It’s easy to have a year-round lawn care routine when you live in a warmer climate. However, if you live in an area that has long, cold winters, you have to be careful about how short to cut your grass come springtime, especially early spring when the weather is still cold. Rather than waiting for a certain date to start mowing your lawn, it’s best to wait until your grass has reached a certain length. The optimal length for most cool-season turfgrass is about 2 to 2 ½ inches, so wait until your lawn has grown around 3 inches before mowing. If you’re unsure about which type of grass you have, it’s worth asking your lawn provider what the right height is for your lawn’s specific breed or blend of grass. Just make sure you don’t mow your lawn while it’s still dormant. By monitoring your grass until it reaches a specific height, you’ll know that your grass is growing and ready for mowing! [su_button url=”https://app.lawnguru.co/register#!/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=button_cta&utm_campaign=heres-how-short-to-cut-your-grass-in-the-spring” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#99CA3C” size=”20″ center=”yes”]Get A Quote![/su_button]

Advice On Cutting Your Grass Short

Here are a few other things to keep in mind when figuring out how short to cut your grass come spring:

Don’t Mow Too Low

It’s essential to know how short to cut grass in spring, but it’s equally important to avoid mowing too low—a.k.a. “scalping”—your lawn. If you live in an area that receives a lot of snowfall, you might be shocked at the state of your lawn once the snow melts away. There may be winter debris left behind, and despite your grass still being quite short, you may feel tempted to go out and clear it all up with the mower, but slow yourself down! When you mow your grass too low, or too early in the spring, it can potentially do more harm than good. As you may know, weather patterns can easily flip-flop between warm and cold; if the grass is cut too short right before a cold spell, the lower temperatures can damage the exposed crowns of your turfgrass. Scalping your lawn also makes it easier for weeds to grow because they require sunlight for germination. If you want a lush lawn by summertime, it’s best to evenly rake and spread the winter debris, or smaller grass clippings, across your lawn as mulch. This will shade and protect your turf grass while it’s still coming back to life from the cold winter.

Follow the One-Third Rule

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: always follow the one-third rule when it comes to cutting your lawn! The one-third rule refers to only cutting your lawn by one-third of its length at a time. If you cut too much at once, this could damage your turfgrass, and your lawn will suffer. If you find that your grass is too long, mow in sessions, leaving 2 to 3 days in between each. It might take a little more time than just a one-cut mow, but your lawn will thank you for it!

Leave It To LawnGuru

With LawnGuru, you’ll never have to worry about how short to cut your grass in the spring again! LawnGuru’s professional and background-checked providers have the experience and resources needed to take care of your lawn the right way. Our providers not only make sure your lawn is cut to the right length, but they will also make sure to take the proper steps to ensure your lawn will truly prosper. If you’re already a LawnGuru user, you know how easy it is to pause your lawn care service—it’s just a push of a button through your LawnGuru app! Then, when spring rolls around, it’s just another push of a button to get your lawn care service started again. If you haven’t used LawnGuru yet…what are you waiting for? Sign up today! [su_button url=”https://app.lawnguru.co/register#!/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=button_cta&utm_campaign=heres-how-short-to-cut-your-grass-in-the-spring” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#99CA3C” size=”20″ center=”yes”]Get A Quote![/su_button]