How often should you mow your lawn in Melbourne?
Mow often enough that you never take off more than a third of the leaf. In Melbourne that means very different gaps in December and July.
The short answer: mow often enough that you never take off more than a third of the grass leaf in one cut. For most Melbourne lawns that means mowing most often from late spring through summer, less often in autumn, and least in winter, when couch, kikuyu and buffalo go dormant. Raise the mower for winter, then lower it gradually as the days get longer.
There’s no single right number of days between mows. Your grass, the weather and how much you water decide it, and the one-third rule turns that into a simple test.
The one-third rule
Gardening Australia’s turf advice is simple: “Only take one third of the leaf off.” Cut more than that at once and you stress the lawn, and you risk scalping it.
The rule also tells you when to mow. If you keep your lawn at a set height, mow before it grows past about one and a half times that height. For example, if you keep it at 8 cm over summer, mow before it reaches about 12 cm.
If the lawn has got away from you, don’t take it all off in one go. Lower it over two or three mows instead.
Mowing through Melbourne’s seasons
| Season | What the grass is doing | How to mow |
|---|---|---|
| Spring (Sep to Nov) | Warm-season grasses wake up and growth speeds up as the days lengthen | Mow more often as growth picks up. Lower the mower gradually over several weeks, not in one go |
| Summer (Dec to Feb) | Grows well when watered, but a hot, dry summer without watering leaves lawns struggling | Keep it long to save water. Mow as often as the one-third rule needs |
| Autumn (Mar to May) | Growth slows as it cools. A good time to aerate, feed lightly and top-dress worn patches | Mow less often, and start raising the mower for winter |
| Winter (Jun to Aug) | Couch, kikuyu and buffalo go dormant | Mow least often, with the mower raised. Gardening Australia says a higher cut helps protect warm-season grass from frost |
Sources: Gardening Australia’s lawn maintenance, autumn lawn care and lawn repair segments, and the Darebin and Moonee Valley sustainable gardening booklets.
How many days is that? For a newly laid lawn, Gardening Australia’s turf expert starts with light mows, then goes to once a week. In winter, a dormant lawn grows very little, so the gap between mows gets much longer. Check the height, not the calendar. It’s how we plan regular lawn mowing visits too: closer together when growth is fast, further apart when it slows.
Prefer to talk? Call or text 0415 386 399. We reply within 12 business hours.
How long to leave each grass
Longer is usually safer. Gardening Australia says leaving grass longer makes it more waterwise and helps it out-compete weeds. Darebin’s and Moonee Valley’s sustainable gardening booklets both suggest cutting your lawn long, 8 to 10 cm, over summer to save water.
| Grass | Type | Mowing notes |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | Warm-season | Copes with some shade. Don’t cut too close in the cooler months |
| Kikuyu | Warm-season | Spreads by runners, so keep the edges trimmed. Goes dormant in winter |
| Couch | Warm-season | A full-sun grass. Goes dormant in winter |
| Zoysia | Fine-leaved | Forms a dense, fine lawn when mown regularly. Some cope well with shade |
| Tall fescue | Cool-season | Can be mown a little shorter in autumn so sun and warmth reach the base, especially in shade |
We haven’t found an independent Australian source that gives one cutting height for each grass, so we don’t quote one. If you know your variety, its supplier’s care guide usually lists a range. Not sure what you’ve got? Our guide to the best grass for Melbourne describes each one.
When you’re allowed to mow
EPA Victoria sets the hours for lawn mowers and other grass-cutting equipment at home. Don’t mow:
- on weekdays before 7 am or after 8 pm
- on weekends and public holidays before 9 am or after 8 pm.
Line trimmers, blowers and other garden power tools, petrol or electric, follow the same hours. Noise complaints about homes go to your local council, not the EPA.
Mowing mistakes: too short or too rarely
Clippings, edges and the nature strip
Clippings. Whittlesea’s sustainable gardening booklet suggests spreading clippings evenly across the lawn as a natural fertiliser, and the Darebin booklet says to leave them on the lawn too. Gardening Australia suggests using a catcher when weeds are seeding, so you collect the seed rather than spread it. Clippings from the catcher can go in your green or FOGO bin, if you have one. Tip them in loose: Moonee Valley, for example, accepts grass in its FOGO bin but not plastic bags or liners, even compostable ones. Rules differ between councils, so check with yours, or see our guide to green waste bin rules in Melbourne.
Edges. Running grasses such as kikuyu and couch creep into garden beds, so a crisp edge every mow or two keeps them in check.
The nature strip. If you mow yours, keep clippings off the footpath and out of the gutter. Councils set rules for what else can go on a nature strip, including artificial grass: see nature strip rules in Melbourne.
Handing the mowing over
If the mowing has become a weekly chore, regular lawn mowing in Melbourne takes it off your hands. We set the cutting height and visit frequency around your grass and the season, then adjust as growth changes. A visit covers mowing, line trimming, edging and blowing paths clear, and nature strips can be included.
Mowing can also sit inside a wider visit with hedges and garden beds: see garden maintenance across Melbourne and what garden maintenance includes.
Text a photo of your lawn and your suburb to 0415 386 399 for a free quote.
From EKO Gardening Solutions. Sources checked on 9 October 2026.
A few useful answers.
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How often should I mow in a Melbourne winter?
Much less often than in summer. Couch, kikuyu and buffalo go dormant over winter, so mow only when the grass has grown enough to need it, and raise the mower first. Gardening Australia says a higher cut in the cooler months helps protect warm-season grass from frost and helps it recover in spring.
How short should I cut buffalo grass?
We haven’t found an independent source that gives one figure for buffalo. Never take off more than a third of the leaf at once, keep it longer over summer (Darebin and Moonee Valley councils suggest 8 to 10 cm to save water) and raise the mower for winter.
What time can I mow my lawn in Victoria?
EPA Victoria’s rules say not before 7 am or after 8 pm on weekdays, and not before 9 am or after 8 pm on weekends and public holidays. Complaints about noise from homes go to your local council.
Should I leave the clippings on the lawn?
Usually, yes. Whittlesea’s sustainable gardening booklet says spreading clippings evenly naturally fertilises the lawn. Use the catcher when weeds are seeding, so you collect the seed instead of spreading it.
Sources
- Gardening Australia: Laying Down the Lawn, the one-third rule (14 Oct 2022; checked 9 Oct 2026)
- Gardening Australia: Lawn Maintenance, mowing height through the seasons (30 Sep 2006; checked 9 Oct 2026)
- Gardening Australia: Autumn Lawn Care, warm-season and cool-season grasses, frost and the catcher (1 Mar 2019; checked 9 Oct 2026)
- Gardening Australia: Repairing the Lawn, mowing and scalping (aired 22 May 2010, updated Aug 2020; checked 9 Oct 2026)
- City of Darebin and Sustainable Gardening Australia: Sustainable Gardening in Darebin, lawn height, clippings and running grasses (2011, PDF; checked 9 Oct 2026)
- Moonee Valley City Council and Sustainable Gardening Australia: Sustainable Gardening in Moonee Valley (PDF, undated; checked 9 Oct 2026)
- City of Whittlesea and Sustainable Gardening Australia: Sustainable Gardening in the City of Whittlesea, lawns (2006, PDF; checked 9 Oct 2026)
- Gardening Australia: Love Your Lawn, low mowing and bald patches (20 Dec 2019; checked 9 Oct 2026)
- EPA Victoria: residential noise, prohibited times for mowers and garden power tools (updated 23 May 2025; checked 9 Oct 2026)
- Moonee Valley City Council: FOGO bin, grass accepted, no plastic bags or liners (modified 1 Sep 2026; checked 9 Oct 2026)
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