Measuring Your Lawn Mower’s Height of Cut
How do you determine more accurately what the true reel mower height of cut is? On most residential and commercial turfgrass surfaces this is not an exact science. Using three very simple steps it is possible to make close approximations with any push reel mower.
Step 1.
The height of cut (HOC) must be measured on a freshly mowed lawn. Take a few minutes and push your reel mower using the height setting of your choice, or the setting of which you intend to measure.
Step 2.
Take out a ruler or a tape measure and push the end down into the grass until it sits firmly on the soil or on the thatch layer of the lawn.
Step 3.
While making sure the grass is standing upright measure to the top of a freshly mowed blade. The resulting number will be the approximate height of cut that you are actually mowing at. It is sometimes a good idea to measure 5+ grass blades using the average length as the final HOC.
Suggested Mowing Heights
| Species |
Normal Weather |
High-Temperature Stress Periods |
| Colonial bentgrass |
0.30 – 0.80 |
0.50 – 0.80 |
| Creeping bentgrass |
0.125 – 0.80 |
0.188 – 0.80 |
| Fine fescue |
0.50 – 2.00 |
1.50 – 3.00 |
| Kentucky bluegrass |
1.50 – 2.25 |
2.25 – 3.00 |
| Perennial ryegrass |
1.50- 2.00 |
2.00 – 3.00 |
| Tall fescue |
1.75 – 3.00 |
2.50 – 3.50 |
| Bermudagrass |
0.25 – 1.50 |
NA |
| Bahiagrass |
1.50 – 3.00 |
NA |
| Buffalograss |
1.00 to unmowed |
NA |
| Carpetgrass |
1.00 – 3.00 |
NA |
| Centipedegrass |
1.00 – 3.00 |
NA |
| Seashore paspalum |
0.45 – 2.00 |
NA |
| St. Augustinegrass |
3.00 – 4.00 |
NA |
| Zoysiagrass |
0.50 – 2.00 |
NA |
Source:
Christians, Nick, Fundamentals of Turfgrass Management: Ann Arbor Press, Chelsea, Michigan: 1998.
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