Did you know that the average person in the United States spends around six hours monthly mowing their lawns during key seasons? That doesn’t even count the extra hours to pull weeds, apply fertilizer, or water the lawn.

If you’re looking to save time and energy, you need to find an appropriate lawn cutting schedule that works for you and your climate. After all, your lawn doesn’t grow at the same rate all year, and you can often avoid cutting the lawn frequently during certain months.

Use the following guide to figure out, “How often should you cut your grass?”

1. Take Into Account the Type of Grass

When you’re researching how often should grass be cut, it’s easy to assume that grass is grass and that type doesn’t really matter. However, your grass type will determine the right length and will impact your mowing needs.

For example, if you have a taller grass type like Kentucky bluegrass or fescue, these only need mowed once they reach a minimum of three inches. On the other hand, shorter types like bermudagrass and centipede grass will need cut once they reach 1.5 to 2 inches.

If you’re not sure the ideal height of your grass, do some quick research before you set your mowing schedule. You can also consult a lawn care company. The most reputable law care companies have experienced lawn workers with sophisticated grass-cutting equipment suitable for any grass type. Working with them can be useful, especially if you don’t have enough time to attend to lawn tasks.

2. Know How the Season Impacts Growth

The season can impact grass growth. Hence, knowing how to mow grass depends on its survival rate during specific seasons is important. Warm-season grasses, such as Bermuda and zoysia grass, can handle a shorter, tighter grass cut. On the other hand, cool-season grasses include bluegrass and fescue, wherein they need to grow taller to shade their root systems and prevent heat stress.

While your grass’s growth can vary, you can consider some rules of thumb for how often to cut grass by season.

You can generally cut the grass one time a week during the growing season. You’ll want to check your grass type since some grow during the warm seasons and others grow in the cooler seasons.

Outside of your grass’s growing season, you can try switching to mowing every couple of weeks.

However, use your judgment and adjust your mowing habits accordingly. You might find that your lawn looks too tall after 10 days or that you can stretch out the next mow even longer. Frequent rain can also speed up growth and lead to more frequent mows.

3. Consider These Other Factors Too

Poor lawn maintenance results in compromised soil. Your lawn gets brown patches, which invite difficult-to-eliminate weeds and pests. So, if you want a healthy lawn, you should mow your lawn regularly. Check out the other factors to consider when mowing your lawn below.

While grass type and season give good insight on how often to mow, you also need to consider your lawn care habits and preferences.

For example, if you use fertilizer and water your lawn regularly, you may notice your lawn grows more quickly and thus needs mowed more often. On the other hand, you might find that you prefer your grass at a certain height and need to mow more or less often to keep it to your satisfaction.

In addition, the mowing pattern is also an important factor to consider. If you deploy the right mowing pattern, you’ll likely reduce the frequency of grass-cutting work. Mowing in rows is an efficient and quick way to cut grass. Moreover, the shape and size of your lawn dictate what direction mowing rows should go. Mowing in horizontal rows is suitable for more spacious yards, covering the lawn’s longest part with the least number of turns.

Getting an expert’s opinion can provide an even better idea of how often to cut grass. You can reach out to a company like Sergio’s Lawn Services to learn more and even arrange for professional mowing to save you time.

So, How Often Should You Cut Your Grass?

As you’ve seen, there’s not a single perfect answer to the question, “How often should you cut your grass?” Instead, you’ll need to take into account your type of grass, its growing habits, the weather, and your preferences.

When you do cut your grass, know how to do it the right way. For example, you’ll usually just want to cut off one-third of the current length. You’ll also want to avoid cutting it when it’s extremely hot or wet outside.

Our blog has plenty of other tips for taking care of your home. So, go check out our other posts.