Lawns: Mowing / Cutting Grass

In order for a lawn to remain healthy and attractive, it needs to be mowed regularly. In terms of lawn maintenance, this is the most important task that needs to be performed. There is no doubt that when you choose to start cutting your lawn can make a significant difference to the overall appearance of your garden.

Once you have a lawn of your own, you realize how many questions you had about lawn care. The grass on your neighbor’s property seems so strong and healthy, so why is yours dying? Are you unsure of when to cut grass? Or the best time of day to mow your lawn or even when to cut grass after rain?

It’s important that you choose the right time of day to mow your lawn, so that you get the best results. Unless you do this, you may end up with sub-par results as a result.

In order to obtain the look you want for your lawn, you need to know the height at which to mow it and how frequent you should mow it. You may choose to maintain a close-cut ‘classic’ lawn, or you may wish to maintain a long-grassed lawn for wildlife.

Growth of Grass is affected by several factors

In order to determine how often you’ll need to cut your lawn, let’s first look at a few of the main factors that influence how quickly it grows.

Time of Year

It is not surprising that grass growth is affected by the time of year, since grass needs a temperature of at least 6.1°C to grow at all. You will notice your grass growing at a faster rate as the colder months end and the warmer ones arrive.

Type of Grass

In relation to the first point, warm-season grasses will begin to sprout when the summer heat hits, whereas cool-season grasses are most active in spring and fall when it is cooler.

How Much Water?

You’ll see your lawn grow faster if you give it more water. In a particularly wet area of the country or if you overwater your lawn, you’ll likely find yourself walking behind lawn mowers more often!).

How Often You Fertilize

If you don’t fertilize your lawn, your lawn may still grow well without it, taking all the micro- and macronutrients it needs from the surrounding air and water. If you provide it with more of these nutrients via supplemental sources, such as a lawn fertilizer, it will likely do even better. You will generally see your lawn grow faster the more of this you apply.

When to mow your lawn depending on the season.

In most cases, mowing takes place between March and October, but it may also be done during the winter (if the weather is mild). In spite of that, you should be aware that local conditions will determine the timing for the mowing to start and that it may not always start in March.

Cutting Grass In Spring – First cut after winter

You should perform the first grass cut of the year around mid-March, which is the beginning of spring. In the following weeks, make sure that you mow the lawn at least once a week.

During the spring, it is a good idea to keep the height of your grass the same. As a general rule, the ideal lawn height is 2.5-4 cm (1-1.5 inches) for most lawns. If, however, you want your lawn to withstand heavy wear and tear, you should aim to keep it at least 5 centimetres (2 inches). In areas with shade, keep your lawn at a height of 7.5cm (3in).

If possible, make sure you do not mow your grass too short as doing so may weaken it, allowing weeds and moss to take over.

Cutting grass throughout the summer

You should mow more frequently during the summer months. During times of drought, you should only mow your lawn once a week, but during the rest of the time you should mow your lawn twice a week on average. The settings for your lawn mower should be adjusted to higher settings during long hot days. Grass that is longer can withstand droughts better and will remain vibrant for a longer period of time. Furthermore, it is also more durable and less prone to wear and tear as a result of this.

To stimulate grass growth and keep it healthy, nip off only a few stalks of longer grass during droughts.

Cutting Grass Over Autumn

There will be a decrease in grass growth as the weather gets cooler and the days will become shorter. Consequently, there will be no need to mow the lawn as often.

You should mow your lawn once a week in autumn, just as you do in spring. However, as winter approaches, make sure to raise the height of your mower blades. The last cut is usually made in autumn.

Cutting Grass In Winter

During the winter, it’s not necessary to mow the lawn unless the weather is warm and the grass is still growing. If this is the case, it might need the occasional mow, but only on a high cut setting.

You should avoid doing this if the ground conditions are too soft or frozen, as this can possibly compact the soil as well as damage your grass, so don’t mow your lawn when it is wet or frosty. Wait until after the grass has dried before you mow it.

What time of day should you mow your lawn?

Choosing the best time to mow your lawn depends on your perspective, with some saying it doesn’t matter, while others think it does. However, you will need to be more flexible.

Continue reading to learn the best time of day to mow!

EARLY MORNING 7am – 9am

Mowing a lawn early in the morning is not recommended.

When the grass is wet from morning dew, rain, or irrigation, your mower has a hard time keeping up.

When you mow a wet lawn, you risk clogging up your mower, damaging it, and even tearing your grass. You can also leave ruts in the lawn and compact the soil, none of which you want.

MID MORNING 9am – 11am

Whether or not you should mow your lawn at a particular time of day is controversial in the gardening community.

It is best to cut your grass between 8 AM and 10 AM, according to most professional gardeners.

It is necessary for grass to be allowed to dry and heal during the day before dusk settles.

In order to avoid damage to your grass from mowing early in the morning and damage from mowing during the early afternoon due to the high temperatures, the ideal time for mowing is mid-morning. Then again, that is if you are available during this time period.

MIDDAY 12pm – 2pm

Mowing your lawn at midday is usually safe, even if it isn’t the best time of day. It is important to mention that the main downfall of mowing during this time of day is the scorching sun. The hot weather can cause a number of problems, such as causing your t-shirt to stick to your skin, as well as stressing your lawn.

You should only cut the top third of the lawn if you choose to mow at midday. A more intensive cut would expose your lawn’s tiny plants (a lawn is made up of thousands of tiny grass plants) to the scorching sun, which they wouldn’t appreciate.

Also, if you mow during the midday, you might burn yourself on your mower since it gets extra hot.

Generally, it is best not to cut the grass during hot weather.

LATE AFTERNOON 4pm – 6pm

Taking care of your lawn in the afternoon is the second-best time of day to do so.

In case you weren’t able to tend your lawn between 9am and 11am in the morning, you can now do it now. Although it’s still a bit warm in the late afternoon, there is no risk of the sun burning the lawn. In addition, your lawn will have enough time to recover before the sunset.

Due to the fact that lawns are most susceptible to fungal infection attacks after dark, avoid cutting your grass after 6PM at all costs.

You should therefore stick to a schedule and try to have your lawn mowed by 6pm.

EVENING 6pm – 8pm

If you mow your lawn too late, it’s the same as mowing it too early, both are bad ideas. Even though it’s cooler in the evening than midday or late afternoon, we don’t recommend mowing your lawn during this time.

You risk exposing your grass to diseases and fungal infections by cutting it during this time.

Furthermore, the grass won’t have time to heal before nightfall. Therefore, you should avoid mowing in the evening.

Can you cut wet grass? Cutting grass after rain.

Wet grass should never be mowed, dew is in the grass in the morning, so don’t mow your lawn first thing. Mowing right after watering is also not a good idea.

You won’t get a nice, smooth lawn if you mow your grass while it’s wet. Once the grass dries, it will end up at a slightly different height from what it was when it was wet.

The second problem is that wet grass is hard to cut since the mower gets stuck with clumps of grass.

As wet clumps of grass spread across the lawn, they stick together, preventing certain areas from receiving sunlight.

Wet grass also spreads diseases more quickly. Mowing wet grass is also more difficult because it is more sensitive, so you may tear some of it out completely. While mowing a wet or damp lawn, you’re likely to slip and injure yourself because the grass is slippery. Is it better to cut grass before or after rain, considering all these factors?

Try to mow your lawn before a storm hits if you know a heavy rain is coming. This way, you won’t have to wait a day or two for the grass to dry before mowing again. The best time to mow is usually either mid-morning or late afternoon.

How to mow

Generally, mowing is a straightforward process. A problem can arise due to the mowing height. Here are some tips for getting the correct height:

In the spring or after the grass has grown long, the highest setting should be used for the first mowing. After that, gradually reduce the height of the cut until the desired height is reached. An ordinary ornamental lawn will need a height of 13-25mm (1/2in -1in) in summer and up to 40mm (1 1/2in) in spring and autumn.

While close mowing may look attractive, it is detrimental to your lawn, causing it to weaken, encourage shallow roots, and be more susceptible to weeds, droughts, and moss. It is necessary to feed and water close-mown lawns more frequently. In areas with bumps or tree roots protruding above the surface, an extremely low cut can scalp the lawn, leaving bare patches.

When lawns are regularly cut too high, they are prone to loose, weak growth, making the surface less durable.

IF you have any doubts then follow this simple rule:
When mowing an area, you shouldn’t remove more than one-third of the leaf shoots. Leaf shoots here refer to blades of grass.

FAQ

When do you stop mowing your lawn?

November, will be more than likely the last regular cut of the year. Grass will go dormant and stop growing when the temperature is 5°C or lower. During the dormant phase, avoid mowing dormant grass and aim to mow in the days or weeks preceding it.

Should you cut your grass in winter?

The grass usually does not need to be mowed over winter, unless the weather is mild and the grass is still growing. It may be a good idea to mow occasionally with a high cut setting in this case. When the ground conditions are very soft or frozen, or when there is a strong, cold wind blowing, do not attempt to do this.

When to start cutting grass?

Grass should be cut for the first time in spring, around mid-March. The lawn should be mowed at least once a week from then on. Throughout spring, keep your grass at the same height. Most lawns should be between 2.5 and 4 cm (1 to 1.5 inches) high.

When to cut new grass?

As soon as the grass reaches a height of 7-8 cm (3 inches), you should cut it for the first time. The first time you cut the grass, try not to remove more than 20% of it in one cut. By doing this, you will find that the roots of the plants will grow more shoots, which will thicken up your lawn quite nicely. Several cuts can be made in order to gradually reduce the height of your new grass.

Can you cut damp grass with an electric mower?

You should not cut wet or damp grass period, there are various reasons why you shouldn’t, the fact you’re using an electric mower doesn’t make a difference.