How to Mow Your Lawn in Hot Weather and Keep It Green
When the dog days of summer bring on their swelter, it's time to rethink how you mow your lawn. Though a low-cut, manicured lawn might seem ideal, turf grass actually does better in the summer heat when you let it grow a bit. Longer shoots mean deeper roots, which the lawn needs to suck up moisture from the soil. A shaggy lawn also shades the soil, minimizing evaporation. To achieve that look, you'll need to raise the height of your lawn mower's deck—that is, the machine's main body, which houses the blade. Lawn mowers today, including the top-scoring models in our lawn mower ratings, have height adjustment levers that make it easy to raise and lower the deck. You'll actually need to use a ruler to determine the precise setting, at least until you get familiar with your machine. What Matters to You Matters to Us We test thousands of products so you can create your best home. Join After the spring growing season, CR recommends letting grass grow to about 4½ inche...