Grass Roots and Mowing the Lawn

Grass Height

• Grass blades need to be a certain height during the growing season to keep it healthy, which in turn prevents weeds from choking out the grass. The grass blades need to be long enough with enough surface area to allow photosynthesis, which nourishes the root system. Buffalo grass, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue and fine leaf fescues need to have 2- to 3-inch-long blades to stay healthy and able to outcompete weed species. When you mow your lawn, remove only 1/3 inch off the top.

Frequency of Mowing

• Grass that has grown to 4 or 5 inches long will need frequent mowing to achieve a height of 2 to 3 inches long. Mow the grass the first day, removing only 1/3 inch off the top. Three to four days later, mow the grass again, again removing only 1/3 inch off the top. If you keep up this frequency of mowing, you can achieve an acceptable grass height without stressing the grass by removing too much at one time.

Pattern Mowing

• Mowing the grass in alternating patterns will prevent the grass blades from lying down in one direction all the time. Rotate directions each time you mow the grass. One time, mow the grass east to west and the next time mow the grass south to north. This keeps the grass blades erect, giving them uniform access to sunlight, which is needed for photosynthesis. This mowing method also prevents you from missing blades of grass that may have remained flattened after the last mowing.

Recommendations

• Never mow the grass when it is wet because the lawn mower can rip the grass blades right out of the soil. Always use a mower with sharp blades. Dull blades rip the blades of grass, which leaves the blades open to disease or browning from the stress of tearing.