Lawn long or short?

[sethsodsquad]

I usually cut all of my customers' lawns shorter when wintertime comes closer, but I had a customer this year say to leave the lawn long over the winter. What!!!?

I have been in this business for a while, and have never heard anything about leaving a lawn longer in the winter . . . or have had a customer tell me to stop mowing this time of year. This specific customer really has no clue about his lawn and wants me to stop taking care of his property for the winter. (Even though his trees have started to drop leaves and he never works outside).

I'm not sure what to tell him - what would you do?

Seth

[SodKing]

It is an old wives tale that you should cut the lawn short,or scalp the lawn, before winter. You do not want to stress the plant excessively before the long winter. That being said your final cut should be no longer or shorter that the previous cuts.

[sethsodsquad]

It all depends on how low you are talking about though - I'm not saying I'm scalping the lawn. I usually mow one setting lower than what I do throughout the year.

I understand it's not healthy to cut the lawn really short before winter - and that's not what I'm doing. I agree with you about the no longer or shorter before the winter, but wouldn't it be better to cut it now and leave it a little shorter in the winter than leave it uncut for the whole winter? (it's still growing now)

Also - if I do continue to mow because I convince him that leaving the lawn long over the winter is a bad idea, I find that mowing lower also produces better results when picking up lieaves.

Seth

[jsaunders]

I cut alittle lower at the end of the season. You can also get another mow or two out of the lawn as well when lowering the hight. It also makes cleaning up the leaves easier because they don't get cought in the grass.