Best Time to Mow a Lawn: 2 Ideal Times of Day to Cut Grass

Mowing your lawn is something you ought to take with utmost seriousness because it helps your grass grow thick and spread to fill in faster. But, did you know it matters what time of the day you actually cut the grass? What is the recommended time to mow a lawn?

The best time of day to mow your lawn is between 8:00 am and 10:00 am because the grass will be dry and free of morning dew that can clump the clippings and damage your mower. Mid-morning mowing of dry grass blades reduces the spread of diseases and stress on the grass.

There are various aspects to mowing your lawn like how often and how much you should do it to achieve a beautiful and finely manicured lawn. You might also be wondering about the best time of the day to mow it.

A finely manicured lawn requires a lot of care and a great amount of hard work. Aside from tasks like watering and fertilizing your lawn, mowing it is one of the critical jobs that will keep it healthy and lush.

What’s the best time of day to mow a lawn?

There are two ideal times of the day which are excellent for mowing your lawn, mid-morning and late afternoon.The reason for these two recommended mowing times of the day is simple – mowing should help your lawn grow thicker and spread faster. Some times of the day can put stress on your grass and affect its growth.

Here are the best times to mow your lawn:

Between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.

Your grass may still be dump from morning dew or from your automatic sprinklers before 8am. However, by 8 am your lawn will most likely have dried out and will be ready for a trim. So take advantage and mow your lawn between 8am to 10 am.

The temperatures will begin to rise after 10am which is bad for you, your grass and your mower.

• You won’t enjoy the activity under extreme heat.
• Your lawn mower will overheat due to the rising temperatures which may cause damage.
• Your grass will be under increased pressure if you cut it when too hot which will damage it and ultimately ruin the looks of your lawn.

Late afternoon (4 pm to 6 pm)

Another great time to cut grass in your lawn is late in the afternoon around 4pm to 6pm. During this time, the high temperatures of the day will have dropped meaning there will be less tress on the grass as you chop the blades off.

You might also want to sleep in on the weekends, and getting up earlier than 10 am just isn’t working out for you. Don’t panic because you can opt for the second option which is mowing it late in the afternoon.

Worst times of the day to mow your lawn

I am sure you would not want to start mowing your lawn at the crack of dawn. The worst time to start mowing your lawn is between 6am to 8 am. Here’s why

• Your grass might still be wet from morning dew, rain or your irrigation system. Wet grass may clog out and ruin your mower. You are also likely to slip or fall on wet grains. The chlorophyll from the cut grass will stain anything you touch.
• Your lawn mower will also leave tracks on your lawn if you mow wet grass.
• It might also leave visible rust on your mower and compact the soil. For these reasons, you are better off staying in bed and waiting till 8am to 10 am to mow your lawn.

You should also not mow your lawn from 12 noon to 4pm. Leave your mower parked till late in the afternoon at around 4pm o 6pm. I will tell you why.

Why you shouldn’t mow your lawn at noon

My advice to you is that for your health and that of your yard; please do not cut your grass at noon. Why?

• This is when the sun is at its highest and hottest, it will not be fun working under such conditions and it could also be a health risk. Nobody wants sunburns from mowing their lawn. You want to associate the activity with something fun.
• The excess heat dries out your grass. Grass can become quite stressed by a lack of water. The lack of water makes rejuvenation and damage repair of the grass difficult therefore; mowing it in this condition will limit its growth which will affect your lawn’s condition and appearance.
• A lawn has thousands of tiny plants and cutting their tops which exposes them to the scorching sun is not something they will appreciate. It is therefore best to wait until the temperatures drop late afternoon or mid morning.

Can I mow my lawn in the evening?

You have probably been tempted to mow your lawn in the evening in the hot summer months to avoid the scorching sun. Or, you just got off work and this is the only time you can find to mow your lawn because of your busy schedule. Before deciding to mow your lawn at this time, you need to consider your neighbors and the health of your lawn.

So can you mow your lawn in the evening? The answer is that you can mow your lawn in the evening but it is not the most optimal time to do so for the following reasons:

• You will likely disturb your neighbors who are taking the evening off to relax from their busy days. The noise from your mower will cause nuisance. You might also need lights to see what you are doing and flashing lights around might attract complaints from your neighbors.
• Dew will start to form once the sun sets and the temperatures drop. This will wet your grass thus hindering your mowing process.
• Your grass is likely to face attacks from fungi and turf diseases. Your grass is resting and most susceptible to these attacks at night because they thrive in environments with low light. Adding stress to the grass by mowing your lawn increases the risk of attack.
• Another reason why you should avoid mowing in the evening is because low visibility at the hour can cause you to mow unevenly. This will leave streaks of tall grass in your yard and will hinder the look of a well manicured lawn.

TIP!

Conditions change throughout the year depending on where you live. Therefore, you need to adapt your mowing schedule according to your situation.

For example, if it rained last night, do not get up between 8am and 10 am to mow your lawn. Instead wait a couple of days for your lawn to dry.

Similarly, if it is cool at midday and there is no burning sun, you can mow your lawn. Just know the ideal conditions of successfully mowing a law, which are, when the grass is dry but not too dry and when the temperatures are cool.

References

• Omafra.gov  It is best to mow a lawn when the leaves are dry