How often should I mow my lawn?
Look, I get it. You’re staring out at your lawn right now wondering if it needs another cut. Maybe the neighbors just mowed and now yours looks a bit shabby in comparison? Been there. Here’s the thing – there’s no magic number that works for everyone. I know, I know… not the answer you wanted. But stick with me here. In Sydney (where it’s pretty much perfect growing weather half the year) most people are looking at mowing once a week during spring and summer. That’s when your grass is basically on steroids. Growing like crazy, especially if we’ve had some decent rain. But here’s what really matters – the one-third rule. Never cut more than a third of your grass height in one go. So if your grass is 9cm tall, don’t cut it shorter than 6cm. Why? Because grass is like that friend who needs time to process big changes. Shock it too much and it gets stressed, turns brown, and suddenly you’re dealing with bare patches where weeds move in like unwanted houseguests. Different grass types have different personalities too. Your classic buffalo grass? Pretty chill, doesn’t mind being cut to about 30-50mm. Couch grass is the low-maintenance type – happy at 15-25mm. And if you’ve got kikuyu, that stuff grows like it’s got somewhere important to be. You’ll be mowing more often with that one. Winter’s a different story. Your lawn basically goes into hibernation mode. Once every 3-4 weeks is usually plenty, sometimes even less. Unless you’re in one of those weird Sydney microclimates where it never really gets cold. Here’s my honest take – forget the calendar. Use your eyes. When your grass looks like it needs a haircut, it probably does. When you start losing golf balls in it, you’ve definitely waited too long. And hey, if you’re the type who’d rather spend your Saturdays at the beach instead of behind a mower (no judgment here), that’s what the pros are for. Regular maintenance keeps your lawn happy and your weekends free. The bottom line? A well-mowed lawn is like a good haircut – do it regularly and it always looks sharp. Leave it too long and you’ll spend ages trying to get it back in shape. Trust me on this one. Your grass will tell you what it needs if you pay attention. And if it could talk, it would probably say “little and often, mate. Little and often.”
