Gardening expert and TikTok creator Ish has advised against cutting drought-affected lawns short, recommending instead that gardeners set their mowers to the highest setting for several weeks. The advice comes as autumn brings cooler conditions and rainfall, offering lawns a chance to recover from heatwaves and prolonged dry spells.
Why avoid a short cut
During drought, grass stops growing, turns brown and becomes dormant. While visible growth dies off or becomes brittle, the deep-set roots remain alive beneath the soil. After recent rain, browned blades may regain their green hue and grow vigorously, but Ish warned against mowing it as short as possible.
In the video's caption, he wrote: "It's tempting to want to mow your lawn back to a short length, but for now it's best to set the height to the highest setting and only remove a little bit." He cautioned that cutting grass right down risks it failing to grow back healthier — or not returning at all.
How to mow correctly
When tackling the lawn, the mower should be set to its highest setting. Begin by trimming only the very top of the grass, taking off roughly a third of its length. Ish explained that mowing on the highest setting means gardeners are "reducing the amount of stress" on the lawn.
By easing the strain, the grass will flourish. Ish suggested sticking to the highest setting for several weeks before gradually lowering it to achieve a shorter cut. He said: "You won't get those lime green patches where it's stressed out."
Long-term benefits
He added: "Mowing your lawn on the highest setting also helps prevent it from stressing out if you have any future droughts, because you're keeping it at the longest possible height. What you actually do is create a nice shade barrier underneath, which locks in even more moisture."
He concluded: "When it starts getting a little bit cooler, sure thing, bring it down a little bit lower, keep it nice and manicured. But for now, if you want a lovely lawn, just leave your mower a little bit higher."
