Mow it taller than you think.

Why tall

• Shade. Taller grass shades the soil, which keeps crabgrass seeds from sprouting and keeps the roots cooler.
• Roots. Grass roots grow roughly in proportion to the blade. Scalped lawns have shallow roots that dry out in July.
• Water. A tall lawn loses less moisture.

The one-third rule

Never cut more than a third of the blade at once. Cutting more shocks the grass. In fast May growth that means mowing weekly; in July it might mean every other week.

Stripes

The stripes you see in our photos come from bending the grass in alternating directions, not from cutting it differently. They look best on a lawn mowed tall.