Mowing Your Lawn: The One-Third Rule and Mower Choices

The golden rule of mowing: never remove more than the top third of the grass blade at once. Scalping starves the plant, weakens roots, and invites heat stress, drought damage, pests, and diseases. If the lawn is overgrown, mow a third, wait a few days, then mow another third.

Optimal Mowing Heights by Grass Type

• Common Bermuda, hybrid Bermuda, colonial bent grass: ½–1 inch
• Zoysia, centipede: 1–2 inches
• Perennial rye, St. Augustine: 1½–2 inches
• Fine fescue: 1½–2½ inches
• Bahia, bluegrass, tall fescue: 2–3 inches
• Buffalo grass: 2–4 inches

Warm-season grasses peak in summer heat; cool-season grasses surge in spring. Mowing frequency may exceed once a week at peak growth.

Mower Types Compared

• Reel (hand-pushed): Modern versions are light, quiet, emission-free, and cut cleanly. Four blades suit most lawns; seven blades give putting-green precision on bent grass.
• Gas rotary: Powerful for medium-large lawns. Newer two-cycle engines are cleaner and easier to maintain. Still emit fumes; some cities restrict use on ozone-action days.
• Electric (corded): Fume-free but tethered to an outlet and long cord.
• Battery electric: Cordless, quiet, no fumes—run time covers most residential lawns per charge.

Mulching mowers (gas or electric) chop clippings finely, returning nutrients neatly. Sharpen blades at least annually—more often if grass looks torn.

Edging

Concrete or brick mowing strips eliminate edging. For small areas, hand shears work; larger lawns benefit from powered edgers. String trimmers risk bark damage on trees/shrubs and can decapitate bedding plants—use with caution.