Will Cutting Grass Too Short Kill It? (The 1/3 Rule And More!)

Cutting your lawn too short is a common mistake made by so many homeowners, and you can’t do anything about it, or can you. For some of us, our gardens end up needing a lot of work and precious time, while for others, our gardens are very precious and prized possessions. So will cutting your grass too short really kill it?

Cutting our grass too short can cause it to die or become very weak and brittle. This is because it can’t make enough food and energy, and its food storage is destroyed. This can lead to underdeveloped roots, reduced nutrient uptake, and damage caused by diseases or weeds.

So there are a few important reasons why some people may cut their grass too short, one being we don’t want to mow as often. There are a few fundamental rules that can help us cut the perfect-length grass, and if we made the mistake of cutting it too short, we would be looking at how to care for it to support it as it grows back again.

Will I Kill My Grass If I Cut It Too Short?

It is important to understand how grass functions to understand why it’s not good to cut it too short. The first thing is that grass has to produce its own food, which it does via photosynthesis. To do this, it needs its leaves, and the bigger the leaves are, the more sunlight it can absorb. 

Another important function of the grass leaves is that it stores its food and energy when it has food shortages. So let’s discuss why it would be bad for grass to be cut too short. The grass will lose all this stored food and energy it needs during hard times, usually in the summer months when it is hot and dry. 

If there are very few leaves, it will also not produce the required amount of food and energy to survive. This could be the reason your grass may die or become very weak, as most of the excess energy will be used to produce new leaves. This will result in neglecting the development of the roots, which can lead to other problems.

These other issues include reduced nutrient uptake by the roots. This happens because the roots develop close to the ground; when it is hot and the moisture in the soil evaporates, the roots will not be able to take up nutrients. The grass will probably be quite weak and sparse due to reduced nutrients, leading to damage caused by weeds, diseases, and moss.

So we can see that cutting your grass too short can really lead to it dying; although this is not always what happens, it may just be very weak and brittle. It is important to understand how to cut our grass and the best ways of caring for it. 

How High Should I Cut My Grass?

To prevent cutting your lawn too short, it is important to know the correct length it needs to be cut. This really can depend on each person’s lawn as you have to get the balance between a nicely uniform length and keeping your grass healthy. Certain aspects need to be considered before deciding on the correct height, such as the type of lawn you have, your environment, and how often you mow your lawn. 

The different seasons also impact how short you should go; for example, you can cut a little short in autumn and spring. However, it should be a little longer in winter and summer due to the harsher weather, so the leaves are important to ensure it gets all its important nutrients and energy.  

So it’s hard sometimes to determine the exact height that you should be cutting your grass as a few factors are involved, so a general tip is to stick to the 1/3 rule. This means that you should not remove more than 1/3 of the grass at one time. So, if your grass is 6cm tall, then only remove 2cm so that you are left with 4cm of grass. 

So I know that in some cases, your grass may be taller than you desire it to be after cutting it with the 1/3 rule; just remember to try to stick to the rule. Instead of cutting more than 1/3 of grass which may lead to cutting it too short, wait till it is 5cm and then cut 1.5cm so that you are then left with 3.5cm, do this till you reach your desired length. 

Try not to leave your grass too long before mowing; otherwise, it will take you a while to get it to its desired length but remember to follow the 1/3 rule. This will ensure it stays healthy and strong while cutting it down slowly; a happy lawn length is usually 3-6cm long.

What Can Be Done If My Grass Is Cut Too Short?

Cutting your grass too short can be devastating, especially if you are very proud of your garden. If you did cut it a little too short, here are a few tips to encourage healthy regrowth:

• Watering your grass enough will help with recovery, be careful not to overwater

• Reseeding the bare parts of your grass will help fix the patchiness

• Allow your grass to grow, mow it less, and cut it to its desired height

• Make sure your mowers blade is sharp enough

• Avoid using nitrogen fertilizers as it can weaken the grass more

Wrapping Up

If you cut your lawn, you can kill it, this may not happen straight away, but if it’s not looked after, then it can die. Thankfully, we can follow a few tips to restore our grass if we end up cutting it too short by mistake. 

To avoid cutting our lawn too short, we can follow the 1/3 rule; remember only to cut 1/3 even if it is too long. To get it to the desired length, just mow it earlier than you usually do.