What Is the Best Blade Setting for a Healthy Lawn?

[MParr]

So?
With the exception of some very specialised lawn grases (bowling green, golf tees, etc) the advise for 100mm (4") holds good for almost all cultivated grases.

Straight from the University of Georgia Turf grass Handbook. These are warm season grasses.
Purdue University cool season grass.

https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ay/ay-32-w.pdf

 

[Skippydiesel]

Straight from the University of Georgia Turf grass Handbook.
".......perform best at a mowing height of 3 inches or more"

Thank you for backing up my statement.

 

[MParr]

Straight from the University of Georgia Turf grass Handbook.
".......perform best at a mowing height of 3 inches or more"

Thank you for backing up my statement.

It only validated your statement for cool season grasses.
I live in an area with warm season grasses. I mow at 3" . The height setting on my mower matches the actual height of grass after cutting.

 

[Skippydiesel]

Maaate! 3' or 4 ' ??? Since when did the natural world give a dam about such minutiae.

Unless your lawn is bowling green/tennis court/golfing tee, level/smooth, (which I specifically excluded from my advice) you will only be cutting somewhere between 1-5" as you cut over humps & valleys.

4" is the standard - Has been as long as I can remember.

Very few owners take any noticed, for the most part scalping at or below 2".

Why? Simple, because they get satisfaction from what they think is a better job - we call them dust makers.

At least most Australians don't harvest (take the grass cuttings away).

 

[Tonebalone]

Why did you ask, if you are just going to go ahead and mow at height, that will not do your grass any favors (assuming it survives without continual watering)

I didn't ask. I provided my answer.

 

[packy51]

My fescue lawn looks the best cut at 4 inches in the summer. I lower it to 3 inches spring and fall. I like the look of the lawn even shorter then that but the lawn didn't not and was easily stressed at those heights if hot and no rain. I also find the higher height helps crowd out any weeds.

 

[RevB]

Bermuda 1.75" or so. You want to encourage horizontal growth, not vertical. 34-0-0 fertilizer in a moderately heavy application early on. MSMA 6 Plus for crabgrass control if you have that problem. Give the MSMA time to work....takes a week or more and you'll start to see little yellow spots on the crabgrass that will turn into full yellow and dead. Bermuda is MSMA tolerant, other grasses not so much. 1 to 2 oz per gallon. All other broadleaf gets Trimec, a combo 2,4-D product. 1 to 2 oz as well.

 

[farmerdave1954]

On fescue, right at 4” is the correct height. Remember, many people mow grass way too low. Cutting too low stresses the grass, promotes weed growth, and causes burnout during periods lacking rain.

Seriously, 4 inches? None of my mowers will even go that high.

 

[Skippydiesel]

Seriously, 4 inches? None of my mowers will even go that high.

Perhaps you have selected mowers designed to please the operator rather than the grass

 

[farmerdave1954]

Perhaps you have selected mowers designed to please the operator rather than the grass

Could be, Skippy. But I typically buy equipment for quality and not economy, or comfort. I have found, however, that when I buy quality, comfort usually comes with it. I guess I just never paid attention to the max cutting height on a mower when I was looking to buy, probably because I've never in my 72 years heard 4" as a recommended height. Pastures yes, lawns no.