Deciding On Lawn Mowing Heights

Choosing the correct lawn mowing height for lawns is essential to the ongoing health and appearance of the turf. Many factors can come into play, and we'll cover those in this article. In reality, once we can grasp the very basic principles involved, it's a very simple decision to make and vital to our ongoing lawn care.

Lawn Variety

The species of the turf should be the first factor to consider, some species require higher lawn mowing and others can be cut much lower.

Varieties such as Couch, Queensland Blue and Zoysia can easily be cut and maintained in good lawn health at lower heights.

Soft Leaf Buffaloes, Kikuyu and Cool Season Grasses should be cut at higher heights in order to maintain its good health.

Available Sunlight

Direct sunlight is a critical factor with all lawns, sunlight directly powers the photosynthesis process, which converts nutrients into food for the lawn.

When direct sunlight is reduced to our lawns, the leaf material must be left higher so that more photosynthesis can occur under the conditions of reduced sunlight hours, this is also why lawns must be cut higher during the Winter months.

Alternatively, if your lawn is constantly in full sunlight, the lawn mowing height can be reduced, and still maintain the lawn in good health. If left too high with too much green leaf material, a lawn in full sunlight, will speed up its food conversion, and grow at a faster rate, possibly needing more frequent mowing, or causing a build up of excessive thatch.

Lawn Watering

With the recent droughts and massive water restrictions across Australia, many lawns have been left the worse for wear. Lawn mowing heights can also help with the maintenance and lawn care during these trying times.

A lawn cut too short, will reduce the ability of the lawn to photosynthesise and create food while under stressful conditions.

If we raise the height, this protects and shades the soil from drying out even further, in turn, having the soil hold onto it's moisture levels for longer, supports the life of the lawn. It's a cycle.

Lawn Mowing Heights Summary

While it is impossible to give exact mowing heights in this article, the first place to start when choosing a lawn mowing height is to find out more about the variety and its preferred mowing heights. If these heights work, do no more. If mowing heights need to be peaked or adjusted, the factors covered in this article will be a great start in refining the needs of your lawn and improving lawn care.