When Not to Mow Your Lawn

Make hay while the sun shines, or so the saying goes. But when the sun is shining, making hay involves cutting grass, and should periods of drought really be the time for lawn mowing? Probably not.

Believe it or not, there are both ideal cutting conditions and non-ideal cutting conditions. How do you know when isn’t the best time to mow your lawns? Read on to find out.

When it’s too dry

Drought conditions can be trying for anyone who is living through them. Not only do farmers struggle, but homeowners, too. It can be tempting to stay on top of yard maintenance by doing a quick run over the lawns with a lawnmower, but it’s not only not necessary, but not helpful.

Lawns can become quite stressed by a lack of water, particularly if you’re a frequent waterer who has spoilt your garden with offerings of water every day. When water restrictions are in play, or rainfall is lacking, lawns can go into shock and become easy to damage.

Not only does walking or playing on the lawns become a damaging activity but so too does fertiliser application and lawn mowing. With a lack of moisture, growth is slow, and rejuvenation and damage repair processes are slow, also. Your lawn needs time to bounce back.

If your lawns are still growing, and drought conditions haven’t quite taken hold, then some homeowners may still feel the obligation to keep their patch of turf looking picture-perfect. With drought conditions, there’s a right and wrong way to go about mowing.

Mow no more than a third of a grass blade’s length. For example, if your average piece of grass is 9cm, mow no more than three centimetres from the top.

Infrequent mowing can help your grass to avoid poor soil conditions, fungal growth, and death.

When it’s too wet

We now know that you shouldn’t mow your lawns when it’s too dry, but did you know that soggy lawns are also a no-no for lawn mowing?

After rainfall or even a scattering of morning dew, your ability to mow your lawns properly can be greatly diminished. The weight of the moisture can cause straight blades of grass to bend over, and this means a straight cut is not often easy to achieve.

What’s more, clippings clump together and don’t distribute evenly over your lawn. The result can be messy.

Alongside inconvenience and a poor cut, diseases are also a common problem. If you mow your lawns when they are too wet, you may find yourself with sad-looking grass in the weeks to come. Freshly cut wet grass is vulnerable to organisms that carry disease.

When your mower blades are dull

The beauty of hiring a lawn care company in New Zealand to mow your lawns is that you never have to worry about lawn mower maintenance. But if you are yet to look at the costs of lawn care and the pros and cons, then you may find yourself still battling to tame them yourself with substandard equipment.

When was the last time you sharpened your lawn mower’s blades? Mowing your lawns with dull blades can cause grass nutrient deficiency, not to mention a chewed lawn rather than a cut one.

If you are adamant that you are going to mow the lawns yourself, then make sure you sharpen your blades at least twice per year. By doing so, you can reduce water loss and increase the process of photosynthesis.

During lunchtime

It can be tempting to shoot home on your lunch break from work and haul out the mower. But don’t. Noon tends to be one of the hottest parts of the day, which means cutting the grass can put unnecessary stress on it. To help lawns stay green, mow when they’re dry, but once the heat of the day has passed or is yet to start.

At inappropriate hours

To you, mowing at 9.30 pm isn’t a problem. It’s still daylight, you’ve just got home from dinner with the family, and you want to make the most of the remaining decent weather. But you’ll surely find that your neighbours don’t agree with your decision.

Most councils in New Zealand stipulate the most socially acceptable hours for mowing your lawns. For example, no maintenance noise is permitted before 6.30 am and after 8 pm during the week in Auckland. On weekends, keep that lawnmower in the shed until 7.30 am and after 6 pm.

Be courteous to your neighbours who may have young children, or who may not appreciate the sound of a mower roaring to life while they’re trying to relax and watch TV in the evening.

Say ‘no’ to the mow

We’re all about lawn mowing. It’s literally our bread and butter. But we’re also about mowing at the most beneficial time for lawns and when it suits those around us. If it’s too dry, too wet, too hot, or too late, say no to the mow. Your lawns (and neighbourhood) will thank you.