What Height Do You Cut Your Lawn In The Summer? (shade, buying)

[movin2Reston]

If I could raise my cutting height to 4.5” on my lawn about now in this heat I would, even better forgo cutting until temps drop.

Upper 90’s most of this week in the mid Atlantic.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by movin2Reston

...even better forgo cutting until temps drop.

Keep a close eye on the barometer and weather reports.
If you can mow just before a heavy rain...

[movin2Reston]

Good idea!

Summer thunderstorms are plentiful this time of the summer.

Originally Posted by MrRational

Keep a close eye on the barometer and weather reports.
If you can mow just before a heavy rain...

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by movin2Reston

Good idea! Summer thunderstorms are plentiful this time of the summer.

And I was >< that close to getting it done on Thursday!

Storm was due at about 2PM and I planned to start mowing at about Noon...
but then I got called away from home on what turned out to be fools errand.
Ended up driving home at 2:15 in the midst of a very heavy storm. Opportunity lost.

[hotzcatz]

We're fencing for sheep, we've given up any hope of mowing. Our side of the fence is the one with the tall grass on it. It got out of control when we went on a long vacation and was too tall for the mower when we got back. Now we're fencing for sheep. I have no idea how tall sheep will keep the grass, but whatever height that will be will be better than the six to ten feet tall that it is now. It's Guinea, Reznor, cane and elephant grass with a few banana plants tossed in for good luck, I guess.


This picture is from mid-March, the yard next door was all tidy because the house was for sale. The new folks are enchanted with the idea of sheep, too. Yay! There's just a bit of fencing left and two gates to build and then we can start with two sheep and see if they can make a dent in this mess. Anyone else mow with sheep?

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

We're fencing for sheep, we've given up any hope of mowing. Our side of the fence is the one with the tall grass on it. It got out of control when we went on a long vacation and was too tall for the mower when we got back. Now we're fencing for sheep. I have no idea how tall sheep will keep the grass, but whatever height that will be will be better than the six to ten feet tall that it is now. It's Guinea, Reznor, cane and elephant grass with a few banana plants tossed in for good luck, I guess.


This picture is from mid-March, the yard next door was all tidy because the house was for sale. The new folks are enchanted with the idea of sheep, too. Yay! There's just a bit of fencing left and two gates to build and then we can start with two sheep and see if they can make a dent in this mess. Anyone else mow with sheep?

Goats will take it ll down to the dirt.

[movin2Reston]

I do not think sheep would care for my golf course like lawn.

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

We're fencing for sheep, we've given up any hope of mowing. Our side of the fence is the one with the tall grass on it. It got out of control when we went on a long vacation and was too tall for the mower when we got back. Now we're fencing for sheep. I have no idea how tall sheep will keep the grass, but whatever height that will be will be better than the six to ten feet tall that it is now. It's Guinea, Reznor, cane and elephant grass with a few banana plants tossed in for good luck, I guess.


This picture is from mid-March, the yard next door was all tidy because the house was for sale. The new folks are enchanted with the idea of sheep, too. Yay! There's just a bit of fencing left and two gates to build and then we can start with two sheep and see if they can make a dent in this mess. Anyone else mow with sheep?

[Threerun]

For the past 10 years I was fundamentally opposed to growing any formal grass/yard. We live outside of town on the woodland/mountain edge- so we like the native bunch grasses. Normally I only cut the native grasses after they have gone to seed and season, and then I mow to keep a 1' or greater height. Any lower and invasive weeds kick in. I mowed maybe twice a year with a tractor and bush hog. It made me very happy.

The reason it made me happy is because I moved to Montana from WV, where I had over 3 acres of the green crap that I had to maintain. I felt like a slave to a lawn tractor and a weed whacker. I grew to loathe and despise the man made, self imposed yard slavery. I was delighted to no longer have to do that arduous, tortuous routine that sucked the life out of my weekends and free time.

However- last year we had a very, very close call with a wildfire that erupted up the hill from us and scorched over 5,000 acres. We evacuated for almost a week. We decided to make a green zone just immediately around the house. We have an irrigation system, added a bunch of topsoil, graded and it's now getting established. I use a reel mower on the highest setting- so 3" is about the finished height.

About two weeks ago-


Today-


Frankly I'm upset that I have to do this crap all over again. I hate the friggin' stuff, but our local FD was pretty adamant that we needed a green space around the house. I like those native bunch grasses- no watering, no fertilzer, when left alone they choke out the weeds. Now I gotta, weed, feed, mow, whack...Aargh I hate frekin' lawn grass.

[airemp76]

i just wait a week, then mow, a week later, same day, same time, i mow, and my yard looks as good as the lake lawns in the city

[KathrynAragon]

I love walking around the yard in the cool, peaceful mornings with the world just waking up, in thick, lush, green grass. We keep ours at about 3-4" in height and so far so good.

We have a sprinkler system in the front and back, as well as a drip septic system in the back yard. To have such thick green grass in Texas in the middle of summer is nice. We have several trees in the front and back and I think those help a lot. The light is filtered in much of the yard. No part of the lawn is in complete shade though, which is also helpful in my experience.

We have St Augustine grass.