June 26, 2026, 3:07 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
A lush, dense lawn is the dream of many garden owners. But for the grass to grow healthily and for weeds or moss to have little chance, it’s not just about regular mowing–it’s especially about the right cutting height.
Many people mow their lawns by feel–and often cut them too short. This can weaken the grass and make the lawn more susceptible to drought, moss, and weeds. What cutting height experts recommend instead and what really matters when mowing, myHOMEBOOK asked Dr. Harald Nonn, former chairman of the German Lawn Society.
The ideal cutting height depends on usage
How short a lawn should be mowed primarily depends on its use. While grass on golf courses is cut to just a few millimeters, different recommendations apply for a home garden. “For golfers on the green, it will likely be around three millimeters, for a soccer field about two and a half centimeters, and for the typical home lawn between three and a half and four centimeters,” Nonn explains. For flower or herb lawns, the cutting height can be significantly higher. Therefore, there is no universally ideal height. “The ideal cutting height is really only usage-dependent,” the expert says.
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In summer, it’s better to leave the lawn a bit longer
Keeping your lawn at the same height all year round is generally not wrong, according to Nonn. However, during hot summer months, it might be wise to set the mower a bit higher. “I’m actually a fan of maintaining the same cutting height from the first to the last cut,” he says. “But if we look at the current weather, it does make sense to raise the cutting height by one to two centimeters.” The reason: Longer blades of grass shade each other, reducing water evaporation, and the lawn copes better with heat and drought. For a normal utility lawn, Nonn considers a height of about three and a half to four centimeters ideal. For particularly drought-tolerant lawn mixtures with tall fescue, around five centimeters is more sensible.
Does a longer lawn need more water?
Many hobby gardeners assume that longer grass automatically requires more water. In fact, according to Nonn, the opposite is true. “The more leaf mass I have, the deeper the roots usually reach,” he explains. The plants can thus absorb water from deeper soil layers. At the same time, the increased shading reduces evaporation. Whether the lawn needs water can best be determined by the condition of the grass. “If the lawn becomes limp and turns gray-green, then the water supply is usually exhausted.”