Bermuda – Drastic Cutting

Q: At my new home the bermuda grass was mowed three inches high. The first time I cut it, I set my mower at 2.5 inches. The grass seemed to lose a lot of green. Your website says a good height for bermuda is 1-1.5 inches. But dropping from 3 to 1.5 inches doesn’t seem like the right thing to do.

A: Your instincts are correct. If your question had come in spring, you could have gradually lowered your mower to the correct height. But now in fall, I’d mow it at a height that leaves some green showing until everything turns brown in November. Leave it alone until it’s 50% green in April and mow it at 1.5 – 2 inches then. For regular maintenance, mow each time it reaches 2.5 inches