Final mow before dormancy (warm-season)

Why raise the height

Warm-season grasses go dormant when the soil cools in late autumn, and the leaves turn straw brown. Those brown leaves still protect the crowns, the growing points at soil level, from frost and drying winter winds. A slightly taller canopy over winter gives better protection and a healthier green-up in spring.

When and how

• Over the last few cuts in October and November, raise the mower one notch above your summer height.
• Give the final mow when growth has stopped, on a dry day.
• Collect clippings and keep leaves off the lawn.

Brown is normal

A dormant Bermuda or Zoysia lawn is brown, not dead. Do not water it to make it green or feed it nitrogen; neither works, and both feed winter weeds. Keep foot traffic light, especially on frosty mornings, and wait for spring.

In spring the brown layer comes off again with a scalp at green-up.