Here's How Long Your Grass Should Be During A Heatwave If You Want To Keep It Healthy

People often feel cooler and more comfortable when they get a short haircut in sweltering hot weather, but the same is not true of your lawn. The grass in your lawn prefers to be long – 3 to 4 inches — during a heat wave. Set your mower cutting deck to 4 inches or an even higher setting when the temperature is hot as blazes. If the turf isn't growing, don't feel you have to mow out of habit, either. Your grass will thank you, and who wants to mow in a heat wave anyway?

Why does grass like to be longer in a heat wave? Plants need leaves for photosynthesis, and the shorter the blade of grass, the harder it will need to work (while already heat-stressed) to capture light and complete the photosynthesis process. Keeping your grass tall at this toasty time offers additional benefits, such as encouraging longer roots that can take up water and nutrients, as well as helping your grass better compete with weeds by shading out weed seeds. Maintaining a longer hot-weather grass length is a significant aspect of mowing your lawn more efficiently.

Adjust your lawn-mowing practices in scorching weather

Keeping your grass longer in a heat wave aligns with the 1/3 mowing rule intended to reduce stress on your lawn. The rule prescribes not cutting more than a third of the blade of grass. If your grass shows a white or grayish cast after mowing in a heat wave, you've likely cut it too short. Be sure you are sharpening your lawn mower blades as needed to cut the grass blades efficiently.

Mowing in a heat wave also stresses your grass, which takes longer to recover than when mowed on cooler days. If you decide to mow in the heat, reduce stress on both your lawn and yourself by mowing at a relatively cool time of day — early morning or evening. Adopt this practice of allowing longer grass in the heat and take pride in being among those who keep their lawns lush and healthy.

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