Why “just mow it short” is a bad idea
Grass blades feed the roots. Cut them all off at once and the roots starve, the lawn yellows, and bare patches open up for weeds to move into. In Kent’s occasional dry summers, a scorched, shaved lawn can take the rest of the season to recover.
The one-third rule
Never remove more than one-third of the grass height in a single cut. It’s the single most important rule in lawn care, and it matters even more when your lawn is long.
Step 1 · Walk the lawn
Long grass hides stones, fallen branches, the kids’ toys and pets’ gifts. Walk every inch of the lawn first, it protects your blades, your mower and your feet.
Step 2 · The first high cut
Set the mower on its highest setting. If the grass is too long for the mower to cope, knock the top down with shears or a strimmer first, then mow.
Take off no more than a third of the height. So on a 30cm lawn, your first pass should leave about 20cm. It’ll still look long. That’s fine.
Step 3 · Rake and rest
Rake the clippings up. Long cuttings left on the surface form a thick mat that smothers the grass underneath. Then wait at least 3–7 days before cutting again, the lawn needs time to recover.
Step 4 · Lower in stages
Drop the mower blade one notch and mow again. Wait a few days. Lower another notch. Repeat until you’re back to a normal cutting height (around 3–5cm for most lawns).
Step 5 · Finishing touches
- Strim the edges for a tidy outline.
- If the grass looks pale and hungry, a light autumn or spring feed works wonders.
- Water gently if it’s a dry spell, little and often, early in the morning.
- Overseed any bald patches in spring or early autumn.
Or hand it over.
Our Overgrown Lawn Rescue brings your lawn back the careful way. We cover Sandwich, Deal, Worth, Ash, Woodnesborough, Eastry and Sandwich Bay, and we love a jungle. Get a quote.