Simplicity 16HP V-Twin Lawn Care & Mowing Information, Tall Grass Requires Incremental Cutting

lawn Care & Mowing Information

HOW HIGH TO	Cut less than
MOW THE GRASS	l/3
Often cutting height is a
matter of personal prefer-
ence. Typically, you should
mow the grass when it is is
between three and five
inches high. The proper
cutting height range for a
specific lawn will depend	Cutting down to this
upon several factors,	area contributes to
including the type of grass,	thatch problems \
the amount of rainfall, the
prevailing temperature, and
the lawn’s overall condition.
Cutting the grass too short
causes weak, thin grass
olants. which are easilv
damaged by dry periods
and oests. Cuttina too short
is often more damaging
than allowing the grass to be slightly higher.

Letting grass grow a bit longer-especially when it is hot and dry-reduces heat build-up, preserves needed moisture and protects the grass from heat damage and other problems.

However, allowing grass to grow too high can cause thin turf and additional problems.

Cutting off too much at one time shocks the plant’s growth system and weakens the grass plants. A good rule of thumb is the 113 rule: to cut no more than one third of the grass height, and never more than 1 inch at a time.

The amount of grass you are able to cut in one pass is also
effected by the type of mowing system you are using (for
example, broadcasting with side discharge decks can	---k--7
		’	1 inch
process a much larger volume of grass than mulching does).

NOTE: We cover some soecific mowino instructions for mulching and broadcasting later in this-Lawn Care section.

Proper Cutting Height

Cut Here On	cut	Tall Grass Requires Incremental Cutting
First Pass	Here On

For extremely tall grass, set the cutting height at maxi- mum for the first pass, and then reset it to the desired height and mow a second or third time.

Don’t cover the grass surface with a heavy layer of clippings. Consider using a grass collection system and starting a compost pile.