Mow warm-season grasses at 1 to 2 inches

Maintain bermudagrass at 1 to 1.5 inches and zoysiagrass at 1.5 to 2.5 inches during the growing season. St. Augustinegrass prefers 2.5 to 3 inches.

Why It Works

Warm-season grasses have a different growth habit than cool-season types — they spread via stolons and rhizomes and produce a denser canopy at lower heights. Mowing too high makes them leggy and prone to thatch buildup.

Tips

• A reel mower produces a superior cut at these low heights compared to a rotary mower.
• Some bermuda lawn enthusiasts scalp to half an inch in early spring to remove dormant material and speed green-up, but this requires careful timing after the last frost.