The short answer is….NO! For cool season grass, such as tall fescue, don’t cut your lawn shorter than 3″. And cut not more than 1/3 of the length of the grass when you mow. And then, mulch the clippings and leave them on your yard. They will work their way to the soil, and then they will break down. This is an excellent, natural, slow release form of nitrogen. Work with your lawn, not against it! This is an easy way to do so.



According to the Ohio State University Extension Service, “Leave clippings on the lawn; they break down quickly, returning nutrients and organic matter to the soil. Grass clippings left on the lawn provide up to 30 percent of a lawn’s seasonal nitrogen needs and do not contribute to thatch formation. Mulching mowers chop clippings finely, further hastening decomposition.”