Is 3 inches too short?

[peenie]

I think my lawn guy cuts my grass too low. I believe he cuts it down to 2.5 to 3 inches. It gets brown in patches. I’m thinking of telling him to cut the grass and leaving it at 4 inches. 
What is the length of blade of grass left after you cut it?  Are there any pros or cons having a short vs long blade in your opinion? 

[peenie]

Clever title, no? Click bait! 

[5-Points]

I was in the pool!

 

[Strike]

How cold is it there?  Accounting for shrinkage, 3 inches is not bad actually.

[Nomad99]

What length would not be considered racist??

[Bier Meister]

3 inches

 

 

 

 

 

 

from the floor!

[Nomad99]

19 minutes ago, Bier Meister said:

3 inches

 

 

 

 

 

 

from the floor!

If you only had leg's

[Bier Meister]

2 minutes ago, Nomad99 said:

If you only had leg's

“Corgi”

[supermike80]

I mean i usually cut mine high. Itll drown out a lot of weeds. 

[Mookz]

Brown lawns matter. 

[Kopy]

1 hour ago, Mookz said:

Brown lawns matter. 

My dog is a firm believer in this.

[BunnysBastatrds]

3 hours ago, peenie said:

Clever title, no? Click bait! 

 I thought you liked it John Holmes length 

[BudBro]

5 hours ago, peenie said:

I think my lawn guy cuts my grass too low. I believe he cuts it down to 2.5 to 3 inches. It gets brown in patches. I’m thinking of telling him to cut the grass and leaving it at 4 inches. 
What is the length of blade of grass left after you cut it?  Are there any pros or cons having a short vs long blade in your opinion? 

Taller as it gets hotter provides shade to hold moisture.  But, ask him to start striping it and you won't want it tall.

I don't know where you live, or what type of grass, but brown patches are mostly in need of a wetting agent to open the top of the soil.  The soil gets bound together at the top and water won't soak through.  You can purchase wetting agents at the grass store, but baby shampoo or cheap lemon dishwashing liquid from the dollar store contain the same chemical. 

The tonic that has been around for 50 years is from Jerry Baker. 

Quote

All-Season Green-Up Tonic

1 can of beer,
1 cup of ammonia,
1/2 cup of dishwashing liquid,
1/2 cup of liquid lawn food, and
1/2 cup molasses or corn syrup

Mix all of the ingredients in a bucket, and pour into your 20 gallon hose-end sprayer. Apply to everything in your yard to the point or run-off every 3 weeks, in the morning, throughout the growing season.

All-Season Clean-Up Tonic

1 cup of baby shampoo,
1 cup of antiseptic mouthwash
Mix the ingredients in your 20 gallon hose-end sprayer, filling the balance of the sprayer jar with warm water. Apply to your entire yard to the point of run-off every 2 weeks, in the evening, to discourage insects and prevent disease.

 

At some point he added a can of Coke to the recipe instead of molasses or corn syrup. 

[Engorgeous George]

I believe the key is to never cut more than 50% of the length at any one cutting.  If you cut your grass when it reaches five inches cutting it to 3 inches is fine.   If you let your rass grow to 7 inches cutting it back to 3 inches is damaging.

[5-Points]

2 minutes ago, Engorgeous George said:

I believe the key is to never cut more than 50% of the length at any one cutting.  If you cut your grass when it reaches five inches cutting it to 3 inches is fine.   If you let your rass grow to 7 inches cutting it back to 3 inches is damaging.

Pretty sure it's a third. Same goes for shrubs and trees. You never want to remove more than 1/3 at a time. It's can send the plant into shock. 

That said, longer grass in the summer is preferred as it holds moisture longer and helps prevent weed seeds from germinating. 

 

[Engorgeous George]

1 minute ago, 5-Points said:

Pretty sure it's a third. Same goes for shrubs and trees. You never want to remove more than 1/3 at a time. It's can send the plant into shock. 

That said, longer grass in the summer is preferred as it holds moisture longer and helps prevent weed seeds from germinating. 

 

Professionals I have spoken with have told me 40%. I have gone up to 50% occassioanlly, but not routinely.  For instance if I am on vacation and miss my cutting day, or we get a few days of rain and I cant  cut it and it gets a bit out of hand I have gotten away with cutting 50%.  I think doing that regualrly would stress it too much.  I agree 40% to 33% is probably better, but I know folks have other priorites than lawn care and they like to cut less often, if they can.  

 

I do raise my mower up a notch or two during July and August. During the hot dry months its better.

[5-Points]

4 minutes ago, Engorgeous George said:

Professionals I have spoken with have told me 40%. I have gone up to 50% occassioanlly, but not routinely.  For instance if I am on vacation and miss my cutting day, or we get a few days of rain and I cant  cut it and it gets a bit out of hand I have gotten away with cutting 50%.  I think doing that regualrly would stress it too much.  I agree 40% to 33% is probably better, but I know folks have other priorites than lawn care and they like to cut less often, if they can.  

 

I do raise my mower up a notch or two during July and August. During the hot dry months its better.

The 1/3 rule of thumb is something I remember from back in the day when I started a landscaping company after high school. Granted, that was a long time ago. Maybe modern consensus has changed. 

It's all relative, I've tried to remove a bush in my front yard. I hacked it down to nothing with trimmers then took an axe to the bones. Now that focker is thicker and more lush than it ever was.

 

[Bier Meister]

13 minutes ago, 5-Points said:

 

It's all relative, I've tried to remove a bush in my front yard. I hacked it down to nothing with trimmers 

 

@peenie

 

have you removed the bush in your front yard?

[Hawkeye21]

6 hours ago, peenie said:

Clever title, no? Click bait! 

I appreciated the humor. Well done. 

[lickin_starfish]

I just bought a John Deere lawn tractor last year. I had a craftsman that lasted 25 years before I got this one. Take good care of them, and they'll take good care of you. 

 

 

[MikeMatt]

36 minutes ago, lickin_starfish said:

I just bought a John Deere lawn tractor last year. I had a craftsman that lasted 25 years before I got this one. Take good care of them, and they'll take good care of you. 

 

 

Nice Headlights

[JuneJuly]

2 hours ago, lickin_starfish said:

I just bought a John Deere lawn tractor last year. I had a craftsman that lasted 25 years before I got this one. Take good care of them, and they'll take good care of you. 

 

 

Cub Cadet 15 years old and still running like a champ.  But just got a deal I couldn't refuse on a zero turn Deere Z920M.  Cuts 3 acres in a about an hour.  

But let's face it, people are getting dumber and men weaker, vast majority of people have no clue how to do regular maintenance.  

 

[Hardcore troubadour]

Ask the illegal that cuts Real Tims lawn. 

[Drizzay]

I dont have a riding lawnmower.

 

Hope this helps.

[Kopy]

There was a lawnmower in that video?

 

[MikeMatt]

8 hours ago, Kopy said:

There was a lawnmower in that video?

 

That’s what they said. I certainly didn’t see one. All I saw was headlights but no lawnmower. Go figure. (No pun intended)

[Gepetto]

On 4/6/2025 at 11:19 AM, peenie said:

I think my lawn guy cuts my grass too low. I believe he cuts it down to 2.5 to 3 inches. It gets brown in patches. I’m thinking of telling him to cut the grass and leaving it at 4 inches. 
What is the length of blade of grass left after you cut it?  Are there any pros or cons having a short vs long blade in your opinion? 

Grass cut to 3 inches length is good.