Bermuda grass is a warm-season turfgrass prized for its aggressive growth habit, durability, and ability to thrive in hot, sunny climates. Achieving a dense, vibrant green lawn depends heavily on maintaining a precise mowing height throughout the growing season. The cutting height directly influences the plant’s physiology, impacting root development, overall density, and resistance to weeds and environmental stress. Proper height management encourages the plant to grow horizontally, forming the desirable, thick, carpet-like texture.
The Optimal Cutting Range
The ideal height for Bermuda grass is a narrow range, dictated by the specific variety and mowing equipment. Most healthy Bermuda grass lawns are maintained between 0.5 inches and 2 inches during the active growing season. Mowing within this range encourages the stolons and rhizomes to spread outward, resulting in a tighter, more resilient turf.
The optimal range differs between the two main types of grass. Common Bermuda grass, typically found in residential lawns, performs best when maintained at 1.5 to 2 inches, easily achieved with a rotary mower. Cutting common varieties too short can deplete the plant’s energy reserves and cause significant stress.
Conversely, hybrid Bermuda grass, often used on golf course fairways and high-end lawns, is bred to tolerate much lower cuts, performing optimally between 0.5 inches and 1.5 inches. To consistently achieve the low end of this spectrum, a specialized reel mower is necessary, as a rotary blade cannot deliver the required clean, close cut. Low mowing heights produce the highest turf density and the iconic “golf course” aesthetic but demand significantly more frequent watering and fertilization.
Maintaining the grass toward the higher end of the range, closer to 2 inches, promotes deeper root growth, which improves drought tolerance and overall hardiness. While this slightly reduces the lawn’s density compared to ultra-low cuts, it also lessens the frequency of maintenance required. The choice of height is a trade-off between maximum aesthetic density and the realities of maintenance commitment and environmental conditions.
Mowing Frequency and the One-Third Rule
Mowing frequency is as important as cutting height and is governed by the One-Third Rule. This rule dictates that no more than one-third of the grass blade’s total height should be removed in any single mowing session to prevent undue stress on the plant. Removing excessive leaf tissue at once can shock the Bermuda grass, forcing it to use stored energy to regrow blades instead of strengthening its root system.
For example, if the desired finished height is 1.5 inches, the lawn should be mowed when it reaches 2.25 inches tall. If the grass is allowed to grow too tall before cutting, the sudden removal of a large amount of green tissue will lead to an unsightly browning, as the mower cuts into the lower, non-photosynthesizing parts of the plant. This violation of the rule can also cause root stress, making the turf more susceptible to heat, disease, and weed invasion.
Bermuda grass is a rapid grower, meaning adherence to this rule often requires mowing every five to seven days, and sometimes even more frequently during peak summer growth. The quality of the cut is crucial, requiring the consistent use of a sharp mower blade. A dull blade rips and tears the grass tip, creating a jagged edge that loses moisture quickly and provides an entry point for plant pathogens.
Adjusting Height for Seasonal Changes and Specific Goals
The consistent growing-season height must be modified to account for environmental changes and specific goals. At the beginning of the growing season, a process known as spring scalping is performed to remove the dormant, brown top growth. This involves lowering the mower to its lowest setting, often 0.5 to 1 inch, to aggressively cut away the dead material.
This intentional scalping, performed when the grass shows the first sign of green-up and the danger of hard frost has passed, resets the growth point for the season. Removing this layer allows sunlight to penetrate the soil, warming the root zone and promoting an earlier, more vigorous spring green-up. All clippings from this initial cut must be bagged and removed to prevent a thick layer of thatch from smothering the new growth.
Different environmental conditions necessitate height adjustments during the summer. Bermuda grass has poor tolerance for shade, and turf growing under trees or near structures requires the height to be raised, often to 2 inches or slightly higher. The increased blade length provides a larger surface area for photosynthesis, helping the plant capture more limited light energy.
As the season transitions to fall, the mowing height should be slightly raised in preparation for winter dormancy. Allowing the grass to reach approximately 2 to 3 inches provides a greater mass of foliage that insulates the root system and crowns from cold temperatures. This slight increase in height helps protect the plant’s energy reserves as it enters its winter rest period.