It's a perennial question. Just how short should I cut my lawn?

Many homeowners go by the marine haircut philosophy. Cut it so the grass is barely noticeable and you can get on to bigger and better things like going to a pro baseball game or hitting the links for a round of golf.

The big problem with this approach is that cutting your grass too short not only stresses out the grass, but it allows plenty of weeds like foxtail and crabgrass to grow.

Others take a diametrically opposed view. They think, "the darn grass is going to grow back anyway, so why cut it at all unless the neighbors or the housing association complains".

While that works to some extent, (who needs friendly neighbors anyway, right?) the big problem with grass that is too long is that they become a haven for mosquitos and other critters.

Not only that, but if the grass grows too long, the grass may droop, and drooping grass may trap moisture into surrounding grassy areas allowing fungi to develop.

So how often to mow?

Typically, the ideal mowing frequency is around every 5 to 7 days. Sure, there are some homeowners with nothing more to do than water and then cut their lawns, but their fastidiousness is not really needed.

So how short to cut your grass?

It depends on the season of the year, and also what kind of grass you have. As to the type of grass, one of the favorites for many lawns is Kentucky Bluegrass.

You really need to consult your local plant supply house to choose the right grass for your environment. Kentucky Bluegrass does well in many environments, but if you live in a place where the temperature gets in the 90s or the 100s throughout the summer, you need to choose a different grass such as buffalo grass which does great in the hot, dry sun.

Another critical factor is how much foot traffic your grass gets.

If you have a large backyard and half the neighborhood is playing baseball in your backyard, then you might want to consider Bermuda grass.

In general terms, you might want to set your lawnmower to leave 4 inches of grass if you have a cool grass, and with a warmer environment, you might want to leave only around 2.5 inches.

The 1/3rd rule

Professionals like to take only about 1/3 of the grass they mow, regardless of which type of grass is growing to avoid stressing the grass too much after they cut it.

Chopping off more than that at a time can seriously weaken the grass.

If weeds are suddenly popping up everywhere, large sections of your lawn change colors, there are lots of curled grass blades and when you walk on your grass your footprints stay visible like a tattoo, chances are your lawn is seriously stressed, then you need to revaluate your lawn care strategy.

At this point, most people like to call in a pro, and you'll be surprised after a month what a transformation your lawn goes through after a month of professional care.

You may decide to only keep your professional for a month or two, while on the other hand, many are happy to say good riddance to lawn care entirely.

But even if you only keep a lawn care pro for a month or two, try to learn all their secrets. Bring them out a glass of lemonade or something, and an act of kindness far too few do, and while you're out there, pump them for information about how to take care of your lawn.

The professional advice you get is well worth it in learning how often to water, and under what conditions to cut a little heavily and when to scale back.