Turf Talk With Dr. Brad

A Haircut for the Lawn: Mowing Frequency

I have never really spent a lot of time worrying about my haircut. I’ve always taken the approach of, “It’ll grow back, no need for concern”. I have been blessed with that mindset for my entire life, and I hope I am afforded that luxury for a while longer. For a significant portion of my childhood, it was trimmed in the basement of my home - one of the benefits, I suppose, of having a mother who began her professional life as beautician. And now my wife cuts it in the garage, a lasting product of the Covid pandemic - usually with a little blood and a few tears.  

Recently in my life - especially the last 8 years - I have learned that the timing of a trim can have consequences. Since the length of my daughters’ beautiful long locks is subjective, it requires fairly infrequent trimming. But a fresh haircut does wonders for getting a brush through those snarly ends. Or when trimmed less frequently, it allowed my wife to donate her ‘trimmings’ to Locks of Love, which requires at least ten inches of hair. 

The frequency in which we mow or ‘trim’ our lawns can have its own interesting responses. You’ve likely moved through the first phase of spring mowing, which is filled with excitement and satisfaction. Now you’re probably in the second phase, where the lawn needs mowing two or three times per week, and you’re wondering how you will ever keep up the feverish pace while making it to work, softball or soccer practice.

Historically, I often read or heard that I should mow my lawn once or twice per week, and it was left at that. Or I sometimes hear folks say, “I mow one time per week, that’s it.” I was pleased with a recent artificial intelligence review that directly referenced the growth rate as the primary determinant. The greatest shoot growth rates for cool season grasses occur in the spring; for warm season grasses, this occurs in the summer. Pair this with the naturally abundant supply of moisture, nutrients, and sunlight of spring, and growth rates can be rapid, requiring frequent mowing.  

If we wait too long, we will break one of the primary rules of mowing grass: never mow more than one-third of the leaf blade at one time. If we want our lawn to be mowed at three inches, we should try to mow when it reaches no more than four-and-a-half inches in height.  Mowing more than this could lead to decreased stress tolerance and negative impacts on root growth. During prolific growth periods, this may require two or three mowing's per week; during times of slower growth, it might be as infrequent as once time every two weeks.

I find in my neighborhood that some homeowners mow their lawn every two to three days. I imagine this is their primary hobby, or they just have too much time on their hands. But it also makes me think they may take more pride in their lawn than their own hair trimming. Having worked in the green industry most of my life, I’d say there’s nothing wrong with that! 

who is Dr. brad?

Dr. Brad DeBels serves as the Vice President of Operations for Weed Man Lawn Care E3 Group.    Brad received a PhD in Soil Sciences & Turfgrass Management in 2013 from the University of Wisconsin (B.S. 2008, M.S. 2010, PhD 2013).    With a graduate degree & over 2 decades of experience in the residential lawn care & golf course industries, Dr. Brad provides direction for our programs & services while also creating a variety of educational pieces to help homeowners better understand their lawn & their lawn care services.