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Knowing a better time to mow your grass is important if you wish to maintain a healthy and beautiful lawn. In this blog post, we will be shading light on this. We will advise on whether it is okay to mow your grass when wet or dry and the pros and cons of each choice.
The best time to mow your grass is between 8 am – 10 am. Mown grass needs warm temperatures to heal the cut ends. It allows the grass all day to heal before the colder nighttime temperatures. But provides enough time for the morning due to dry off.
There’s more to mowing your grass than just picking up your lawnmower and passing it through your overgrown grass. Other than the concerns about how often you should mow your grass throughout the year or the right way to mow your lawn, the biggest concern is deciding the most appropriate time to mow your grass.
Theories About When is BEST to Mow Grass.
There are different theories around this, with some experts saying that timing matters less.
However, the truth is there is always a better time of day to embark on the mowing exercise. Different times of the day will dictate how wet or dry your grass will be, directly affecting the mowing process.
Other than the gardening guidelines, another aspect that is often overlooked when picking a good time to mow the grass is neighbors.
Being a considerate neighbor, you might want to avoid mowing the grass too early in the morning to avoid waking up the neighbors with the noise from the lawnmower. Reliable sources indicate that 6 am to 8 am are the worst time to mow your grass.
At this time, the grass is often still damp from the morning dew. There are higher chances of diseases spreading and your lawnmower getting clogged with wet grass. 8 am to 10 am has been voted for as the best time to mow your grass.
During this time, the dew on your grass has dried up. The sun is out and hot from 10 am to 2 pm, damaging the grass the most. Choosing to mow your grass at this time isn’t a good idea because the excess heat will speed up moisture loss and weaken your grass. A keen look at these different times of the day will offer valuable insights when making this choice.
We encourage you to continue reading this blog post for valuable advice on the best time to mow your grass. We promise to share all you need to know on this important topic.
Picking a Better Time to Mow your Grass
There are several considerations to keep in mind when choosing a better time to mow your grass. Let’s carefully analyze different times of the day and what they mean to the mowing practice.
Early Morning (6 am to 8 am)
Gardening guidelines indicate that the early morning, any time between 6 am and 8 am, is the worst time to embark on mowing your grass.
During this time, the dew on the grass is still fresh. Therefore, the grass is very damp and cutting it is quite challenging. Safety issues due to grass wetness arise when you use an electric lawnmower.
You will observe that when cutting grass at this time, you end up tearing into it other than slicing. In worst-case scenarios, you might cut away chunks of grass from your lawn.
Moreover, the chances of your grass getting exposed to diseases are higher at this time. Freshly cut blades are highly susceptible to disease-carrying organisms at this time. It is advisable not to mow your grass between these hours. Not only will neighbors appreciate the quiet early morning, but your lawn will also benefit.
Mid-Morning (8 am to 10 am)
The mid-morning time between 8 am and 10 am has been voted one of the best times to mow your lawn. By this time, the morning dew and moisture would have evaporated. Your grass is, therefore, dry enough to be cut.
Another advantage is that your grass can also have ample time to recover from mowing before the day gets hotter. Additionally, this is an amiable time to work on your lawn before the scorching sun becomes unbearable.
Midday (10 am to 2 pm)
This day is one of the least ideal times to mow your grass. The sun at this time is reaching its peak, and temperatures are very high. Your grass, therefore, becomes highly vulnerable to the damaging effects of the sun. Mowing your grass at this time will speed up the moisture loss due to the high heat.
This will stress your grass and weaken it. Also, working outdoors when the sun is scorching isn’t comfortable for you.
Mid-Afternoon (2 pm to 4 pm)
This is another time of the day that you need to avoid. At this time, the sun is at its hottest level. With ample light, your grass could be in the middle of photosynthesis. It concentrates on making food and, at the same time, holding onto the little moisture available.
If you try to cut your grass at this time, you can see it turning brown as the sun dries it out. When using a petrol-powered lawnmower, you run the risk of overheating.
Late Afternoon (4 pm to 6 pm)
If you missed mowing your grass during the mid-morning hours, this is another ideal time to mow your grass. During this time, the temperatures are cooler as the sun is almost setting. You, therefore, need not worry that the heat will stress out the grass as you mow it. Also, mowing grass at this time will give it ample time to recover before nightfall, dew begins to form, or the danger of disease becomes real.
Evenings (7 pm to 9 pm)
You might probably decide to mow your grass at this time after coming back from work. However, this is another highly discouraging time. Choosing to mow your grass late in the evening is as bad as mowing it early in the morning.
If you expose your grass to overnight dew, you increase the chances of attack by fungal diseases. Moreover, your neighbors are probably having a calm dinner conversation. You might not want to interrupt this with the roaring sound of your lawnmower.
A lawn is nature under totalitarian rule.
Michael Pollan
The Pros and Cons of Mowing your Grass when Wet or Dry
The question of whether to mow your grass when it is wet or dry sparks a lot of debate. After a gentle rain seemingly interrupts the schedule one has set to mow their grass, homeowners often ask themselves whether it is okay to mow the grass still when it is wet. Let’s examine the pros and cons of mowing grass when it’s either wet or dry.
When Grass is Dry
The pros of mowing grass when dry include the fact that you will have a lot of ease working with your lawnmower in this condition. It will be easy to glide through your grass when it is dry, with less clogging and clumping. It is also safe to push your lawnmower through dry grass because it has some stability.
There are also very few chances of spreading diseases throughout your lawn when you mow it dry. Lastly, mowing your grass when dry is the best idea for that perfect finished look.
The cons of mowing grass when dry only become evident in severe drought or extreme heat cases. If you mow your grass when it is too stressed by heat, it will lose its ability to recover after the mowing, thereby getting damaged. Your grass might begin to grow at a prolonged rate.
When Grass is Wet
Choosing to mow your grass when wet has more cons than pros. The pros are almost insignificant. Let’s start by highlighting the cons of mowing your grass when it is wet. You will agree with me that mowing your grass when it is wet is a bad idea.
For starters, mowing your grass when it is wet has negative effects on its health. It is during this time that diseases in your lawn become more rampant. During mowing, the lawnmower will easily spread diseases throughout the lawn.
Also, wet grass can easily clog your lawnmower and affect its functionality. You will need to clean up your lawnmower more frequently after using it to cut wet grass; this is dangerous.
The lawnmower will also choke on the wet grass and cut out chunks, leaving an ugly look. With wet grass, you risk higher chances of slipping when cutting it.
Wet grass is slippery, and this case is worsened if your lawn is sloppy. Additionally, wet grass creates tough stains on your shoes and clothes. You will therefore have a tough experience cleaning up after an already tiring mowing exercise.
You only stand a chance to rip some advantages for mowing wet grass if having to wait long for it to dry will leave you with overgrown grass that will be difficult to work on all the same.
And if you have to work on wet grass, do it slowly and take a few breaks in between to break up the clumps and reduce the chances of clogging up your lawnmower.
OTHER FAQs For Mowing Your Grass
Conclusion on When it is Better to Mow Grass
The question of what time is better to mow your grass is vital. In this blog post, we have offered some helpful insights that will come in handy for you to make this important decision.
Based on the analysis we have done here, the midmorning between 8 am to 10 am and late afternoon between 4 pm to pm are trimester times to mow your grass. These times are friendly for you, your grass, and the neighbors!
Additionally, deciding what time is better to mow your grass depends on whether the grass is wet or dry. Mowing wet grass comes with so many disadvantages. On the other hand, the advantages of mowing grass when dry stand out.
Homeowners are advised to avoid mowing their grass when it is wet at all costs. Therefore, it is a better time to mow your grass when it is dry.
Conclusively we wish to share our final verdict with you. As always, mow your grass either mid-morning or late afternoon. Also, try as much as possible to mow your grass when it is dry.
Following this advice will ensure your lawn remains healthy and even more beautiful after every mowing exercise.
Mowing is an exciting task, but it’s not an easy physical task. If you’re a beginner, I wrote an article on how to mow a lawn for beginners. You can read it here.
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