This Is How Often You Should Really Be Mowing Your Lawn in the Summertime

A lush, full lawn is the foundation for great curb appeal, and it also provides an enjoyable place to relax and play. Your mowing habits are crucial in achieving these goals. “Mowing is an integral part of maintaining a healthy lawn, and if done correctly, it allows a lawn to grow thick and full throughout the season," Phil Catron, founder and president of NaturaLawn of America, says.

Spring lawn care mostly consists, of getting your yard ready for summer. However, during the dog days of summer, Catron explains that Mother Nature is hot and dry, and proper mowing practices are especially important.

Knowing how often you should mow your lawn—which depends on a variety of factors—can help to keep it looking good even under the most stressful summer conditions.

How Often Should You Mow Your Lawn in the Summer?

As a general rule, you probably only need to mow every five to seven days, according to Lori Johnson, president at The Grounds Guys, a Neighborly company. She acknowledges that there are other factors (discussed below) that will affect this timeline, but this is a general rule of thumb to follow.

One problem that Catron sees is homeowners mowing their lawn even if they don't need to. “In the summer, lawns typically go dormant, or slow down their growth and require less frequent mowing due to higher heat and less water," he explains. His advice is to mow your lawn when the previous mowing lines are no longer visible.

Factors That Determine How Often You Should Mow Your Lawn

Lawn height

When your mowing lines aren't visible, it’s likely because your lawn has grown in height. According to George Reister, director of product management, residential CSU at Husqvarna, the best time to mow your lawn is when the grass has grown enough to trim off one third of the leaf blade. “If you wait too long and take more than one third of the leaf, the turf becomes stressed and prone to disease,” he warns. Reister also notes that this is particularly true in regions with dry summers. “The lack of moisture increases the time it takes for recovery from a cut that was too deep,” he explains.

Catron agrees, and says mowing in thirds is a good rule to follow. “Never remove more than one third of the leaf tissue, since food production in the plant takes place mostly in the leaf tissue.” If you remove too much grass, you’re putting added stress on the plant—and Catron warns that the result is a weakened plant that is more susceptible to heat stress, drought, diseases, and insects.

Mowing height is such a critical factor, but may not always be something that every homeowner   considers. Understandably, you may be thinking that the shorter the mow, the less likely that the lawn will get out of hand. However, when lawn grasses are mowed too short, Catron explains that the plants compensate by shortening their root system. “The shorter the root system, the more water and nutrients will be needed to maintain a healthy lawn,” he says.

Grass type

The type of grass you have will also play a role in determining how often to cut it. Reister recommends consulting the local turf experts at your nursery or garden center. “They can help you determine the healthiest height-of-cut for your particular grass variety and cut often enough to avoid ever taking more than one-third of the leaf in signal cutting,” he says.

But as a general rule, Reister says Northern grasses, like tall fescue and bluegrass will thrive at heights between 4 inches to 5.5 inches tall. This is beceause these grass types grow roots as deep as the height of the blade but no deeper, Reister says, explaining that deeper roots are more drought resistant and crowd out weeds better. “Then in fall, gradually reduce the height of the cut to around 3.5 inches to help prevent winter diseases and molds from forming under snow and ice.”

On the other hand, Reister notes that Southern grasses grow more like a vine, and do not benefit from growing higher. “In fact, they are best kept much shorter to promote spread and fill in," Reister says. "St. Augustine grows well between 2 inches and 4.5 inches, and zoysia prefers between 1.5 inches and 3 inches.” But during dormant periods, Reister explains that as a result of their root structure, grass in southern climates benefit from growing an extra inch during dormant periods—which helps to protect roots from cold water and also reduce weeds.

When in doubt, however, Catron recommends mowing high. This is a safer bet than mowing too low and putting your grass in stress.

Time of day

How often you mow your lawn is important, but the time of day is a crucial factor as well. For example, if you mow in the heat of the day, you may get a good workout, but Catron warns that it’s hard on the grass plant. “Mowing the lawn in the evening when it is cooler is much better for the health of the plant,” he says.

Many homeowners like to mow in the morning before it gets hot. However, Catron explains that in the morning, there tends to be a high level of humidity that leaves dew on the lawn. “Mowing a wet lawn may increase fungal activity and should be avoided.” And there’s another reason Catron is against mowing in the morning. “It can lead to clumping, and generally makes a mess.”

More mowing tips 

Mow with a sharp blade

While sharp blades cut the leaf tissue, dull blades will tear the leaf. “Think of cutting a piece of paper with sharp scissors versus tearing a piece of paper with your hands,” Catron says. The piece of paper torn with your hands will have rough edges, and this is also what happens with grass plants.

And tearing leads to a multitude of problems. “Mowing with a dull blade opens the plant to disease activity, water loss, and a generally unkempt appearance,” Catron explains. He recommends sharpening the blades often and when needed. In addition, Catron suggests looking closely at the tips of your grass plants to make sure you are getting a clean cut.

Leave the clippings

As you’re cutting the lawn, should you leave the grass clippings or not? Catron recommends leaving them instead of bagging them, because the former is healthier for your lawn. “Clippings are full of nutrients and moisture, two things your lawn needs in the summer.” And since they decompose rather quickly, the clippings won’t make your lawn look unkempt. 

“The only time grass clippings should be removed is when there is disease activity, or the lawn is so long that clumps are left by all the clippings," Catron says. In these scenarios, the clippings will smother the plants underneath and can kill the grass.