How to Grow Low Grass

Low grasses grow a maximum of 6 to 8 inches tall, requiring little to no mowing. Besides providing a low-maintenance lawn, a low-grass option also helps you to conserve energy if you use a gas or electrical lawn mower. Low grasses are usually a blend of different fescues. You also find a seed blend of flowering and broadleaf plants, such as clover, that provide a short ground cover, mixed with low-grass seeds. Like standard grass, low-mow varieties require full sun to light shade, and a well-drained site. One difference is that low grass thrives on low nitrogen.

Sod cutter (optional)
10-10-10 fertilizer
Shovel
Rototiller (optional)
Low-grass seeds
Slow-release balanced fertilizer
Lawn mower (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Grow low grass in a weed-free, grass-free bed. Hoe the site or use a machine called a sod cutter, available for rent, to remove the top 3 inches of soil, quickly eliminating the vegetation present.
- 2
  Incorporate 1 pound 10-10-10 fertilizer per 1,000 square feet of seedbed into the soil. Use a shovel or rent a rototiller to work a large area. Sow the seeds in late summer to mid-fall to avoid competition with the weeds that vigorously emerge in spring.
- 3
  Irrigate the young seedlings once a day until they become established. The low grass is established if you cannot uproot the plants when you pull them by hand. At that point, hydrate the lawn when it begins to wilt, giving it 1 inch water.
- 4
  Feed the grass a slow-release fertilizer with equal parts nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Apply 1 pound per 1,000 square feet once a year in early spring. Skip fertilization if the low grass is thriving without it.
- 5
  Mow the lawn only if you want to reduce its height. If you'd like to remove the seed heads that appear at the end of spring, cut the grass back to 4 inches. From then on, you have the option of not mowing again for the rest of the season.

How to Restart a Grass Lawn

White Powder on the Grass

Growing Grass