Expert reveals when you can mow your lawn for the first time
Spring is finally on the horizon, but when should you mow the lawn for the first time after winter?
Gardening experts recommend cutting the grass in March, once the risk of frost has passed. Mowing in cold, wet weather can strain the engine and damage the health of your lawn.
'Traditionally, the beginning of the cutting season is early to mid-spring,' Chris Cooper, senior product marketing manager at Hayter, tells House Beautiful UK. 'However, the more accurate way of knowing when the ideal time to begin cutting your lawn is by taking note of the temperature.'
While there is no exact date to cut the grass for the first time, you should always avoid cutting on damp grass.
'Wet grass tends to tear rather than being cleanly cut, leaving jagged edges that leave the lawn more susceptible to pests and diseases; this can be detrimental to grass growth,' says Nick Ee, product and training manager at Black+Decker. 'Not only that but the clippings often clump together, suffocating the grass beneath and creating an uneven finish.'
When you do start mowing, avoid using the low grass height setting on your mower. 'Grass growth will be quite slow at the beginning of the mowing season, so raise your cutting height, similar to how you had it in winter, and keep it high until the weather is consistently above 10°,' advises Chris.
How often should you mow after the first cut?
Following the first cut of the season, you may want to slow down on the frequency to avoid damaging your lawn.
'You should begin by mowing every two weeks with the higher cutting height enabled, shortening this to every 10 days as it gets warmer and eventually to weekly mows around mid-late May – or again – when the weather is consistently above 10°,' says Chris.
What time of day should you cut the grass?
The best time to cut your grass is mid-morning to early evening, however, this can vary depending on the weather.
'The problem times to look out for are after dusk, the afternoon, and very early morning,' reveals Chris. 'Mowing after dusk will leave your lawn vulnerable to fungal attacks, mowing in the afternoon could disturb natural wildlife (as well as being too hot in the summer regardless), and when mowing in the very early morning, the temperature will be too cold – with potentially frosty grass still wet from dew, affecting grass growth.'
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