How A Perfect Lawn Mower Height Setting Can Preserve Your Soil?
Being a lawn owner, you must want your lawn to be healthy and perfect. To achieve a vibrant and resilient lawn, you have to ensure suitable mowing to remove thatches and dead grasses.
Mowing also assures you even grass length which is very demanding to all lawn owners. But the lawn mower height setting must be accurate to achieve all these suitability.
This article will assist you in this case by informing you how to set your mower height according to various criteria.
What’re The Benefits Of Lawn Mower Height Setting?
To maintain a chic and charming lawn, you can’t overstate the importance of lawn mower height setting. It not only makes your lawn look good but also nourishes the soil health. Here we have stated some of its notable necessities–
- Provides healthier grass with the same length
- Enhances the beauty of your lawn
- Prevents pest as well as drought
- Ensures seasonal adaptation
- Protects from disease
- Inhibits weed development
What are the Factors to Consider in Lawn Mower Height Setting?
Effective mowing depends on the appropriate mower height setting. So, you must be careful when to adjust the height. Here are some criteria that must be followed in this case –
Root length depends on mowing height
Here is a 3x rule that defines – the root length will enlarge 3 times more than the mowing length. For example – if you mow at 3 inches, the root will enlarge 9 inches into the soil.
Golden rule
According to this rule, lawn mower height setting must be done depending on the grass variety and the season. Like – for cool-season grass, the golden height can vary between 25 and 100 mm, while for warm-season grass, it can be between 10 and 75 mm.
Seasonal difference
Due to the difference in sunlight length, the mower height setting varies in different seasons. But never mow more than the half length of the grass as it may lead to desiccation. The following chart will help you to set mower the mower height in different seasons –
| Season | Mowing length |
| Spring | Cool-season grass: 3-4’’ |
| Warm-season grass: 2-2.5’’ | |
| Summer | Cool-season grass: 3-3.5’’ |
| Warm-season grass: 2-2.5’’ | |
| Fall | Cool-season grass: 2.5’’ |
| Warm-season grass:1.5-2’’ |
Grass variety
Various grass types will need various mowing lengths. You must ensure that the cut is not too short to lead to dehydration. You must mow as if you are pruning to make your lawn eye-catching. This table shows mowing height according to different grass varieties –
| Grass variety | Height to mow at (inch) | How high to cut (inch) |
| Perennial Ryegrass | 4-6 | 3-4 |
| Kentucky Bluegrass | 4-6 | 3-4 |
| Fine Fescue | 4-6 | 3-4 |
| Tall Fescue | 4-6 | 3-4 |
| Zoysia Grass | 3-4 | 2-2.5 |
| Bermuda Grass | 3-4 | 2-2.5 |
| Centipede Grass | 3-4 | 2-2.5 |
| St. Augustine Grass | 3-4 | 2-2.5 |
How To Set the Lawn Mower Height Perfectly?
As the height of the grass determines the depth of the root, it is important to adjust the mower height perfectly. The steps you need to follow to adjust the lawn mower height setting are here for you –
Place the mower on a plane surface
You should always set the mower height placing it on a plane surface so that the height is measured evenly.
Measure the distance between grass and blade
Determine how far the grass surface is from the reel mower’s bed-knife or the rotary mower’s blade.
Adjust the lever position
You will find a lever with all four wheels. You can adjust the mower height by raising or lowering the lever.
To raise the height, first lift the deck of the mower and release the lever. Then slide it down and lock it to settle.
Make sure that all four levers are set at the same height. You will need not more than 30 seconds to adjust the height.
Ensure the height is enough
To do so, you just need a short strip or card just as the same height as the new setting and place it on the soil surface. The grass must not be shorter than the strip or card.
Never mow at less than 3 inches
Mowing at 3 inches or more will keep your lawn healthy by enhancing root depth and promoting water absorption. It will also inhibit weed seeds from growing by shading them.
Why There Is Variation Between Different Place’s Lawn Mower Heights?
Different lawn mower height is often found in different places and one of the most common examples is the golf course. It is always seen that the grass height here is way shorter than the residential areas.
This is because the grass variety is different in golf courses from residential areas. More often it is the Bent grass which is mowed above 1 inch by rotary mower and below 1 inch by reel mower. It is quite shorter than house lawn grass.
Frequently Asked Questions -FAQs
What is the ideal lawn mower height?
The ideal lawn mower height for most grass is thought to be 2-3 inches. But scientifically 3-4 inches is preferred.
What is the 1/3 rule of using a lawn mower?
It determines that you should never mow more than 1/3 of the grass length as it harms the grass health.
Why mowing too short is not preferable?
It is because it upsets the grass health by hampering the balance between grass blade and root. It also lowers the beauty of your lawn.
How high should the new grass be mowed?
Remove about 1/2 to 3/4 inch initially to give your lawn an even appearance. After their growth, use the highest mowing height to cut them and avoid cutting them more than 1/3 of the blade at a time.
Why is it good to keep the grass height longer in summer?
It is good because in summer the longer blades provide shade to the soil as well as prevent desiccation.
