How to Mow Grass That Is Too Long
Busy lives and busy schedules often indicate the lawn does not get mowed punctually. When this occurs, the very best approach to acquire the lawn back in shape is to reduce the height gradually. Each type of grass has its optimal height expressed as a range, such as 1 to 2 inches. Encourage a healthy lawn with fewer weeds by maintaining the lawn in the high end of the range. Taller grass has deeper origins and requires less water and fertilizer. You should not remove more than one-third of the height of the grass when you mow. Lowering the height too rapidly signals that the grass to channel all of its energy into growth at the expense of root growth.
Assess the amount of the grass blades using a ruler or yardstick and divide that number by three.
Set the lawn mower to the appropriate height to eliminate one-third of the length of the grass blades and mow the yard. If the grass is severely overgrown and you can not set the mower high enough, then set it on the highest setting.
Mow again after a day or two, reducing the length of the grass blades from one-third. Repeat the process until the grass comes within the recommended range.
Rake, bag and remove the clippings so that they do not form unsightly brown clumps of dead grass. Clippings from overgrown grass might be too long to filter down into the grass or be mulched.