When new grass is bursting up from the ground, you may wonder when you can fire up the mower and begin cutting since there's nothing quite like the smell of freshly cut grass.
What height should new grass be before I mow?
We recommend letting your grass grow to around 50-70mm before cutting it (about the height of your ankle) – and this applies to all our grass seed products. However, it isn't ready for cutting if it hasn't reached this height after six to eight weeks. This slow growth could be due to a lack of soil nutrients, an unexpected weather change, or you may have sown your seed too deep into the soil.
The aim is to give your new lawn a trim, so once your grass is 5-7cm tall, set your mower to the highest setting, go over it once, and don't cut too far down the grass blades.
When to mow new grass on a newly established lawn?
Customers often ask us "when to mow new grass", and the answer is simple. Giving your seedlings at least six weeks to grow before approaching them with your mower is best.
You should allow your grass to grow to a specific height before you mow. Then, by waiting until when it's ready, you won't damage or hinder its growth! Doing this allows your fresh grass more time to develop fully so that the mower blades won't damage it and will continue growing healthy and strong.
You must also use the highest setting on your lawn mower for the first mowing session. After the first cut, you can gradually drop to the recommended mower height for your type of lawn. For example, our Fast Grow Family Lawn has a recommended mowing height is 20-40mm, whereas the ideal mowing height is 10-20mm for an ornamental lawn.
Tips for mowing new grass
- Wait at least six weeks before mowing a new lawn
- Rake up grass cuttings; you could even add them
to a compost heap
- Let the grass settle for a week or two after
your first cut
- For your second cut, mow to the recommended height
for the grass type
Tidy up loose cuttings for better growth
Once you have gone over your garden
with the mower, tidy up the loose cuttings afterwards! If you leave them as
they are, you will restrict your new lawn from receiving sunlight and undo all your
hard work.
Thankfully you only require a
rake and a few minutes of spare time to clean up the loose cuttings from the lawn
you have just cut.
Some grass types require different cutting heights
After this initial cut, you will
want to try and keep your grass roughly at the same height when mowing. As mentioned
before, we recommend a mowing height of 20-40mm for most of our grasses, with the
only exception being our Super
Fine Luxury Lawn, which has a recommended height of 10-20mm.
Knowing when to mow new grass
As you will have read, mowing your newly seeded lawn is easy, but you need to be sure you don't trim it too early or too much. If you follow our advice on mowing your lawn, your lawn will flourish.
To recap, you should wait at least six weeks before your first mow, then rake up all the grass cuttings, let your grass settle for up to a fortnight before your second cut, and then mow to the recommended height for your grass type.
