Not all lawns all the same, but it is easy to think so. In fact, the biggest lawn-care mistake is mowing it too short. Here's how to find out what length to mow your grass and keep it in its best shape.

What Happens When You Cut Grass Too Short

You're more prone to mowing the grass too short if you wait too long between cuttings. Grass that is cut too short and begins turning brown is what's known as a scalped lawn.

A similar problem occurs if you get bald patches in the grass after mowing. Some patches might be dead, but if they're small, they'll grow back slowly. Shady areas are more prone to damage from too low-cut grass or bald spots since they compete with roots and get less leaf area to capture sunlight with.

What Happens When You Cut Grass Just Right

When you mow the grass at the right length, your lawn will grow faster and more densely and deter the growth of weeds as well as pests, cold, disease and drought. Only mow 1/3 inch each time, and focus on mowing it evenly rather than mowing it short so you can avoid bald patches. Maintain a cutting height of 2.5 inches as a general rule.

Rule of Thumb for Grass Lengths

Depending on the type of grass you have, yours has a recommended mowing height range, which allows you to make adjustments for shady, dry or wet areas as well as the season. Mow cool-season grasses higher in spring and summer, and lower in fall and winter. The opposite is true for warm-season grasses. 

Warm-Season Grasses

• Bahia: 2 to 4 inches

• Bermudagrass: 1.5 to 2.5 inches

• Buffalograss, carpetgrass & zoysia: 1 to 2 inches

• Centipede: 1 to 3 inches

• St. Augustine: 1.5 to 3 inches

Cool-Season Grasses

• Annual ryegrass: 2 to 3 inches

• Bentgrass: 1/4 to 1 inch

• Fine fescue: 2.5 to 3.5 inches

• Kentucky bluegrass: 1.5 to 2.5 inches

• Perennial ryegrass & tall fescue: 2 to 3 inches

There are also grasses that grow in shade. Ryegrass and Fine and Tall Fescues are examples of shade-tolerant cool-season grasses and need a minimum of four hours of sun. Zoysiagrass and St. Augustine are warm-season grasses that tolerate some shade. 

Many lawn grass seeds are a mixture of different kinds of the same species to provide you with the best traits and an even appearance. Others are a mixture of different species for the same season in order to adapt to different environments without the homeowner having to use pesticides or reseed the lawn. 

Tips for Better Mowing

• Mow when the grass is dry but not in drought.

• Change the mowing pattern to avoid your grass developing a grain.

• Mow shady areas higher (0.5 to 1 inch).

• Keep your mower blades sharp.

• Water your lawn deeply (1 inch a week) but only when it's dry.

• Mulch grass clippings as fertilizer.

When in doubt, it's always better to mow higher than lower. Remember that every lawn is unique. With these grass height guidelines and mowing tips, you can easily achieve and maintain a healthy, beautiful lawn throughout the year.

Many people store their lawn mowers next to their cars and in their garages. However, it's important to note that a lawn mower needs to be properly stored if you want to avoid issues and even dangerous situations. We have some tips for you to keep in mind so you can use some good practices when it comes to storing your lawn mower.

Away From Heat

Some people don't consider the temperature of rooms when they store their lawn mowers. However, you need to keep in mind that lawn mowers can be dangerous if they overheat. For example, the heat could damage the lawn mower itself, and extremely warm weather could even cause the gasoline inside to catch on fire.

The last thing you need is a gas fire to start on your property, so you should make sure that your lawn mower is in a cool spot. You should always keep it away from anything that heats up so that you can lower the risk of it catching on fire in the first place. Keep your lawn mower safe and cool.

Provide Air Circulation

You should store your lawn mower in a place where it gets air circulation. This means that there should be plenty of space around it. When you put objects too close to your lawn mower, you can increase the odds of it heating up.

Your lawn mower will be in better condition if it is getting plenty of air circulation. Not only will this help it to remain cool so it doesn't catch on fire, but it will also provide the engine the air that it needs. After all, you don't want your engine to heat up and become damaged.

Away From Cars or Flammables

Remember, you need to keep in mind that a lawn mower fire could spread to other objects. You will want to minimize this risk, so you should keep your lawn mower away from your cars or any other flammable objects. You never know when one of them will catch on fire and begin to spread to nearby flammables.

Having your lawn mower catch on fire will cause you problems, but you'll suffer far more damage if your car catches on fire. As a result, you should keep these types of objects away from each other so you can minimize these incidents and stop them from occurring and damaging your property.

Conclusion

In summary, you should make sure that your lawn mower is stored in a safe place, so that it remains cool. It should also be away from other objects just in case it poses a fire hazard or is responsible for spreading fires. By remembering these points, you can properly store your lawn mower and keep yourself safe.