You Should Mow Your St Augustine Lawn at 4" and Here's Why

PINELLAS COUNTY, FLORIDA

By Rick Orr 04/17/2020
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Cross section of a St Augustine lawn showing mowing height of 4?
Side view of a St Augustine lawn showing the correct mowing height.

Mow St Augustine Turf Grass Lawns at 4" or Higher

When you mow a St Augustine lawn at three inches or higher you create a tall thick canopy of grass above the soil. The taller and thicker the better. Why?

Best at Food Production

A tall canopy intercepts the maximum amount of sunlight to produce the maximum amount of food (photosynthesis).  The more food, the more energy for growth, recovery, and strength during stress like drought, disease, and pests.

Protection from Heat and Drought

Nothing insulates better than a tall thick canopy of grass. The tall canopy blocks the sun, shades stems and roots and keeps the temperature and humidity perfect for growing grass.

An Organic Weed Barrier

The tall canopy is a weed barrier and weed blocker. The tall canopy prevents weeds from reaching the soil to germinate. Those weed seeds that do germinate will perish from lack of sunlight.

Attractive

The rigid blades of St Augustine grow uniformly erect, rigid and close together. This gives the St Augustine lawn a "billiard table" look even when the grass is six inches high.

Mowing A St Augustine Lawn at 4" or Higher is Best

Some think that the lawn should be mowed low. If you mow below three inches, you give up food production, insulation, weed control and appearance. You can brag about how low you mow, but you can't brag about how good your lawn looks. And why grow a lawn if it doesn't look good?

So if you want a lawn to brag about, stop fighting the temptations to mow it low and let it grow. It will look great and thrive even during blistering heat and drought.

Rick Orr Owner-Operator APL Pest Control/Creator of ILOVETURF.COM
Rick
Orr
APL Pest Control

Since 1995, Rick Orr has worked in Pinellas County providing turf management and pest control. Rick Orr is a graduate of VA Tech in Agronomy (Turf Ecology) and the creator of Iloveturf.com.

Since graduating from VA Tech in 1979, Rick worked in the green industry, mostly with golf courses, resorts, and large communities. Rick has obtained certifications in arboriculture, landscape contractor, and irrigation contractor, and taught Environmental Horticulture at St Petersburg College. 

Currently, Rick is the owner and operator of APL Pest Control. APL Pest Control provides lawn care and pest control for all of Pinellas County.

To learn more about APL Pest Control CLICK HERE

Free Price Quote from APL Pest Control for Home Pest Control and/or Lawn Care CLICK HERE

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