The height that you should cut your grass to varies depending on the season. Changing the height of your lawn can help your grass stay healthy throughout the year. If you’re wondering, ‘should you cut your grass shorter in the fall?’ read on. This article will give you details of the best height to cut your grass depending on the variety and season.
Trees change depending on the season, becoming greener and producing blossoms in spring and turning beautiful shades of red and orange in fall before finally dropping their leaves in the winter. Nature has its own cycle, and your lawn also goes through natural changes, which you are probably unaware of. The changes that happen depend on the variety of grass you’re growing. Warm-season grasses go dormant in the late fall as winter approaches.
Cutting Grass Short During the Fall
It’s a good idea to adjusting the height you’re cutting your grass depending on the season. Cutting grass shorter by about an inch in the Fall doesn’t seem like much but will help improve your grass’s health. It’s worth noting that the recommended height to cut your grass will depend on its variety.
Cutting your grass to the correct height in the Fall will help prepare it for winter. This is important as some grasses can struggle with the harsh winter climate. In the early fall, it’s recommended that you keep your grass mid-length. The exact height will depend on whether you have cool or warm-season grass. In general, it’s best not to let your grass grow too tall. Tallgrass often starts to get matted as the weather gets colder. This can cause thatch to form, which may lead to diseases.
On the other hand, don’t scalp your lawn. Cutting the grass so that it’s too short may expose the grasses roots to very cold temperatures. This can be bad for your yard, especially if you live in an area that gets a lot of frost or snow. Scalping your lawn in the fall will potentially kill your grass, as it won’t have time to grow back before the cold winter sets in. When cutting your grass, you need to get the balance right.
Cool-season grasses
Cool-season grasses are commonly grown in the northern areas of the states. Cool grasses include Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and tall fescue. Cool-season grasses have their growing season throughout the cooler months. These grasses can be cut short in the fall.
It’s recommended that cool-season grass is cut to a height of about three to 3.5 inches in the spring and summer months. At the beginning of fall, you can shorten your cool-season lawn by about an inch. It’s recommended that your grass is cut to 2.5 inches before it becomes cold and frosty.
Warm Season Grasses
Warm-season grass is grown in the Southern states of the U.S. and has a growing season that starts in the early spring and finishes in Fall. Warm-season grasses become dormant in the winter and include Bermuda, centipede grass, and zoysia. In general, these grasses should be kept short in the spring and summer and mown to a slightly higher height of 1.5 or 2 inches in fall. Please don’t cut your warm-season grass too short on the frost will damage its roots.
Conclusion
Cool-season grasses can be cut about an inch shorter in the fall, while warm-season grass should be longer than the rest of the year. As a general rule, you can cut cool-season grass to a height of 2.5 inches in the fall. Warm-season grass can be between 1.5 and 2 inches long.
Related: