Fall mowing - Ask Extension
With this warm fall, at what point should you do a final short mowing for winter dormancy?
At October 3rd, should I still be mowing long due to lack ...
Knowledgebase
Fall mowing #919135
Asked October 03, 2025, 3:10 AM EDT
With this warm fall, at what point should you do a final short mowing for winter dormancy?
At October 3rd, should I still be mowing long due to lack of rain?
Mason County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello Linda,
If you have been cutting higher than 3 inches, you can lower your mower to 3 inches for the remaining fall cuts. If you are currently cutting between 2 and 3 inches, keep your current cut height. Cutting low or "scalping" going into winter is no longer advised.
If your lawn is in drought dormancy and you were cutting higher than 3 inches, allow the lawn to come out of dormancy for at least one cut before lowering to the 3 inch height for fall.
https://turf.umn.edu/news/q-fall-lawn-care Please see the first topic in this article.
hope this helps.
Thank you for that advice! My neighbor has already mowed his lawn super short but I was hesitant to do that. Will stay at 3" height.
Hello Linda,
I'm glad you sought out Ask Extension before you cut your lawn short.
