You should know the best time of the day and year to cut the grass in your garden to get the best from your lawn and improve the aesthetics of your property.
Within this article we will explain the best time to cut your grass during the day and when the best time to cut your grass through the annual seasons.
When To Cut Grass During The Day
As an experienced gardener, you know that a finely-manicured lawn requires a lot of hard work and care on your part.
In fact, it doesn’t just happen. There are many tasks involved in maintaining a beautiful lawn such as watering, fertilising, and mowing to help the grass of the lawn stay healthy and lush throughout the year.
The Best Time To Mow Is Mid-Morning (In The Summer Months)
Typically, the best time to mow the lawn is between 8 and 10 am, and there are some significant reasons for these times.
If you try to mow the lawn before 8 am, the grass will be damp from the morning dew, the night rain, or an irrigation system.
In fact, around 5 am is the best time to give the grass a drink of water. But by 8 am, the lawn should be dry and ready to mow.
After 10 am, the outside temperature will begin to rise that will make the task much difficult for you, the grass in the garden, and your mower.
The grass is under increased stress when it’s too hot outside. On the other hand, the lawnmower may overheat, and not a great experience for you as working when it’s too hot isn’t fun.
The only time mid-morning may not be the best time to mow is if your lawn is facing the north. In this case, the shade cast by your house will affect the evaporation of dew in the garden, causing the grass to be too damp to mow.
Use The One Third Rule
Make sure that you follow the one-third rule when mowing the lawn for the first time.
Which is, don’t cut more than a third of the blade of grass in one go. If you cut more than this, it may stress the grass.
Gradually reduce the length of the grass over a couple of weeks to reach your desired length.
Cutting the grass to fast or too short is known as scalping and may lead to weed infestation and disease over time.
Times Of The Day That You Should Avoid Cutting Grass
Midday: 2 Pm – 4 Pm
Midday is a time that you should avoid mowing your lawn as the grass will be busy photosynthesising when the sun is at its peak.
The grass will be producing food and trying to retain its moisture at these times. Even if you edge the lawn at these times, it will cause the grass to turn brown since the sun will dry it out.
On the other hand, pushing a heavy mower around at midday isn’t fun. Petrol mowers can easily overheat.
Midday: 2 Pm – 4 Pm
Mowing a lawn late in the evening is as bad as mowing early in the morning.
When you expose the cut grass to overnight dew, can result in fungal infestations over time.
When Is The Best Time To Cut Grass Throughout The Year
The lawn care and mowing calendar are so different depending on where you live.
The times that we are working too are based in the south of the UK.
If you live in the north of the UK, you will be running a week or two behind during spring and a week to two ahead during autumn.
March
Since growth will be starting in spring, you should mow the lawn with a high cut on dry grass, if possible.
April
Grass growth increases during this month. In fact, the mowing frequency should increase, such as 2 weeks and then 10 days and down to weekly mowing.
May & June
You now should aim to cut your grass weekly. You can lower the cutting height if required.
But don’t go below 4 cm or 1.5 inches unless you want more work than necessary.
July & August
If the weather is dry, grass growth is going to slow down. But you need to mow every two weeks.
When hot and dry, mow as above but raise the mowing height. When moisture levels are okay, cut the grass as for May & June.
September
The end of August and September are good mowing times because of the autumn rains and should mow more frequently.
If you raised the cut for the summer, you should lower it now. But if your garden is prone to moss, raise the mower height rather than reduce it.
October
Mowing should be almost finished by this time. So, raise the cut to winter height.
November
This is the last regular cut of the year. If you are using a rotary mower, choose a dry lawn to pick up autumn leaves.
All About Winter Lawn Mowing
A high cut or topping is ideal for keeping the lawn looking smart.
Before you start your grass cut check the soil, as it should be on the firm side and definitely not soft and squeegee the lawn if it’s wet.
Never mow on a frosty lawn or if the lawn is supposed to freeze within 24 hours of mowing.
Be cautious when mowing during this time of the year to prevent damaging the grass.
If Your Grass Is Really Out Of Control?
Is your lawn a little unkempt throughout the winter season?
Don’t worry, you can still follow the one-third rule. But remember to take it in stages over several weeks.
Decrease the cutting height on the lawnmower each time you mow to reach your desired grass length.
You can apply this rule to a smaller area which you would like to maintain and don’t hesitate to embrace the wildness in the rest of the lawn by allowing it to flourish.
What’s The Best Grass Height For Winter?
Ideally, your lawn should be at least 2 to 2-1/2 inches high by the winter season.
This height should be a sweet spot because it won’t be too tall to attract snow mould.
On the other hand, it’s not short enough to get stressed due to the cold weather.
When you cut your lawn to its ideal height, avoid cutting too much at one time. The rule of thumb is to never cut more than one-third of the grass height in one mow.
By spreading the trims out, you can condition your lawn to withstand a shorter height.
Do NOT Water Immediately After A Grass Cut
Never water the lawn immediately after mowing.
There are no specific amounts of water required by the grass. You simply need to water the grass whenever it needs moisture. But there are a few guidelines on the times it should be done during the day.
Watering the lawn late in the evening or at night could result in fungal problems, as the grass will not have time to dry out.
The middle of the day is when the sun is at its hottest, and the water will instantly evaporate. If it doesn’t evaporate, the water droplets act as a magnifying glass and scorch the blades of grass.
The best time to water the lawn is first thing in the morning. The air is cool, and the water can easily travel to the roots of the grass before drying up.
To Conclude Times Of The Day To Cut Grass
A Couple Of Caveats
All of what we have explained above will depend on your region having the perfect weather but is rarely the case in most areas.
In reality, the weather patterns will change frequently, and some days might be overcast and relatively cool.
If this is true for your region, it is perfectly acceptable to cut the grass in the middle of the day.
If it rains all night, mowing at mid-morning might not be feasible.
Hence, you should use your common sense and adapt the mowing schedule to suit the weather conditions in your area.
In Conclusion
There are good and bad times to mow your lawn depending on the weather patterns in the area.
You are the best judge to decide on the best time of the day to mow your lawn according to the weather conditions in the area.
Mowing your lawn at specific times of the day matter a lot to maintain the health and aesthetics of your lawn or grass areas.
Whatever time you choose to mow your lawn, you should never cut more than a third of the length of the grass.
The blade of the mower should be sharp and cuts cleanly. Even the best lawn mower can ruin your lawn if it has a blunt blade.
After you have mowed your lawn, don’t forget to since back with your favourite drink and enjoy your work.
If you need help in landscaping your garden, contact us for a chat