1/3 grass-cut rule

[DaddyMonkey]

If my grass is 6 inches tall.... and i cut it to 4 inches, following the 1/3 rule.

how long do I have to wait, before I cut it ANOTHER 1/3 ?

[Jim]

Never heard of a 1/3 rule. I rely on common sense. Hot temps, leave it long. Competing weeds, leave it long. If the grass blades curl over, its way too long. You start seeing horizontal/lateral runners, its too short unless you put your golf ball on it. Then, none of this matters.

[James]

I know the 1/3 "rule" is supposed to be a real "rule", but it never made much sense to me. If I followed it (never have) my lawn would never ever look mowed.

For me, I try to never cut more than 80 % at one time.

--James--

[Chub]

what kind of grass? Without that knowledge I would say at least 1 week.

[trader4]

The 1/3 rule is just a guideline for regular cutting. That means you should cut it so that you don't remove more than 1/3 to get it to the height you normally want it cut to. That minimizes the stress on the lawn. That is only a desirable guideline. Many lawns get cut once a week by a lawn service regardless of how much they will remove. If the lawn has been allowed to grow real long, then you may have to take off more than 1/3. Or else cut it 1/3, wait a few days, then cut it again.

[Jim]

[James]

Say What ?????????

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Regular cutting like a regular lawn service is like automatic sprinklers during a long rainy season. ............

[Jim]

Must be another that runs his auto sprinkling system when the weather is rainy for a long period of time. And is confused when its brought up.

[Timothy]

The 1/3 rule (really a suggestion) is more or less to keep you from creating thatch. If you let the grass blades get long then hack them down short, the sheaf on the blades will toughen and thicken. This is what gives your lawn a "woody" feel to it when you walk on it.

The other reason for the 1/3 rule is the when you mow off more than this, there is a big reduction of nitrogen stored in the blade...ie removed. The grass blade has to rebuild it's store of nitrogen, thus a heavy pull of nitrogen from the soil. Doing this a few times a season will not cause major harm to the lawn, but repeated hacking will cause thatch and chlorosis.

[Steveo]