Is there a perfect length to your lawn? The answer is yes, but it’s not what you may be thinking. First of all, you need to know what kind of grass you have. If you’re a new homeowner and you’re not
certain, a landscaping professional can usually tell you what type of grass you have. There are a few factors that come into play, so let’s get into it.
Don’t Cut It Too Short
Your lawn actually can be too short, even though a lot of homeowners are unaware. The common thought is, “If I mow it shorter, I can go longer in between cutting my grass.” While that’s true you may not have any grass left to cut. When you see a home with brown patches on the lawn or uneven heights to the grass, it’s because the blades are set too low. When you cut grass that short, those tiny blades fight for nutrients in the soil, sunlight, and incoming rain. Depending on the season you’re mowing, you can get away with:
½ inch tall lawns in Spring and Summer; this is the quickest time of the year for them to grow, so they have plenty of resources to grow rapidly. 1” tall in Fall and Winter. Cold inhibits the grass growth pattern, so they tend to hold onto nutrients for longer. When you hack away too much of the grass, you could be eliminating their resources. In the chilly months, it’s harder for that snipped grass to compost. It doesn’t break down easily, so the freshly-cut blades can’t absorb those nutrients.
Leave It Taller in Shaded Areas
Most of the nutrients our grass gets come from direct sunlight. If you have shaded areas of your lawn that spend less than three hours of the day with sunlight or don’t receive any at all, you have to
switch up your game.
Leave these areas ½ taller than you normally would. The grass here won’t grow as quickly. If you’re worried about your lawn looking uneven, think of this: the grass in the shaded areas of your lawn doesn’t receive as much attention from prying eyes. Furthermore, due to the lighting difference, nobody is going to tilt their head and wonder if you know what you’re doing. It will look natural.
Got a large yard to cover, or simply don’t have the time to handle it on your own? Contact the best lawn mowing Baltimore, MD company to get your quote and discuss the future of your healthy lawn.
