Mowing your lawn in Tennessee regularly throughout the growing season is crucial for keeping it healthy and manicured. However, with its active growth period coming to a close, it's time to prepare for the last mow of the year. You should cut your grass one final time around the end of October but do so shorter than usual to ensure it transitions into winter dormancy in great shape. It's important to note that you want to avoid keeping your lawn too long or mowing it too short; when it's too long, it can become matted and create an ideal environment for fungal diseases, whereas when it's too short, it becomes more susceptible to issues and cold damage during the winter season.

When should you mow your lawn for the last time?

The best time to mow your lawn for the last time is around the end of October. In October, your grass has significantly slowed down its growth, instead focusing on fortifying its health in preparation for the winter. The final mow should be done before the first frost to avoid stressing it out, so this month is perfect for ensuring it's in its best shape before it goes dormant.

Make sure to sharpen your lawn mower's blades before cutting your grass for the last time for clean cuts!

You Should Cut Your Grass Shorter Than Usual for the Last Mow of the Year

With the last mow of the year, you'll want to cut your grass shorter than usual. The general rule is to do so about 1/2 an inch shorter than you typically would to ensure it's at an ideal height to transition into the winter season healthy. It's important to note that you should consider your grass type so you don't cut off too much or keep it too long. For example, the most common turf types in Tennessee include fescue, bermudagrass, and zoysia. These different grasses require specific lengths throughout the growing season, so you'll want to reduce that by 1/2 an inch for the last mow.

What happens if you keep your lawn too long or mow it too short?

Cutting your lawn to the correct height for the last mow of the year is crucial for helping it survive the challenging winter season and emerge the following spring in good shape. However, if you keep it too long, it can become matted down and wet, trapping moisture underneath and creating an ideal environment for lawn diseases; the last thing you want is for an infection to hinder its health, especially while it's dormant! Not only that, but it also makes it look messy.

On the other hand, mowing your grass too short can equally cause problems. After all, it can stress it out, leaving it more susceptible to issues and cold damage during the winter. It also leaves the roots more exposed, which can weaken them and cause your turf to struggle come springtime.

Call Us Today to Schedule Our Lawn Mowing Service

At Picture Perfect Landscapes, we offer our professional lawn mowing service to commercial and residential properties, as well as HOAs, in Memphis, Midtown Memphis, East Memphis, and throughout the surrounding areas in Tennessee. Our team will cut your grass from the beginning of April until the end of October, plus string-trim, edge, and blow debris off your hard surfaces. We also follow best practices to ensure we keep your lawn healthy, such as rotating our mowing patterns and adjusting the deck height to your turf type, and you can trust that we know how to do it for the last mow of the year, too. Call us today at (901) 246-7656 to schedule our lawn mowing service!