How to Cut Tall Grass? Tips to Mow it Efficiently

Overgrown grass is every lawn owner’s nightmare.

It doesn’t matter how careful you are with your lawn; you may have to deal with a tall lawn sooner or later. Most times, situation beyond your control play out, and you’re left with a tall bush-like lawn to handle.

It might be your lawn mower will just not start, or you were out of town for a while, or maybe you were even around but you were so busy you forgot about your lawn. All these might be the cause of an overgrown lawn; the lawn that was once admired by the whole neighborhood is now a thick unappealing bush.

How do you take back your lawn?

This is a question I’ll be answering in this article while showing you ways to cut your tall lawn without damaging your lawn or your mower.

how to cut tall grass

Commercial lawn companies have equipment that can handle overgrown grass, but their services may be too expensive, and you may have to wait a while for your appointment as they are usually quite busy during the summer months.

If you want to handle the cutting yourself, then stick around while I show you how to cut tall grass and reclaim you Lawn.

The government will charge you anything from $250 to $350 to bring in someone to cut your tall grass. As you can see, that is also an expensive option.

Before we get started, let me show you some equipment you need to handle your tall lawn.

Tools Required to Cut Tall Grass:

Here are some tools you need if you want to cut down an overgrown lawn. They are standard tools you may already own. You can borrow from a neighbor or rent from a store near you if you’re missing any.

  • Weed whacker
  • Rake
  • Work gloves
  • Lawn mower
  • Safety goggles

How to Cut Tall Grass?

When your grass has grown up to twice the length you usually start mowing it, then you have a tall grass situation on your hands.

How to Cut Tall Grass

You cannot employ the same mowing technique you normally use. It can cause damage to both your lawn and mower.

The grass will be too tall for your small lawn mower to work.

1. Use a Weed Whacker to Trim

The typical mower deck height is 4 inches; even if you raise its height, it may still not be able to handle your tall lawn. In this situation, you should make use of a trimmer to reduce the height of the yard.

The rule of mowing still applies here; do not cut off more than 1/3 of the grass’ length.

Trim off not more than one-third of the grass using the weed whacker. Here, patience is paramount. Taking it slowly will reduce the lawn’s stress and allow you gradual access to the bottom of the lawn, where you may have things like dog toys and hose pipes hiding.

2. Rake the clippings and water thoroughly

After cutting the first time, rake the clippings and add them to your compost pile or give them to your neighbor. Leaving the clippings on the lawn can block the surface since the clippings are larger than usual.

rake clippings after cutting grass

Water the grass thoroughly and leave it for two days to recover. Remember, the grass will continue growing, so you do not want to leave it for long. Two days is enough for it to recover from the stress.

3. Repeat the Process Again

If your grass is still too tall for your lawn mower, repeat the initial process with your weed whacker.

Cut off not more than 1/3 of the grass.

Remember to rake the clippings and water thoroughly. Leaving it to recover for a few days is essential if you want a healthy lawn afterward.

4. Bring in your Lawn Mower – Set it up

At this stage, your lawn mower will be able to work correctly. Now that you can see the lawn more clearly, remove any object from the yard, objects like dog toys and hose pipes that may have been lying around there.

lawn mower for mowing tall grass

The mower deck should match the level of the grass. Sharpen the blades or replace them out rightly as a dull blade is a recipe for disaster on your lawn.

5. Mow Your Lawn as You Normally Would

After waiting for the grass to recover for a few days, you’re now ready to mow normally. This is assuming your lawn height is now back to normal. If your lawn is still quite tall, you have to repeat the first step.

Cheers, you’ve completed the hard part.

Use your lawn mower to finally reduce the grass to the best height using the standard lawn mower settings.

6. Feed the Lawn and Allow it to Recover

At the end of the mowing session, the grass would be stressed from the constant mowing. Feeding the lawn fertilizer and thoroughly watering it will speed up its healing process.

Remember, it is not ideal to fertilize during autumn as the grass is preparing for frost. Spring is the best time to fertilize your yard.

Cut Tall Grass

Common Problems You’ll Face Mowing Tall Grass and Its Solutions

Mowing overgrown grass will expose your mower and lawn to a lot of challenges.

Dull blades:

Wear and tear is a common problem for all machines and the blade of your mower is not any different.

Using the mower frequently will leave the blades dull in no time. A dull blade will not cut the grass cleanly, which can lead to exposure to diseases.

  • Solution: sharpen the blades or replace with new blades

Stalling of Blade Motor:

Mowing thick grass can cause the blade motor to stall after a while.

Stalling of Blade Motor

Stalling of the blade motor is a common maintenance problem you’ll encounter if you frequently mow tall and thick grass.

  • Solution: this maintenance problem can be handled by lubricating the drive belt and spindle, removing contaminants around the blade or deck. Also, check the air filter for pollutants.

Mower Overload:

Mower overload can occur when a mower is handling thick and tall grass. The mower motor can get overwhelmed and shut down.

Fortunately, there is usually a warning before it shuts down, and you can work on it immediately.

  • Solution: slow down the motor and speed to reduce the work down by the engine.

How to Prevent Your Grass from Overgrowing Again?

Continually letting your grass overgrow will wear you out eventually.

  • Mow Just Before you go on Vacation

You need to add mowing to your vacation planning. By mowing the day you travel or a day before, you’re giving yourself extra room before the grass fills the whole place.

Some grasses like centipede grass are not fast-growing, so you can afford to travel for a week or two without issues.

  • Get a Robotic Lawn Mower

mow tall grass by robotic mower

Getting a robotic lawn mower would represent one of the best bits of business you’ll make.

With a robot lawn mower, you no longer have to worry about mowing during your vacations or when you’re extremely busy. Your lawn mower will do everything for you.

  • Ask Your Neighbor to Help you

Being friendly with your neighbors has many advantages.

When you’re out vacating, your neighbor can help you mow your lawn and keep an eye on your property. This needs to be a mutually beneficial exercise, or you risk wearing out your neighbor.

Help your neighbor mow their lawn too.

Wrapping it up

Having an overgrown lawn can happen to even the most meticulous lawn owners; when this occurs, you need to make use of a different mowing pattern to take back your yard and return it to its former glory.

Carefully mowing the tall grass will ensure your lawn stays healthy even after cutting off a huge chunk.

You can Read Our Various Mower’s Reviews:

About Jennifer Igra

Growing up in Brooklyn, New York City known for it’s green gardens. Jennifer, a 30 year old gardener and green living fanatic started Igra World to share her gardening journey and increase gardening awareness among masses. Follow Igra World to improve your gardening skills.

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