NJ Lawns Community

Hey everyone, just picked up a Honda HRX217 self-propelled mower from the Home Depot in Paramus (finally found one in stock after checking three stores!). I'm in Fort Lee and this is my first fall in the house with a real yard - previous owner apparently never touched the lawn and it's mostly tall fescue with some KBG patches. Now that we're getting into late October, what's the consensus on the height setting for that final winterizing cut? I've read everything from "go short at 2 inches" to "leave it higher so the roots don't freeze" and I'm honestly confused. The manual isn't super helpful for regional advice. Should I be aiming for 2", 2.5", or something else entirely? Thanks in advance!

Welcome to the mower club! The HRX is a solid choice - I've had mine for 5 seasons and it's been great. For your last cut in North Jersey, I'd definitely go with 2 to 2.5 inches. Here's why: tall fescue and KBG are both cool-season grasses that actually do better if you cut them slightly shorter going into winter - it helps prevent snow mold and other fungal issues that love to pop up under snow cover. You don't want to scalp it, but leaving it too long (3"+) can cause problems. I'd time it for your last mow around late October to mid-November - aim to get it done before we get that first hard frost. If we're having a warm fall like we sometimes do, you might get away with one more cut in early November.

I'll respectfully disagree with Steve a bit here - I'd actually recommend going closer to 2.5" to 3" as your winter height, especially for tall fescue. The issue with cutting too short is that you're removing too much of the photosynthetic material right when the grass is trying to store carbs for winter. What really matters more than height: make sure you're mowing when the grass is dry, and keep your blade sharp. Dull blades tear the grass and that opening makes disease easier to get in. I'd also skip any fertilizer at this point - you want the grass going dormant, not pushing new growth right before cold hits. For what it's worth, I've been maintaining lawns in Bergen County for 12 years and the ones that survive winter best are rarely the shortest ones come November.

Ooh a Honda! Nice upgrade. I switched to a push mower with a mulching blade a few years back and honestly I'll never go back - all that clipped grass goes right back into the lawn as free fertilizer. To answer your actual question though - I leave mine at about 2.5" for the last cut. But here's my trick: I actually mow over my leaves first (when they're dry) with the mulching blade, then do a final pass. The leaf bits break down and add organic matter all winter. My next door neighbor in Tenafly does the same thing and her fescue looks amazing every spring. Don't forget to drain the gas or add stabilizer if you're not going to use it for months - learned that the hard way with my old mower.

Thanks everyone! This is super helpful. Looks like there's some disagreement but it seems like 2-2.5" is the general range. I'm leaning toward 2.5" since I've got that fescue and don't want to stress it too much right before cold. @CompostQueen - good call on the gas stabilizer. Is there a specific brand you'd recommend? Also, that's a smart idea about running over leaves first - I've got a ton of oaks in the backyard and was wondering what to do with all the fallen leaves anyway.

Get STA-BIL for the gas - it's what I use and I've had zero carb issues come spring. The ethanol in gas these days will wreck small engines if you let it sit. @SoilScientist fair point about the Root zone storage, but I've seen more damage from lawns left too long going into winter than the opposite. Snow mold especially is brutal in our area - it gets those big fuzzy patches in lawns that were left at 3"+ under snow. Different conditions though, both methods can work depending on soil health, drainage, etc. Honestly the most important thing is just being consistent throughout fall and getting that final cut in before the grass goes totally dormant.

@FortLeeLawnNewbie - One more tip since it's your first winter: don't bundle up all your leaves into bags for the trash. That's a waste and bad for the soil biology. Chop 'em up with the mower or rake them into the garden beds - they'll decompose and feed your soil microbes all winter. Your future self will thank you come spring. And yes, getting a soil test done this spring would be a good idea - gives you a baseline for what your fescue actually needs. The extension office does them cheap.