How To Cut Extremely Long Grass In 5 Easy Steps

It is all too easy to let your lawn get out of hand. You turn your back and ‘poof’ your freshly cut lawn is suddenly an overgrown jungle. But, don’t worry, you are not alone.

Even the most renowned gardeners have found themselves facing an overgrown lawn at one point or another. After a long vacation, you could come back to what looks like the Amazon jungle.

You might think that everything will be fine if you don’t mow the lawn for a week, but the truth is that if the conditions are perfect you could very easily have enough growth in the span of a week.

So much so that you will be struggling to cut your extremely long grass.

So, with that in mind, we have compiled this article to help you learn how to deal with those pesky overgrown lawns.

With our five-step guide, you will be well on your way to tackling your own extremely long grass. So, let’s get started!

A Few Tips Before You Get Started

Before we get into our step-by-step guides we will need to talk about some important tips that will make your life much easier when you actually undertake the mammoth task that is mowing an overgrown lawn.

Let’s start with the basics!

• Make Sure that Your Cutting Implement is Sharp – No matter how you are planning to tackling your lawn you will need to make sure that your equipment is in tip-top shape before you start. Your scythe blade must be sharp as must your lawnmower blades. Make sure that your lawnmower engine is up to snuff and is prepared for some really hard work.
• Purchase Protective Clothing – For your own safety, it is highly recommended that you make sure that you have adequate protective gear. You will need a pair of gardening gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, long trousers, safety goggles or glasses, and some kind of ear protection. All of this is to protect you from any mishaps that may occur while you are mowing the lawn.
• Check the Lawn for Any Debris – Before you start mowing it is a good idea to make sure that there are no rocks, branches or dog poop is on the lawn. Firstly, you do not want to damage your gardening equipment, and secondly, you do not want to splatter excrement all over you. So make sure that the garden is clear of any debris to avoid any heartache.
• Make Sure that Children and Pets are Not Around While you Mow – If you have children or pets around when you are mowing then they can become seriously injured by the blades of your mower. This is why it is best to keep them away from the area where you are cutting the lawn. Also, if you are going to use a push mower make sure that you park it far away from the house. The last thing you would want is to accidentally run over someone or something. As a side note, while you are mowing, keep an eye out for little animals like frogs, moles, or snakes. The murder of a small creature is not something you want on your conscience.
• Take Breaths Throughout – When you first begin mowing the lawn you will feel exhausted and overwhelmed. This is normal. However, you should try to take several deep breaths throughout the process to stay calm and relaxed. This will help you remain focused and keep you motivated. On top of that, your lawnmower will need to take breaks so that it does not get clogged or overheated.
• Pick the Best Time of Year – There is more than one time of year that is appropriate to cut your lawn. Spring is great because it gives you plenty of opportunity to plant new seeds. But, you could also wait until summer to cut your lawn. In addition to that, the growing season allows your grass to recover from being cut much more easily.

A Guide On The Best Way To Cut Extremely Tall Grass

it is not the moment you have been waiting for, below is a guide on how to cut your extremely tall grass. But first, we must start with what tool you will need for this process.

What Will You Need? 

• Safety Clothes – You will need to make sure that you have the proper safety equipment. From appropriate shoes to protective eyewear.
• Strimmer – You will need a string or a blade strimmer. Either will work fine as long as the machine has sharp blades and new string.
• Lawn Mower – You will, obviously, require a lawnmower so that once you are ready you can give your overgrown lawn a haircut.
• Rake – You will need a rake so that you can clean up the cut grass from the strimmer and the mower.

Step-By-Step Guide

Now that we know what we need, we can finally get into our step-by-step guide on the best way to cut extremely long grass. So, without further ado, let us get started!

Step 1 – After you have set yourself up, the kids and pets are out of the way, there is no debris in your garden, and you have your protective gear, you can start by strimming the grass.

It is recommended that you use a .080 or a .0.95 line or a sharpened blade strimmer before you actually start using a lawnmower on your grass.

Your first job is to use the strimmer to cut about one-third of your lawns’ length. Once you have done this you must wait a few days before you do the next step.

Step 2 – After about two days you will need to get your strimmer out again so that you can take more length off your lawn, about the same amount as the first time.

After you have done this you will be done for a little while. Step three will only happen about one week later.

Step 3 – It might seem hard and not very logical but trust us this is important. You will need to allow your lawn to recover from being trimmed so harshly.

Allow it about one week before you move on to the next step.

Step 4 – At this point, you can use your lawnmower. to take off the remaining grass. Make sure to pause often so that you do not let your machine overheat.

Step 5 – Once all that is done, you should use your rake to gather the cut grass which you can use as a mulch if you want. If that is not something you want, make sure to dispose of the grass clippings.

Cutting Extremely Long Grass By Hand

If you are not comfortable using a strimmer or weed wacker you may want to opt for using a sickly, scythe, or shears. Below is a brief description of how to use these tools.

How Do You Use Shears?

Shears are better suited to being used to cut smaller sections of your lawn. The best way to hold them is to make sure that the blades are parallel to the ground.

Once you are comfortably positioned you will just need to squeeze the shears together as you move across the lawn.

How Do You Use A Sickle?

The best way to use a sickle is to hold it like you would a gold stick. Now all you need to do is gently move the blade away from your body. Back and forth until the whole lawn has been cut.

How Do You Use A Scythe?

If you have opted to use a scythe you will need to start by making sure that you are standing in a comfortable position while holding the scythe by the handle.

Now all you need to do is swing the blade back and forth. If you want to be efficient you will need to make sure that the edge of the blade is parallel to the ground.

Scythes are great at cutting very tall grass, up to two feet tall to be exact. The downside of scythes is that they are meant for people that are skilled at using them.

So, if you have no experience it might be better to use the shears instead.

Let’s Talk About Mowing Tall Grass Without A Strimmer 

But, what if you only have a lawnmower? While a lawn that has been trimmed will be much easier to manage you can cut an overgrown lawn using only a lawnmower.

You will be putting a lot more effort in this way but at the end of the day, you should achieve your goal.

So, let’s get started!

Step-By-Step Guide

Before you get started it is important that you do not mow your lawn while the grass is wet. This is because wet grass will make your already difficult task even more taxing.

On top of that, wet grass will adversely affect your lawnmower. So, wait until your lawn is totally dry before you even start. Patience is key!

Step 1 – Your first step is to adjust the lawnmower so that when you first cut the lawn you are just trying to take off some height.

You may spend a long time doing this step, so make sure to go slow and take plenty of breaks for you and your machine.

Step 2 – After you have taken the top of the whole lawn it is finally time to take another pass over your lawn. Reduce the height of your lawnmower and go over the whole lawn again.

Once again, make sure to take it slow, take your time and unclog your lawnmower when you stop.

Step 3 – Now that you have gone over the lawn twice and taken off a lot of height you will now need to leave the lawn alone to recover for a few days.

Step 4 – After a few days, you should start to notice that your lawn is starting to look a little better. At this point, you will need to make one final pass with your lawnmower.

Reduce the height of your machine to a point you are happy with and go over the lawn one more time.

Step 5 – Now for the final task, the cleanup. Your last task is to make sure that the lawn is clear of clippings and all your tools have been away.

So grab your leaf blower or your rake and remove your lawn clippings. You can make a mulch out of this grass, or you can dispose of it. It is up to you.

What Tools Work Best For Extremely Tall Grass?

Well, this question entirely depends on how you prefer to cut your lawn. Are you someone that likes to do this task by hand or do you like something quick and easy?

Below are a selection of the best tools for the job:

Weed Eaters Or Strimmers

Your two main options for strimmer or weed eater are to either go for one with a cord and one that is cordless.

A weed eater is super useful for cutting long lawns and getting into those tight spots where other tools cannot reach. However, it does require a fair amount of skill and practice to operate properly.

Lawn Mowers

If you have a smaller lawn it might be better if you went for an electric lawnmower. This is because these machines are faster and more efficient than gas-powered ones.

They also tend to be quieter. If you have a larger yard then you should consider a gas-powered lawnmower. These are generally cheaper than their electric counterparts.

Grass Scythe

These tools are designed to be used with two hands and are very adept at cutting long grass. The only downside of using them is they take a bit longer to use but in return, they offer a much cleaner cut.

Sickle

These tools are designed to be used with one hand. They are very sharp tools and are ideal for cutting smaller areas of lawn.

They are quite effective at cutting long grass with ease so if you have an overgrown lawn this will be a great tool to use.

Don’t Let It Get Out Of Hand

While you can cut a lawn with long grass with any of the tools or methods we have detailed here it is obviously better if this never happened in the first place.

It is recommended that you make sure to mow your lawn regularly even if you are away.

Just like you schedule everything else in your life it is important to make sure that you have time set aside to mow and maintain your lawn.

If you are going on vacation, for example, you could mow your lawn the day before you leave so that you do not have as big a task to take on when you get back.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is time to answer some of the most frequently asked questions on cutting extremely long lawns. So, without further ado, let us get started!

Should You Leave Grass Cuttings On The Lawn? 

The short answer is no. Leaving grass clippings on the lawn is bad for your lawn and for yourself.

Grass clippings are made up of high levels of nitrogen which means that they will attract harmful insects and diseases. When you rake them off the lawn they end up right next to your house.

This can cause damage to your home’s exterior and interior. It can also lead to mold and mildew. The long story short is that you need to rake them off.

How Long Do You Cut Meadow Grass? 

Meadow grass should be cut once a week in order to keep your lawn looking healthy and green.

Depending on the size of your lawn, you may want to cut it every three days or four depending on what time of year it is and how wet it has been.

How Long Should I Keep My Lawn Short? 

You should keep your lawn between 6-12 inches tall. Anything taller than 12 inches needs to be trimmed down regularly. Keeping a lawn too long can result in the growth of weeds, bugs, and mosses.

What Happens If You Never Cut Grass? 

If you never cut grass then you will start to see some hideous things happen. First, there will be lots of weeds growing where you don’t want them.

It is possible that you will even start to notice that your grass isn’t as green as it was before. This is because grass grows best when it gets sunlight.

So, if you don’t cut it then it won’t get enough light and will stop growing.

Does Longer Grass Absorb More Water? 

Longer grass does absorb more water than shorter grass. But, this doesn’t mean that it takes longer to dry out. The reason long grass absorbs more water is that it tends to stay damp longer.

Therefore, if you live somewhere that experiences frequent rainstorms then you might find that your lawn is constantly soaking wet.

What Is The World’s Tallest Grass? 

The world’s tallest grass is actually a type of rye called “Tall Fescue”. It is 1.5 meters (4 feet) tall.

Should You Let Your Grass Grow Long Before Winter?

Yes, you should allow your lawn to grow until springtime if you live in an area with harsh winters.

If you live in an area that experiences mild winters then you shouldn’t wait until springtime to begin mowing your lawn.

Final Thoughts

Now that we’ve answered many of your questions about lawn care, we hope that you now know everything you need to know to properly maintain your lawn.

Remember that you should always use a quality mulch and fertilizer.

We hope that you have enjoyed learning about how to cut extremely tall grass and everything else you need to know.

Have a fantastic day and good luck tackling that overgrown lawn!