Alan Titchmarsh has settled the debate on lawn mowing, offering expert advice on how often to cut grass depending on weather conditions. The TV presenter and horticulturist warns that many gardeners make mistakes, from cutting too frequently to not enough, which can leave lawns struggling during severe weather.
Mowing Height and Frequency
Taking to TikTok, Titchmarsh advises against mowing too short. He recommends a height of one inch in summer, or one and a half inches during particularly hot spells. "The longer the grass blades, the greener the lawn will stay. Once it gets really hot and dry and rain isn't forthcoming, the lawn will start to go brown," he explains. However, if the lawn does turn brown, he insists there is no need to water it, as it will bounce back quickly once rain returns.
On frequency, Titchmarsh says: "At the very least once a fortnight. If you want a really thick lawn, once a week during the weather when we've got mild temperatures, sunshine and showers to keep it growing. When it gets hot and dry, cut it down to once a fortnight and leave more grass on."
No Mow May Advice
Regarding the No Mow May campaign, Titchmarsh cautions against abandoning the mower entirely for a month. Instead, he recommends mowing throughout the year while leaving certain patches to grow wild for the benefit of insects. For those who have already participated in No Mow May, he suggests continuing to leave the lawn unmown throughout June as well.
While overgrown patches can benefit wildlife, Titchmarsh highlights that birds often depend on mown lawns to easily extract worms from the ground. "Don't imagine a mowed lawn is unfriendly for wildlife, as far as the birds are concerned," he adds. "And provided you only use organic fertiliser in spring, like blood, bone and fish meal, no lawn weedkillers and no inorganic fertilisers."
