What is the best rule on when you should mow grass?

• A. Cut 1/3 off, if mowing your grass at 2 inches, you should mow before it reaches 3 inches.
• B. Always mow to 1 inch.
• C. Mow only when grass turns brown.
• D. Mow daily.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is to cut only a small portion of the leaf blade in one mowing—about one-third or less of its current height. This protects the grass from stress, helps it recover quickly, and keeps photosynthesis efficient for a denser, healthier lawn.

If your grass is around two inches tall, heading off growth before it gets much taller keeps you within that one-third rule. For a blade around three inches tall, removing roughly one inch brings it back to about two inches, which is a safe reduction and avoids scalping. This approach balances keeping the turf evenly mowed with minimizing damage from cutting too much at once.

Other choices are less good because mowing far shorter than needed (like to one inch) stresses or weakens the grass; waiting until the lawn turns brown indicates poor health and delayed maintenance; mowing every day is unnecessary and can waste effort while stressing the plants.