How Much Grass Length can be Taken Off Safely During Summer Mowing?

Summertime in the Southeast can present a challenge for keeping your lawn healthy and green. The mowing schedule and the height of the cut will need to be tailored to the current conditions in Greenville, SC. So, how much grass length can be taken off safely during summer mowing? The answer will depend, but experienced lawn care professionals will know how to make this call.

How much grass length can be taken off safely during summer mowing?
Since Southeastern summer weather conditions can range from hot and dry to hot, humid, and rainy, the specific length to be removed can possibly be different for each mowing. The safe answer to this question is that one should never remove more than one-third of the blade length at one time. A safe summer length for most grasses will be between 3 and 3 ½ inches. The detailed answer for how much grass length can be taken off safely during summer mowing depends on the following:

Precipitation    
Wet and rainy
As we all know, summer can sometimes bring with it a large amount of rain and humidity. These conditions are great for growing grass, but the mowing schedule may have to be increased during these times. In rainy conditions, it may be necessary to mow once a week, and if the grass is growing quickly, the amount taken off will be greater than in slower growing conditions. For example, if you are trying to keep the length at 3 inches and you have had a wet and rainy week, a third of the blade may be over an inch.
    
Hot and dry
When the weather has been hot and dry, the grass will grow slowly and may even be deprived of water. During times like this, your lawn maintenance professional may choose to mow less than usual. It is important to keep the grass at a height of 3 to 3 ½ inches, especially when the weather is hot and dry. The blade of grass provides shade and keeps the soil from baking and quickly losing all its water. These are the times when it is extremely important to take off 1/3 of the blade or less. Cutting too much off during a hot and dry period can burn up the grass and seriously harm your lawn. The results of this can range from brown, dried out grass, to a patchy lawn with dead areas. 

Growth Rate
As mentioned above, growth rate is directly related to the amount of precipitation and light that the lawn is receiving. There may be times when the lawn is growing out of control, and it seems like once-a-week mowing isn’t “cutting it”. These are the times when taking off a bit more can be safe, but it is still important never to take off more than 1/3 of the blade. Keeping the balance of a controlled lawn while leaving a safe amount of the blade will just require more frequent mowing.

So, to answer the question “How much grass length can be taken off safely during summer mowing?”, it is dependent on the conditions, but a general guideline will be to keep the grass at a length of 3 to 3 ½ inches, and never to remove more than 1/3 of the blade at once. This will contribute to a healthy and lush lawn that will look great for years to come.