An expert gardener shares the correct grass cutting heights you need to follow in spring for a healthier, moss-free lawn that stays green all season
Maintaining a stunning, thriving lawn starts with correct mowing techniques, and perfecting this practice can genuinely transform your outdoor space. Plenty of people relish the contentment that accompanies a well-maintained lawn and the pride it brings.
Conversely, others find the physical exertion demanding or consider it monotonous. Yet, whatever your perspective on the task, consistent mowing remains essential for sustaining a lush and vigorous lawn.
When executed properly, it improves the lawn’s thickness, which assists in preventing moss and weed invasion whilst encouraging lusher, greener growth.
Gardening specialist Geoff Hodge visited the Richard Jackson Garden website to explain why lawn mowing matters and the precise cutting height to follow.
He highlighted that grass begins its vigorous growth phase in March, meaning lawns require “regular, correct mowing” from that point forward, with height being an “important factor”.
But what does regularly actually mean? Simply put, it’s whenever the grass reaches a cuttable length.
Geoff recommended: “Ideally, you should simply ‘tip’ the grass at each mow, and certainly not remove more than one-third of its height at any cut.”
During spring, this could mean mowing twice weekly. If you stored the mower away last autumn, the initial cut should use the highest blade setting, gradually lowering it to your standard cutting height over subsequent mows.
The gardening expert cautioned that cutting too short initially risks stressing and weakening the grass.
Geoff noted that numerous homeowners cut their lawns excessively short, scalping the turf, or mow too sporadically – both practices “weaken it”, which “allows weeds and moss to establish”.
He explained: “Here’s the heights you need for an emerald-green, healthy and moss-free outdoor living carpet. For normal lawns that take a lot of wear and tear, the height should be around four to 5cm.
“For bowling green lawns of fine-leaved grasses this should be about two to 2.5cm. For lawns growing in shaded areas, mow even higher – around 7.5cm.”
A thriving lawn can withstand the odd close trim, but repeatedly cutting too short will compromise the grass and promote lawn disease, weeds, and moss.
During the growing period, from March through to October, it’s advisable to mow your lawn at least weekly.
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