Many people think they know how and when to mow their lawn. But have you ever thought about the best time of day to mow? There are varying opinions as to whether it matters, but believe it does matter, at least if you care enough about your lawn and want to make sure it’s as healthy as possible.
The Best Times of Day to Mow the Lawn
Mid-Morning: 8am – 10am
Mid-morning is the perfect time to get started on your lawn. By 10 am, any morning dew or moisture should have evaporated and left you with a dry enough surface for mowing. After this point in the day though, temperatures start heating up which can cause stress to plants so it might be best not to cut after 11:00 am.
If mid-morning doesn’t work out as expected due to a north facing garden in shade causing late evaporation, then try noonish when things are usually at their coolest but before it gets too hot.
Late Afternoon: 4pm – 6pm
Late afternoon, between 4pm – 6pm is the best time to cut your grass for several reasons. First of all, temperatures are generally cooler, so you won’t have to worry about overheating and stressing out the grass. There will also be plenty of light left to get a good mowing done before nightfall sets in with its dew.
If you have a mulching mower, then mulching is something worth considering. When using this method, it not only recycles valuable nutrients back into healthy turf but can also help conserve water which makes cutting that much easier.
The Worst Times of Day to Mow the Lawn
Just as there are good times to mow, there are also bad times.
It’s just as important to know when not to mow so you can avoid causing any unnecessary damage to your lawn.
Early Morning: 6am – 8am
Early morning is the worst time of day to mow your lawn as the grass is wet.
Mowing a garden at this time only is also a bad idea because cutting wet grass causes safety issues, especially if using an electric lawnmower and quality will suffer greatly when not done during dryer times.
Worse still, grass tearing can occur instead of slicing which stresses or weakens the plant.
All of this moisture can also make cleaning your mower harder than it has to be.
Midday: 2pm – 4pm
Midday is another time of day you should avoid. The Sun’s at its peak, and your grass needs to be mindful about food production (photosynthesis) while trying to keep hold of moisture.
Cutting the lawn now could cause it to turn brown as the heat from midday dries it out.
Push heavy mowers around isn’t fun when it’s hot and petrol lawn mowers can also overheat in hot weather.
Evenings: 7pm – 9pm
Mowing your lawn too late in the day is just as bad as mowing it too early.
This can lead to fungus and disease, as the grass doesn’t have a chance to heal before being exposed to overnight dew.
Mowing Timing Caveats
The weather can be unpredictable, and it might not always cooperate with your mowing schedule. It’s important to consider the forecast before you decide when or if to cut the grass.
Some days, like on a cool overcast day, are perfect for cutting in the morning but other times, rain will keep you from mowing until much later than usual. As always, use common sense.
Final Verdict
The best time to cut your lawn varies depending on the weather. But whether you’re cutting during the morning or afternoon, there are some general rules that always apply, how ever often you mow.
Make sure you never mow more than one-third of the length. This will avoid cutting your lawn too short and risking damaging it. This is always a risk when you are trying to cut long grass.
Also make sure that your mower blade is as sharp as possible to ensure a clean and tidy cut.
