The cooperative extension service at the University of Arkansas recommends a mowing height of 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches for Kentucky bluegrass. According to Ohio State University Extension, a height of 2 to 2 1/2 inches is suitable for spring and fall mowing and advises cutting Kentucky bluegrass between 2 1/2 and 3 inches during periods of summer stress.
Yards containing tall fescue should be mowed at a height of 2 1/2 to 4 inches, advises UA’s extension service. Ohio State specifies a height of 2 1/2 to 3 inches throughout the mowing season. Grasses suitable for cutting shorter include Bermuda grass and zoysia grass. You can cut them to 1 to 2 inches with a rotary mower or half an inch to 1 inch with a reel mower.
Set a mower height of 2 1/2 to 3 inches for fine fescues and perennial rye grass in the summer and 2 to 2 1/2 inches in the spring and fall. St. Augustine grass needs a height of 2 1/2 to 4 inches throughout the mowing season.
When mowing, use a different pattern to cut the grass than you did the previous time you mowed the lawn. This prevents grass from being repeatedly pushed in a single direction. Mow when the grass is dry so clippings are evenly distributed. “Disease organisms are more easily spread in wet turf, and fresh-cut leaf blades offer a point of entry for infection,” warns the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. When proper mowing practices are followed, mulching grass clippings in the yard can reduce the need for fertilizer.