By Kyle Caldwell, Owner & Agronomist, Century Outdoor Services | Austin, TX
If you have a Bermuda grass lawn in Austin, Texas, one of the most important things you can do for its health and appearance is also one of the simplest: mow it at the right height and mow it consistently.
At Century Outdoor Services, we can provide the fertilization, weed control, insect control, and disease treatments your lawn needs, but proper mowing is something that has to happen between our visits. In my experience, mowing height and frequency can make a huge difference in how dense and healthy a Bermuda lawn becomes.
For most residential Bermuda lawns in the Austin area, I recommend maintaining a mowing height between 1 and 2 inches and mowing once per week during the active growing season.
For a typical residential Bermuda lawn, I recommend keeping the grass at 2 inches or lower, with an ideal range of about 1 to 2 inches.
Bermuda is naturally a low-growing turfgrass. Unlike St. Augustine, which performs well at a taller mowing height, Bermuda responds very well to being maintained shorter.
One of the biggest benefits is turf density.
When Bermuda is consistently mowed at the proper height, it encourages the grass to grow laterally rather than becoming tall and stemmy. That lateral growth helps create the thick, dense canopy most homeowners want from their lawn.
A dense Bermuda lawn doesn’t just look better. It can also help the lawn compete against weeds by reducing the open areas where weed seeds have an opportunity to germinate and establish.
A common mistake I see with Bermuda lawns around Austin is mowing them too high or waiting too long between mowings.
If Bermuda is allowed to grow tall, more of the green leaf tissue moves toward the top of the plant while the lower portion becomes increasingly stemmy and brown.
Then, when the lawn is finally mowed shorter, you may suddenly see a lot of brown turf.
In many cases, the mower didn’t actually kill or damage the lawn. You simply removed most of the green growth and exposed the brown stems underneath.
This is why consistency is so important with Bermuda grass.
Instead of allowing it to grow tall and periodically cutting it back down, establish a mowing height and maintain it throughout the growing season.
During the active growing season, I recommend mowing Bermuda at least once per week.
In Austin, Bermuda grows aggressively once temperatures warm up, especially when the lawn is receiving adequate irrigation and fertilizer.
Weekly mowing keeps you from removing too much of the grass blade at one time.
A good guideline is the one-third rule: try not to remove more than one-third of the grass blade during a single mowing.
For example, if you’re maintaining your Bermuda lawn around 2 inches, don’t let it get extremely tall before mowing it back down to 2 inches.
The faster your Bermuda is growing, the more important mowing frequency becomes.
Absolutely.
If you’re trying to maintain Bermuda closer to 1 inch, you may need to mow more frequently than once per week during periods of rapid growth.
The lower you maintain Bermuda, the more frequently it generally needs to be mowed.
For most Austin homeowners using a standard rotary mower, however, I think the 1- to 2-inch range provides a good balance between appearance, turf health, and realistic maintenance.
You don’t need to maintain your backyard like a golf course to have great-looking Bermuda grass.
Bermuda is a warm-season grass, so its growth slows dramatically as temperatures cool and eventually stops when the turf goes dormant.
That means your mowing schedule should change with the seasons.
During the growing season, you may be mowing every week. During winter in Austin, you may only need to mow about once a month, and sometimes even less depending on weather conditions and growth.
Winter mowing is often more about keeping the lawn neat and managing any growth or weeds that extend above the dormant Bermuda canopy.
There’s no reason to continue mowing every week when the turf isn’t actively growing.
Mowing height and frequency aren’t the only things that matter.
Keep your mower blade sharp.
A dull mower blade tears the grass instead of making a clean cut. If you’ve ever noticed that the tips of your Bermuda look shredded or turn tan shortly after mowing, a dull blade may be part of the problem.
A clean cut reduces unnecessary stress and gives the lawn a much cleaner appearance after mowing.
If you want a thick, healthy Bermuda lawn, don’t overlook mowing.
For most Bermuda lawns in Austin, I recommend:
Fertilization and weed control are important pieces of a healthy Bermuda lawn, but they work best when they’re combined with good cultural practices.
At Century Outdoor Services, we see the best results when proper fertilization, weed control, irrigation, and mowing all work together. A consistent mowing schedule is one of the easiest things an Austin homeowner can do to help create a thicker, healthier Bermuda lawn.
If you want to learn more about caring for your Bermuda lawn, see our info on How to Grow and Maintain a Healthy Lawn.
For Weed Control and Fertilization, Aeration, and Moisture Manager, the price is calculated by every 1,000 ft². Click here to see how we determine our prices.
If you’d like to receive an estimate, you can call us at (512) 786-1694 or send us a quick message.
No, Century does not require contracts for residential services. We set up a Service Agreement for your property based on the services accepted. This agreement requests at least a 24-hour notice of cancellation of service.
We’ve provided the most reliable weed control & fertilization to customers in Austin, Bee Cave, Dripping Springs, and nearby areas in Texas since 2013.
