How to Mow Bermuda Grass
Bermuda grass mowing height, frequency, reel vs rotary mower guidance, and spring scalping technique for the cleanest bermuda lawn.
Common bermuda: 1 to 2 inches. Hybrid bermuda (Tifway, TifTuf, Celebration): 0.5 to 1.5 inches. Higher within the range for less maintenance, lower for a tighter golf-course look. If you're unsure of your variety, start at 1.5 inches and adjust based on appearance.
Bermuda grows up to 6 inches per week during peak summer. At a 1.5 inch mowing height, the one-third rule means you need to mow before it reaches 2.25 inches. In practice this means every 3 to 5 days from May through August. Weekly mowing is too infrequent for bermuda at proper heights.
Reel mowers cut with a scissor action that produces a cleaner cut than rotary mowers, especially below 2 inches. Rotary mowers tend to tear bermuda at low heights, leaving ragged tips that brown. A manual reel mower works for small lawns. For larger lawns, a powered reel mower (like a Swardman or Honda HRX with reel attachment) is worth the investment.
When you see the first green shoots (soil above 65 degrees), lower the mower to the lowest safe setting and cut off all brown dormant growth. Bag the clippings. This single spring scalp is the most important mowing event of the year for bermuda. It removes the dead layer, exposes soil to sunlight, and accelerates green-up by 1 to 2 weeks.
Dull blades tear rather than cut, leaving ragged edges that turn brown and invite disease. Sharpen rotary blades every 20 to 25 hours of mowing. Reel mower blades need backlapping (a grinding adjustment) every 40 to 60 hours. Bermuda's fine blades show dull-blade damage more than coarser grasses.
