Quick tip from the field here in Corbin — this one mistake causes more brown, stressed lawns than anything else I see.

The 1/3 rule: Never cut off more than one-third of the grass blade height in a single mow. If your lawn is a Kentucky bluegrass/tall fescue mix (which most lawns around here are), that usually means keeping it between 3–4 inches tall and mowing before it gets past 5–6 inches.

Why it matters:

• Scalping the lawn shocks the roots and stops growth for days while it recovers.

• Short grass = shallow roots = more susceptible to drought and weeds (crabgrass loves an over-cut lawn).

• Taller grass shades the soil, holding moisture and choking out weed seeds before they germinate.

Practical takeaway: In peak growing season (spring/early summer here in KY), that often means mowing every 5-6 days, not every 2 weeks. If you've let it get long after a rainy stretch, don't chop it back to "normal" height in one pass — bring it down gradually over two mows a few days apart.

Also — keep your blade sharp. A dull blade tears grass instead of cutting it, leaving ragged brown tips that make an otherwise good mow look bad from a distance.

Happy to answer any yard questions here, whether or not you're a customer — this forum's open to the neighborhood.