Updated/Fact-Chacked on August 14, 2021 by John
If you’ve just purchased your first garden-equipped home or are moving from one place to another where the seasons are different, the question “what time can I mow my lawn?” is bound to hit you.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t know your lawn every day, and not at any time. You need to divide your day and find suitable times for hosing your lawn, aerating it, and mowing it. Here’s everything you need to know!
Seasons/Months
SourceWinter: December, January, and February
Unless you live in an area where winter is mild and your grass is still growing naturally, you don’t need to mow your lawn frequently. Mowing a frosty or wet lawn is one of the worst things you can do to your grass.
You should go with a low-height trim whenever needed and when you observe that the grass is growing out of control.
Spring: March and April
As spring comes and your plants and flowers are all in full bloom, you don’t want to continuously interrupt that, as it’ll tire your lawn over time. Mowing your lawn weekly will be adequate. In our ‘how to improve your lawn’ article, we talked about cutting it in both directions for the first few cuts – this is twice as much time, but worth it.
Summer: June, July, and August
When the plants are still relatively healthy and getting heaping amounts of sunshine during the summer, mowing should be done two times per week.
Autumn: October and November
The same criteria that go for spring will suit the fall. You don’t need to mow your lawn more than once a week – let nature take its natural course.
Days/Hours
SourcePreferred Hours
When it comes to days and hours, below are the suggested timings.
- Weekdays: 8 AM – 6 PM
- Saturdays: 8 AM – 1 PM
- Sundays: Never
Below, you’ll find why that is.
What Time of the Day Should You Be Mowing Your Lawn?
The optimal time is mid-morning as it’s past the early morning when the grass is too wet and frosty, yet it’s not mid-day yet when the sun is exceptionally harsh, putting pressure on the person mowing the lawn.
Nevertheless, if the heat is somewhat moderate at mid-day, or you’re used to working in such weather, then it’s OK to mow your lawn at mid-day.
The second-best time when you can mow your lawn is late-afternoon, as again you won’t be risking heat strokes, your grass will be relatively dry, and it’ll have enough time to heal till the stunting nightfall hits it.
Early-morning and early-evening are the two worst times to mow your lawn. In the early morning, your grass is still wet; hence, the mower won’t project clean cuts, which can lead to broken or bent grass, in addition to clogging the mower with damp lawn shreds.
As for the early evening, mowing your lawn then simply means that it won’t have enough time to heal before nightfall.
Final Thoughts
We hope that you now have the answer to the lingering question of “what time can I mow my lawn?” Now, you’ll need to incorporate the task into your schedule. The essential thing to remember is that grass is alive, and it takes time to heal after it’s cut.
Mary shares a passion for gardening with her husband John, though she is more focused on growing veg on their allotment at St. Margaret’s Allotments, Durham. Mary also works in the lawn care industry and manages the lawns for the Durham University campus.