling the adjustment lever near the wheel. Bigger sitting lawnmowers usually have a big leaver that sets the height.
● Step 3: Do some test mowing
Once you have followed the step mentioned above, it is time to put your adjustments to the test. Choose a small patch for a test, and start mowing it with your just-made adjustments.
● Step 4: Check the height, and adjust if needed
Once you have mowed the test patch, measure the height of the cut grass with a ruler. Compare it with some uncut grass. Inspect that whether the cut grass has the correct height, as you had planned. If the height is not what you anticipated, readjust the height and try again.
Tips for Cutting the grass at the Right Height.
● Tip 1: Follow the one third rule
The one-third rule is a general rule of thumb that states that you should not cut more than 1/3 of the height. This helps to keep the grass healthy and strong.
The grass’s ideal height depends upon the type of grass in your lawn. If you know it, you can let it grow a third more than this perfect height. After mowing, you are left with the ideal recommended height. You can keep continuing this process of letting it grow a third more and then cutting it to the perfect height.
As it is difficult to go out again and again and measure the height of the grass, there is a tip that would make things easier for you. Draw a line across one of the lawnmower’s tires that stands one third above the ideal height. Draw an arrow to show the up or down direction. When you think that mowing is needed, bring your mower out and see where the grass stands in relation to the line you had made.
● Tip 2: Cut to the right height
When you want to start mowing, you should follow a good process. Just aimlessly starting to mow your lawn, instead of adorning the yard, will make it look disheveled. Before mowing, you should make sure that the height is neither too high nor too low. A low height could result in stressing the grass, while a higher height does not look pleasant.
● Tip 3: Avoid scheduling the mowing sessions
Although scheduling your garden tasks is an excellent method to get the most out of your time. In the case of lawnmowing, following a weekly schedule is not recommended. It is better to start mowing when needed after inspecting your lawn and checking the grass’s height. If the height exceeds more than a third of its ideal height (which depends on the grass type) start mowing.
The reason why scheduling doesn’t work in mowing is that the grass height lawn greatly depends on the weather and other conditions. The grass’s growth rate varies a lot. So instead of following a weekly mowing schedule, inspecting the height of grass regularly is recommended.
● Tip 4: Sharpen the blades
Make sure that your lawnmower blades are always sharp before you start mowing. Sharp blades are necessary for a clean and fine cut to your needed height. If the blades are dull or blunt, no matter how well you have adjusted the lawnmower’s cutting height, there will always be unfine cuts and stressing of the grass.
Make certain that you handle the blades with care and caution when you are going to sharpen them. Using safety gloves in this regard is highly recommended.
● Tip 5: Mow at the right time
Choosing the time to mow your lawn is also crucial if you are looking for a fine-cut result. Most people prefer to perform mowing during the daytime. However, this is not the best time for your grass. It is better to mow your lawn in the early evening when the grass is dry. If you use your lawnmower on wet grass, the soil’s moisture and the wet grass will make mowing much more difficult. The grass will stick everywhere and clog your mower. Morning time is never recommended, except when the grass is really dry at that time. Wait for the due to leave. Another reason why mowing during the daytime is sometimes not recommended is when it is really hot. Excess heat ads stress on the grass.
Thus, early evening is highly recommended as the grass is moisture-free at that time, and there will be no or less stress on grass due to heat. The grass can then further recover overnight.
● Tip 6: Change Things up
When mowing, it is recommended not to follow the same pattern every time. This may cause the soil to get more compact, further resulting in ruts that ultimately result in stunted growth and grass development. Weeds prefer to grow in compacted soil. Try to change the pattern and direction you mow between the sessions.
Final Remarks:
If you want to achieve a nice, healthy, and attractive lawn, you must maintain it well. Regular mowing is one of those tasks. To achieve a good result, you need to know the best cutting height. To understand this, you first need to know the type of grass you have. You can find out the best target height with the grass type, and you can start measuring how to set your lawnmower to achieve it.
We discussed the needed steps to adjust the lawnmower and achieve a good result. The second part of this article gave helpful tips and techniques that would help with your mowing process. And helps to keep your grass healthy and weed-free.