Mow Lawn Once a Month: Is This a Good Idea for Your Garden?

The question “If you mow lawn once a month, will the lawn look good that way?” might be running through your mind, and the answer to this question is a big no because grass needs frequent lawn mowing to keep growing and thriving.

Otherwise, as the grass grows longer, it becomes more prone to damage and diseases. Find out some special circumstances under which you can mow the grass once a month and get away with it.

Should You Only Mow Lawn Once a Month?

You should only mow lawn once a month if the grass that is growing in it is dormant and slow. Other than that, mowing a lawn only once each month is not a good idea and is not considered effective lawn care.

– Collecting Clippings

Suppose you want to collect the mowed grass clippings instead of spreading them over the lawn after a cut. In that case, you will likely need to mow it only once per month, especially when you are also not keen on artificial fertilizing to accelerate grass growth. When we rely only on natural fertilizer or do not fertilize, the grass takes time to grow tall enough to be mowed only once per month.

On the other side, lawn grass grows very fast when the clippings are spread over, especially after converting it into mulch. Very finely mulched grass pieces break down faster than anything else to provide fresh nutrients to the grass and the soil underneath it. People who do not collect their clippings and spread them on the lawn will have to mow the grass more often than once per month.

Most lawnmowers already come equipped with this grass-collecting property. Upwards suction created by the revolving blades sends the cut grass pieces into a collecting chute, which transfers them to a grass collecting bag hanging underneath.

This bag is easily removable and reattached and must be periodically emptied to prevent a backlog. Otherwise, your mower will begin to spit out grass because it has been overfilled. The collected clippings can be added to the compost bin or sold to nurseries, so you should always look for fresh clippings.

– Fertilizing Occasionally

If you have reasonably well-nutritional soil, your grass will carry on growing at a steady pace even without regular fertilizing. Unless it is a particularly fast-growing grass variety, you can get away with mowing it once a month. This is the perfect lawn care strategy for anyone who lives a busier life and cannot afford to mow it every second week.

The more nutrients you give your lawn, the more rapidly the grass will grow. Lawn grass does not need that much food to survive and grow. If you can only schedule one mowing every month, then it is best to just lay off on feeding the lawn. In this situation, it is better to plant a resilient grass variety in the lawn than one that needs regular care.

– Dormant Grass

Grass only grows all year uniformly long, so you don’t have to mow it evenly. When the grass goes dormant, it grows very slowly, and it would be fine even if you mow it only once per month. We often must remember to mow our grass during winter or summer dormancy because it grows slowly.

Bermuda, Zoysia, and Centipede are popular warm-season grasses that grow exuberantly in summer and spring.

As soon as the temperature drops below 65 degrees Fahrenheit in early fall, these grasses become dormant and their growth rate becomes very slow. Mow them once a month until proper winter season, during which there will be no need to cut grass.

Cool-season grasses grow slower than warm-season grasses anyway. They cannot tolerate hot weather and will slow down their growth during summer to preserve energy. During this time, it is okay even if you stick to once the monthly schedule for cutting your lawn grass. The less often they are cut, the better because that will stop them from incurring trauma during harsh times.

– Long Grass

If you can tolerate your home grass growing a bit longer than usual, you will only have to mow it sometimes. While the ideal grass height varies from one species to the next, most grass is kept at two and a half inches long. This requires too much mowing, though.

If you allow your grass to grow up to four inches long before the next mowing, then you can set a monthly cutting schedule. Keep it short when you finish cutting the four inches of long grass. Instead, go high and keep the grass height at two to three inches even after mowing. This would mean you will have at least a month and sometimes even more time before the next mowing.

While long grass ruins the aesthetic of your lawn, it is good for the overall ecosystem. If you prefer a different aesthetic and feel, try giving it a few months to get used to slightly longer grass.

– Lawn Is Watered Deeply

Deep watering is a very effective technique you can employ to slow down the growth of the grass in the lawn. Not only will the grass be healthier, greener, and more vibrant than ever, but you will also not have to mow it that often.

Deep watering means instead of water multiple times per week in a shallow manner, you only water grass once per week.

However, this weekly watering session must be deep and take a long time. On an average-sized American lawn, you will have to keep the sprinklers on for at least 30 minutes using low pressure only.

Deep watering ensures that the water seeps deep into the soil. It allows the root to grow deep along with the water underground. However, the random growth spurts of grass blades after each watering are prevented. Grass grows just enough to be mowed once per month and no more.

– When Mowing Once a Month Is Not Such a Good Idea

So far, we have discussed all the major situations when cutting the grass only once per month is acceptable, especially during its growing months. Besides, we recommend you stick to something other than such a low-frequency mowing schedule in the long term. An unmaintained and long grass eventually leads to a lower-quality lawn.

Ideally, grass needs to be cut almost every second to the third week unless it has decided to go dormant and sleep. If you do not do that regularly, then you will lose the habit of being mowed. Such sensitive grass gets hurt whenever it is cut because it is used to being dependent on longer blades for making food.

Mowing more often has the additional benefit of keeping the grass at its toes and in constant survival mode. Its healing mechanism gets activated whenever you cut it with mower blades, which leads to more growth.

This way, the grass stays healthy and vigilant against pests and pathogens. Mowing once a month will put your grass at a greater risk of succumbing to fungal, bacterial, and pest attacks.

Long grass blades easily get trampled under the feet or paws of animals and get snapped into two. By the end of the month, the grass in different parts of the lawn will be of a variable height, which is again a hassle to cut.

Lastly, most neighborhoods have clear laws specifying how tall the grass is allowed to get, and you might get in trouble if you mow a fast-growing grass only once per month.

When asked whether it is better to mow the lawn weekly or biweekly, mowing the grass once a week is best. This way, the turf would always look clean, well-kept, and aesthetically pleasing. Cutting more often can maintain short grass without cutting off too much grass at a time. Of course, switching to a biweekly grass-cutting regime is good if you need more time out for mowing every week.

– Effects on Grass Growth

Grass exhibits a growth spurt when it is mowed regularly. This is because when the grass is cut, this is seen as an injury to its blades. As the grass collects resources and directs all its energies into fixing this injury, it also tends to grow.

This phenomenon is more pronounced during the months when the grass is actively undergoing a period of growth. For warm-season grasses, this growth spurt is seen in the warmer months, while for cooler grasses, we see it during the year’s colder months.

– Cool Season vs. Warm Season Grasses

If you live in southern and warm states, you must have heard of warm-season grass types like Bermuda, Zoysia, and Centipede. These varities grow best in areas with scorching hot summers and temperate winters. These grass types are notorious for their rapid growth and spread and need to be mowed every week during summer to keep them in shape.

Compare these to cool-season grass types like fescues and ryegrasses, which are more prevalent in the northern states. This is because they cannot tolerate living in areas that experience warmer summers. These grasses grow slower than warm-season ones, and you must mow them about once every two weeks.

Frequently Asked Question

– What Is the Best Lawn Mowing Schedule on Average?

The best lawn mowing schedule on average during peak growth months of the year is around three to four times over one month. During the winter or summer dormancy period, the grass doesn’t grow so much and you might not have to mow at all.

There is no one-size-fits-all formula for a regular lawn mowing schedule. How often you need to mow grass depends on the grass’s growth rate and its growth cycle.

Conclusion

Before we conclude our grass-mowing guide, a brief recapitulation is a must.

• Mowing the lawn once a month is not a good idea if you want to maintain a healthy and thriving yard at home.
• If your grass type is slow-growing and doesn’t grow that tall, then you might get away with monthly mowing only.
• Other rare instances in which the lawn can be mowed just once a month is when it is not fertilized often or is dormant due to any cause.
• It is common knowledge that cool-season grasses grow slower than warm-season ones, so you will have to mow them less often.

After going through the information in this guide, you must reevaluate whether your grass needs to be mowed once a month or more. Unless you have a valid reason, we suggest you frequently mow your lawn to keep your turf in excellent condition.