California Lawn Mowing Guide
California is two lawn regions. The warm, dry south runs Bermuda and St. Augustine; the cooler, wetter north runs tall fescue. What they share is limited water. California’s statewide emergency conservation rules expired in June 2024, but local water suppliers can set stricter ones, and several counties limit watering to certain days. So everywhere, mow toward the top of your grass’s range, shade the soil, and never cut a drought-stressed lawn in midday heat.
What grass do you have?
- Bermuda (south): heat- and drought-tough; cut low.
- St. Augustine (south, coastal): shade-tolerant; cut a little higher than Bermuda.
- Tall fescue (north and south): the most common lawn grass in California; deep roots, heat-tolerant with a high cut.
Mowing heights for California grasses
| Grass | Mowing height | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bermuda | 1–1½ in (seeded); ½–1 in (hybrids) | South; raise slightly under heat stress |
| St. Augustine | 1–2 in | South/coastal; never scalp |
| Tall fescue | 1½–3 in | Statewide; cut toward 3 in for more drought and heat tolerance |
Cutting at the top of your grass’s range makes the lawn more tolerant of drought and heat, which helps where your water supplier limits watering.
California mowing calendar
| Month | Mowing & lawn care |
|---|---|
| Jan | North (fescue): light cool-season growth. South (Bermuda): dormant. |
| Feb | North: occasional mowing. South: still dormant. |
| Mar | Statewide green-up; regular mowing resumes. |
| Apr | Active growth north and south: mow weekly. |
| May | Peak growth; weekly cuts; check your district’s watering rules. |
| Jun | Heat and dry season begin; raise the deck; water within restrictions. |
| Jul | Peak heat: mow high, early or late in the day, never midday on stressed turf. |
| Aug | Hottest, driest stretch; hold the high cut; deep, infrequent watering. |
| Sep | Growth resumes as heat eases. |
| Oct | Fall growth (north especially); overseed northern fescue. |
| Nov | North: active. South: Bermuda slows toward dormancy. |
| Dec | North: light growth. South: dormant. |
Mowers & equipment
See our mowing height guide and best lawn mowers.
Get the full California plan
Lush Lawns California: region-specific mowing heights, seasonal timing, and lawn care for California (Bermuda and St. Augustine (south), fescue (north)).
Printable California lawn care calendar and worksheet
Two PDFs to print at home, built from the extension service publications for California. Each page lists the publications it draws on.
California Lawn Care Bundle: $5.99
The calendar and the worksheet together, $3.49 less than buying both.
Buy the bundle for $5.99California Lawn Care Calendar: $4.49
Find your grass on the first page, then turn to its page for when to mow, water and fertilize, with mowing heights for each grass.
Buy for $4.49California Lawn Planning Worksheet: $4.99
Measure your lawn, record a soil test, work out how much fertilizer to spread, test what your sprinklers put down, and log the season month by month.
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