How High Should Mower Blades Be To Create Lawn Stripes?

There's something special about a lawn with perfect stripes or a checkerboard pattern. It's not just attractive, it shows that care and attention to detail have gone into making that lush green grass the best it can be. If you want to stripe your lawn like a pro, one of the key elements to keep in mind is how high the mower blades are set. Expert advice varies, but recommendations can be anywhere from 2 to 4 inches depending on the season and type of grass. 

Lawn stripes are created by bending the blades of grass at an angle so that sunlight reflects off them differently. Although you probably won't notice unless you get up close, with simple stripes one row is bending towards you, and the next row is bending away. If you go to the other end of the lawn, it will appear that the pattern has switched: the dark lines are light, and vice versa.

Proper height adjustment is one of the key habits of people who keep their lawns lush and well-manicured. In this case, if you cut your grass too short, it won't bend much, and the stripes won't be well-defined. The variety of grass can also have an effect. Something like Bermuda, which you might usually cut at around 2.5 inches, won't show as much striping as tall fescue cut at 4 inches. For this reason, cool-season grasses are usually better for striping than warm-season ones.

Variations in things like soil condition and weather mean the grass on your lawn is unlike any other, and while recommended cutting heights are a good place to start, you'll probably need to experiment to get the look you want. Let's say you do the first stripes at 3 inches. Next time, try going a half-inch longer. It can make a noticeable difference. Be sure to allow the lawn stripes to grow out before adjusting.

Lawn mowers used by landscapers often have an integrated roller, which enhances the stripes or pattern by bending the grass considerably more than the blades do. It's unlikely you'll achieve the same with mowing alone. Lawn striping kits and towable rollers are available for push mowers and lawn tractors, but the cheapest ones are around $80. If your machine has a grass box with a shield that drops down over the back when it's not in use, you can set the mower height so this drags across the grass instead.

Alternatively, if your existing machine is past its best and you're thinking about what type of mower to buy for your yard, a cylinder or reel mower will usually have a roller built in. And if you're going to get really artistic with your grass, that's probably the best tool for the job.