Bermuda grass is a popular, warm-season turf known for its aggressive growth and ability to withstand heat and heavy use. This dense, spreading grass requires precise, consistent care to maintain its quality. Bermuda grass thrives when cut short, which encourages the horizontal growth that creates a carpet-like appearance. Proper mowing is the most important practice for promoting the health and density of this resilient turf.
Recommended Mowing Height Range
The ideal height for Bermuda grass depends on the specific variety planted. Hybrid Bermuda grasses, such as Tifway or TifTuf, tolerate extremely low cuts, performing best when maintained between 0.5 and 1.5 inches. These low heights force the grass to spread laterally via stolons and rhizomes, creating high turf density and discouraging weed growth. Common Bermuda grass is coarser and should be maintained slightly taller, typically in the 1 to 2 inch range.
Cutting within this recommended low range promotes the desired lateral growth habit. When the grass is consistently cut short, it dedicates energy to producing runners rather than vertical blades, resulting in a tighter, more robust turf. Mowing too low during the active season, known as “scalping,” removes too much green leaf tissue where the plant produces its food. This excessive removal shocks the grass, causing it to brown and leaving it vulnerable to weed invasion, disease, and environmental stress. Setting the mower blade within the appropriate half-inch to two-inch window is the first step toward a healthy lawn.
The Importance of Mowing Frequency
Achieving the target height for a Bermuda lawn relies on frequent mowing. To maintain turf health and prevent shock, never remove more than one-third of the grass blade’s total height in any single cutting session. This guideline is known as the “one-third rule,” and it is crucial for this fast-growing species. If you aim to keep your lawn at a 1.5-inch finished height, for example, you must mow before the grass reaches 2.25 inches tall.
Adhering to this rule prevents the sudden removal of too much photosynthetic tissue. Cutting too much blade forces the plant to expend stored energy to quickly regrow the leaf surface, which depletes carbohydrate reserves and weakens the root system. During the peak growing season of late spring and summer, Bermuda grass grows so rapidly that the one-third rule often requires mowing every three to five days. Maintaining this strict schedule ensures the grass is cut back to its target height without causing stress.
Adjusting Height Based on Grass Type and Season
The cutting height for Bermuda grass requires adjustment based on the specific cultivar and the time of year. Hybrid varieties, which are finer-bladed, can be cut as low as 3/8 of an inch, often requiring a specialized reel mower to achieve this precision. Common Bermuda grass, however, possesses a higher growing point, meaning it must be maintained at 1.5 to 2 inches to avoid constantly cutting into the brown, stemmy layer below the green leaf tissue.
Seasonal changes also necessitate specific height adjustments to manage dormancy. The first important height change occurs in early spring, a practice called “scalping,” where the mower is set to its lowest possible height, often 0.5 to 1 inch, to remove the dead, dormant growth. This action allows sunlight to penetrate the soil, warming it faster and promoting an earlier, more robust spring green-up. Conversely, as temperatures drop in the late fall, the mowing height should be raised slightly, typically to around 2 inches, to provide more leaf surface. This added height helps to insulate the crown and root system, increasing the plant’s winter hardiness before it enters full dormancy.