Curbing Fast Grass

Is your grass growing too fast? It’s not a silly question (well, not usually). Grass that grows too fast can be difficult, but not impossible, to maintain.

First thing first: If your grass does seem to be growing at a rapid rate, keep up with the mowing. You’ll need to stay consistent with your mowing schedule and not let the grass grow too high. You may even need to mow more than once a week.

Raise the setting on your lawn mower. This seems counterproductive. It’s not. Mowing actually encourages lawn growth, especially if the lawn is cut closer to the ground. Grass that’s left a little higher tends to grow a little slower.

Leave the grass clippings on the lawn. This will provide nutrients to the lawn that it would get with fertilizer.

Want to slow down your rapid lawn growth? Add slower-growing grass. Zoysia grass is an example of a grass that grows slower than most. 

Cut down on the fertilizer. This is especially true if you've been nitrogen fertilizers. This does not mean the lawn should go without nutrients. Every lawn needs food (or it won’t be a lawn for too long). Use smaller amounts of fertilizer or slow-release fertilizer.

Don’t overwater your lawn. Keep the watering to once a week, including rainfall. Also water in the early part of the day. A lawn sprinkler system with a timer can help you regulate the day and time you water the lawn. This safeguards against forgetting when or if you watered the lawn during the week.

Be careful using chemical inhibitors. You can usually find chemical inhibitors at home and garden stores. These products are designed to inhibit growth but you need to be careful with them or you could do damage to your lawn. Be conservative in the application and follow directions.