Cutting too short is the most common way a healthy Florida lawn gets weak. Short grass has shallow roots, dries out faster, and leaves room for weeds. The right height depends on the kind of grass you have.
Mowing heights by grass type
These are the ranges UF/IFAS Extension gives for Florida lawns:
- St. Augustinegrass: 3.5 to 4 inches for most varieties. Dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties (Captiva, Delmar and Seville) are mowed at 2.5 inches.
- Bahiagrass: 3 to 4 inches.
- Centipedegrass: 1.5 to 2 inches.
- Zoysiagrass: 2 to 2.5 inches for coarse-leaf types.
- Bermudagrass: 0.5 to 1.5 inches, with a reel or rotary mower.
Never cut more than one-third
Take off no more than one-third of the blade in a single mowing. If St. Augustine is kept at 4 inches, cut it once it reaches about 6. Cutting off too much at once is called scalping, and UF/IFAS notes it can do long-term damage to the turf. When we take on an overgrown lawn, we bring it down over two or three cuts instead of one.
Leave the clippings
Clippings left on the lawn break down fast and return nutrients to the soil. They do not cause thatch. What you should not do is leave them on the street, sidewalk or driveway, where rain washes them into storm drains and local water. That is why we blow every hard surface clean before we leave.
Keep the blade sharp
UF/IFAS advises sharpening and balancing the mower blade regularly for the best possible cut. A dull blade tears the grass instead of slicing it cleanly, and the ragged tips show as a brownish cast across the lawn. We sharpen our blades often so the cut stays clean.
Not sure what grass you have? Text a photo to 850-624-6885 and we will tell you, along with the height we would cut it.
