Wednesday, 15 December 2021
When should I mow the lawn after winter?
Winter is the time of year when your gardening duties tend to settle down as winter plants are less demanding and the frigid weather conditions mean that there is not a whole lot to do in the garden. On top of the lack of gardening care that is needed, most people simply do not want to have to venture outside on those cold days to trim a bush or cut the grass.
However, as the warmer temperatures of the spring return, it is time to think about taking out those shearers and lawn mowers. Whether you are a lawn care expert or just like to ensure that your garden looks neat and tidy, it is important to know when is the right time to start cutting your grass after winter to make sure not to damage it. To help you, Vertdure created this guide filled with lawn mowing tips to help ensure your garden is thriving.
When to mow the lawn after winter?
You should begin mowing the grass when you have noticed a consistent increase in warmer weather. With the ongoing global warming crisis, the dates at which the temperature starts to get warmer are always changing, meaning we cannot give you a specific date on when to start lawn mowing. However, if the temperature has been at least 5 degrees Celsius for a good couple of weeks, you should be safe to start cutting the grass again.
Moreover, just as the temperature is important in determining when you should mow the lawn after winter, so is the weather. For example, if there is still snow on the ground, or it is forecasted to snow, you should not mow the grass. Similarly, if it is meant to rain, you should also avoid lawn mowing as optimal grass cutting should be done in dry conditions.
It is also important to remember that the best time to mow your lawn will also depend on what country you are in. For example, if you are in Canada, a country with very defined seasons, you will need to follow the above advice. However, if you are in sunny California, you will need to keep on top of your lawn care year round as you have little change in weather and temperature, requiring you to mow and look after your grass at all times.
How to prepare your lawn for winter
Why is the date of the first cut grass important?
Proper lawn care and cutting the grass at the right time are important in order to maintain the health of the grass. It is important to give your grass a low cut in the fall just before winter in order to keep it healthy throughout those colder seasons when they do not need to be tended to.
It is equally as important not to mow the grass too early as the hostile conditions from the temperature and weather at the height of winter will make it difficult for the grass blades to cope and thrive. This therefore means that if you mow your grass too early, it might destroy your lawn.
However, if you wait until the weather warms up a bit, the grass will not have to battle any hostile weather conditions. This will allow for healthy grass growth and you will be able to achieve a luscious lawn throughout the rest of the year.
Best lawn mowing tips and techniques after winter
Here are the best lawn mowing tips and techniques after winter:
- Make sure your grass is the correct height?
- Sharpen your lawn mower’s blades?
- Mow your lawn in mid-morning?
- Hire gardening and grass experts?
Knowing the right time to mow your lawn is just one amongst many other lawn mowing techniques that you should take into consideration if you want a healthy lawn. We break down the best tips to help to ensure you have vibrant green grass that thrives all year round, regardless of the season.
1. Make sure your grass is the correct height
As you might recall, we stressed the importance of cutting your grass to a shorter length during your last cut of fall than you might usually do. This is because you are not going to mow it throughout the winter so you do not want it to get too long during this time. However, there is a perfect height for each type of grass that dictates when it should be cut, so you should be on the look out for this height after winter.
For example, Bermuda grass and zoysia are some of the types of grasses that should be cut once they reach a height on the shorter scale, as lawns with these grass types should be cut once they reach only 1.5 to 2 inches. On the other end of the scale, tall fescue grass does not need to be cut until it is 3.75 to 4.5 inches. You should therefore pay special attention to your grass type and its length as that will help to dictate the perfect mowing time.
2. Sharpen your lawn mower blades
During those cold winter months when you are not working in the garden, you could redirect your time to prepping for the upcoming spring grass cutting by sharpening the blades of your lawn mower. Although your grass will still cut with a dull blade, it will not have the same uniformity as when you mow grass with a sharp blade.
A sharp lawn mower blade will ensure an even cut across the grass. A sharp blade will also help maintain the health of your grass as it does not rip the grass blades which leaves an opening for bugs and pests to destroy the grass from the inside. Instead, there is a clean cut with no additional openings.
3. Mow your grass in mid-morning
If your schedule allows for it, we suggest mowing your grass in the middle of morning. This is because mid-morning provides the perfect conditions to ensure the best lawn mowing results. If you mow your grass too early in the morning, it is likely that the grass is going to be slightly moist from the dew, which is not ideal for the grass.
Similarly, if you mow it too late in the day, especially in the afternoon when it is the warmest, it might be too warm and sunlight might affect the health of newly cut grass. Therefore, if you can, we recommend cutting your grass at around 10 or 11 A.M.
4. Hire gardening and grass experts
Although we can give you all the tips, tricks, and tools to ensure that your lawn care is as good as it can be, home gardening simply cannot compete with the work that can be done by professionals such as the gardening experts of Vertdure.
Vertdure provides a range of services and packages that provide year-round care of your lawn to ensure that it is never neglected, no matter how busy you get. They go a step further than lawn mowing as they provide fertilizer and calcium treatments, pest and weed control, and annual ventilation.
They offer a variety of packages so you will be sure to find a price that works for you with the services you require. This is the best option for professional quality lawn care without having to take the excessive time out of your busy schedule that would be required for a similar level of care.