How Tall Should You Mow Your Grass?

Pros of Keeping Your Grass Long

Less Weeds

Weeds are a very common lawn problem in Central Texas and beyond. They can make a well-groomed lawn look bad and they are often hard to control. By mowing your lawn at a tall height, you may be able to eliminate many of your weed woes.

When you mow your lawn at a long length, you are giving weeds less opportunity to grow. Since weeds and grass both count on the sun for growth, they constantly compete for sunlight. If you cut your grass too short, you give weeds a good opportunity to get more sun and outgrow the lawn. However, if you leave your grass at a longer length, the grass will block out the sunlight, allowing fewer weeds to grow.

Healthier Roots

When your grass is long, there is more surface area on the blades for photosynthesis to occur. With more photosynthesis, the lawn will develop a stronger and healthier root system to keep your lawn growing and taking in water and nutrients. Healthier roots = a healthier lawn.

Better Drought Resistance

When grass is long and lush, it stands a better chance to stand up against drought and harsh weather. Full bodied grass will retain moisture better than short cut grass, meaning that it can stand up to drought longer. If your lawn experiences long periods of time between rain or watering, keeping your grass long might be one of the best ways to keep your grass healthy.

Cons of Keeping Your Grass Long

There is only one major hiccup in keeping your grass long: you will have to mow more often. If you are mowing very short, you can probably wait 2 or even 3 weeks between mows. However, if you are keeping your grass tall, you may have to mow every week to avoid having your grass become overgrown and unkempt looking. This is not a major problem if you enjoy doing a little yard work on the weekends, but if you pay someone else to mow your lawn, the extra work could become expensive.

Mowing High

Based on all of the pros listed above, many people choose to “mow high”, and keep their lawn longer. By switching to your mower’s tallest setting (usually 2-3 inches) you can help keep a stronger and healthier lawn with fewer weeds.