Typically 3” to 3.5” is used on my four acres.
Lawn Mower Blade Height
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Owen Lucas
$100 Site Donor 2023
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- Sep 5, 2021
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I have an Honda HRX 217 it has wheel height notches 1 - 6 with 1/2 settings in between.
I run it at 1.5 to keep the lawn as short as possible so I don’t have to mow it frequently.
I often run the blade through the grass into the dirt, occasionally stall the mower leaving small crop circles behind, mow in the rain, mow in the hot summer afternoon.
I break all of the mowing rules and the grass grows back quickly and looks 90% as fine as my OCD neighbor who mows every week. No fertilizers or extra care, just mow it.
I run it at 1.5 to keep the lawn as short as possible so I don’t have to mow it frequently.
I often run the blade through the grass into the dirt, occasionally stall the mower leaving small crop circles behind, mow in the rain, mow in the hot summer afternoon.
I break all of the mowing rules and the grass grows back quickly and looks 90% as fine as my OCD neighbor who mows every week. No fertilizers or extra care, just mow it.
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I cut my centipede grass higher than recommended - like a 4 of 6 on my mower. But if it starts getting weeds in it I drop it down to 2 on that part of the lawn. The weeds get burnt out but the centipede survives.
I got my 90% KGB 10% perineal RYE grass at 1.5 inches but I bought seed that can handle it. I did a full lawn renovation last August I will say KBG tests your patience it took forever to germinate and still not 100% filled in yet but getting there
I cut a couple of lawns in my neighborhood just to keep busy. My take on length is, when I cut it at 3-3.5 inches, two weeks later it looks nice but in need for a trim. Some of my customers are cheap and don't want to pay for 2 cuts a month. So they want it cut down to the dirt. I won't do that because when the summer sun burns it out, they'll say its because of what I did. In summer, I might let it go for 3 weeks between mowing. Especially if there has been no rain. The thing that makes the lawns by me look bad is, the different types of grass that grow at different rates. If they all grew the same rate, they would look beautiful even at 5 inches.,,,
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
10-4 …
I’m going for the top 1/3 - that means a 5 out of 6 - except an area near the road that clover likes - one pass on 4 helps tame that …
In the country people love to scalp the crap out of their yard here. They’ll mow it down super low so it looks like garbage. I’m not sure why they do it but it’s fairly common.
My neighborhood is all lawn service, cut weekly at 3.5” or so. I mow an acre in the back at 3.5” every couple weeks but it isn’t nice grass that gets irrigated and fertilized like what is around the house.
My neighborhood is all lawn service, cut weekly at 3.5” or so. I mow an acre in the back at 3.5” every couple weeks but it isn’t nice grass that gets irrigated and fertilized like what is around the house.
Fescue, so I mow on the highest setting.
I keep my Toro 22" recycler on the middle tab, 2.5" and I mulch.
I just bought a 3rd party blade that sits lower under the deck and thus I've moved all wheels up a full tab to 3.25".
You know the deck is too low when you hear a bunch of racket from under the deck while mowing. Sometimes I just push on and sometimes I'll jack it up, all depends on the situation.
I just bought a 3rd party blade that sits lower under the deck and thus I've moved all wheels up a full tab to 3.25".
You know the deck is too low when you hear a bunch of racket from under the deck while mowing. Sometimes I just push on and sometimes I'll jack it up, all depends on the situation.
Cutting too low leads to weeds.
The guy that spray's my dad's lawn told him he was cutting it too short, that's why he has weeds and Mushrooms popping up.
"it should be at least 3 inches"
Dads reply: " i have my deck on number 3, isn't that 3 inches?"
"no sir... you can't really go by those, you need to measure the deck height"
"it should be at least 3 inches"
Dads reply: " i have my deck on number 3, isn't that 3 inches?"
"no sir... you can't really go by those, you need to measure the deck height"
I probably have at least 8 different grass types in my 'lawn'. I usually plant fescues though. I even have some nutsedge that I use in place of grass in the shady areas that get a pass. It's a good erosion control grass like plant. Most consider it a weed though. Killed with broadleaf weed spray.
I use 1 during the late winter to scalp the St. Augustine/centipede mix. Mostly to cut the winter weeds and the grass is brown and dormant that time of year. Summertime I go up to about 3.
Don't see this much anymore, but burning the brown centipede in the late winter is a thing. Kills weeks and the centipede comes back.
Don't see this much anymore, but burning the brown centipede in the late winter is a thing. Kills weeks and the centipede comes back.
In different regions or climates, this is very normal or common. If I go to the store and buy seed from Pennington or Scott's or from a local turf/sod place, their standard mix will include Ky Bluegrass, ryegrass, fescue, and even sometimes some Bermuda (for full sun areas).
I'm curious why this is?
I know leaves will collect in the low spots and shade it out.
You'd be surprised how many people drop their mower decks down until the anti-scalp wheels touch the ground and mow at 1" then wonder why they are constantly replacing blade spindles and blades from all the rocks and stumps they find.
I typically mow 3.5"-4, it helps the grass roots grow deeper and make the grass more drought resistant,
I typically mow 3.5"-4, it helps the grass roots grow deeper and make the grass more drought resistant,
My riding mower (MTD made Troy Bilt Pony) is left at its highest setting until fall when I'm getting up leaves, then I'll sometimes put it down a little to get better suction. My grass grows better when it's mowed high. My push mowers get left at the next to the highest setting.
