Use The 1/3 Rule To Keep Your Lawn Stress Free All Year

Mowing the lawn is a must if you have an outdoor space that you take great pride in. Keeping it maintained, especially over the spring and summer months, can feel like a chore between mowing, fertilizing, aerating, and all the other tasks, but it doesn't have to be. One simple way to promote and grow a healthy lawn is to follow the 1/3 rule. Never heard of this rule before? It could be the answer if you've been wondering what the right height to mow your lawn is. Don't worry, it's a very easy concept, and it's likely to improve the health and appearance of your lawn. 

The 1/3 rule is simple: don't cut more than 1/3 of the height of your grass when you mow. For example, if your grass is 3 inches tall, set your mower to cut 1 inch off the top of it. Reason being, this will ensure the health of your grass and prevent the limitation of photosynthesis if it was cut too short, which would weaken the overall development of your lawn. If your grass is cut too much or too often, it is also more susceptible to weeds and diseases, resulting in weaker roots and poor appearance. Whereas, if you follow the 1/3 rule, over time your lawn will develop stronger roots that will be more resistant against common issues like high heat and disease.

Now that you know you should never cut more than 1/3 off the height of your grass, how do you practically apply the rule, and how often should you mow your lawn? The most important thing is that you're setting your mower at the right height. By following the 1/3 rule, you're essentially tailoring your mowing schedule to be in line with how quickly your grass is growing.

You should mow your lawn when it's approximately 50% longer than the ideal height. Different grass species have different ideal heights, which will help you decide when to mow. For example, the ideal height for St. Augustine grass is 3 inches, so you should mow when it measures 4 to 4 1/2 inches, so you can trim it to 3 inches without cutting off more than 1/3 of the length.

Sometimes life gets in the way and there will be periods of time when you won't be around to mow your lawn as often. If this is the case, your action plan should be to divide your mowing sessions. For the first cut, set your mower to the highest height to cut the top off your grass. Come back the same or next day, set your mower to a lower setting, and cut your grass once more — this way your grass cutting routine will quickly be restored.