Lower mowing height one notch for the first cut only

For the very first mow of the season, drop your mower height by one notch (about half an inch lower than your normal setting). Mow the entire lawn, then immediately raise the deck back to normal height for all subsequent mows.

Why It Works

The slightly lower first cut removes dead, brown winter grass tips and opens the canopy to warm spring sunlight. This promotes faster green-up without scalping the lawn. K-State Extension specifically recommends this one-notch approach.

Tips

• Do not scalp cool-season lawns. Cutting too low exposes soil and invites crabgrass.
• Warm-season lawns like bermuda can be scalped more aggressively in spring (down to half an inch) to remove dead material before green-up.