Regular spring mowing (4–5 cm)
Once growth picks up in mid-spring, mow weekly to 4–5 cm. Never remove more than a third at once.
- When
- Apr 16 – May 31 (northern hemisphere) · Oct 16 – Nov 30 (southern)
- Repeat
- Every 7 days
- For
- Cool-season lawns (ryegrass, fescue, bluegrass)
- Needs
- mower
- Rule
- sp-regular-mow · Hessayon; RHS; Mellor
Once growth picks up in mid-spring, mow weekly to 4–5 cm — start right after the first cut, don't wait for May. The 1/3 rule: never remove more than a third at once.
How often
Spring is when cool-season grass grows fastest. From mid-April, mow about once a week, and more often in a growth surge. Start right after the first cut; if you wait until May, the grass gets too long and you are forced to take off too much at once.
How high
4–5 cm, about 1½–2 in, for a typical family lawn of ryegrass, fescue and bluegrass. Fine ornamental lawns can go lower; shaded areas should stay higher.
The one-third rule
Never take off more than a third of the leaf in one cut. To finish at 4 cm, mow before the grass passes 6 cm. Cutting more than a third stresses the plant, browns the tips and thins the lawn.
Good habits
- Use a sharp blade; a torn tip browns within a day.
- Mow when the grass is dry.
- Change direction each time so the grass does not lean one way and the wheels do not rut.
- Collect clippings if they lie in clumps; fine clippings can be left to return nutrients.
From June, raise the cut; see mowing height in summer.
Sources
- D.G. Hessayon — The Lawn Experthessayon
- Royal Horticultural Society — lawn guidancerhs
- David Mellor — The Lawn Biblemellor