Ordinarily, we don’t recommend that you mow your yard when it’s wet.
You know that, of course. All those years that you mowed your dad’s lawn for allowance money, no doubt he told you weekly. And, he was right.
But now that it’s your lawn you may have discovered for yourself. Mowing wet grass creates a lot of issues, and none of them good.
But sometimes it can’t be helped. We know at Ever-Green, because we cut a lot of wet grass ourselves during April and early May, the ‘rainy’ season of lawn care. You cannot let the grass get too tall, and when it’s raining every day there has to be some method of cutting it down to size until you can cut it in a routine manner.
So, here’s what you do:
1) Cut it higher than you normally would. If you normally mow at 3.5 inches, cut wet grass a 4 inches, or higher, if necessary. You want to avoid excess clippings if at all possible.
2) If you end up with a lot of “hay” (excess clippings) on your lawn be sure and remove them as soon as you can. Rake, use a yard sweeper, or cut and bag them with the mower when it’s dry (or drier). Piled up clippings suffocate healthy growth and can cause fungal disease in your turf.
3) Make sure your mower blade is sharp. One, it reduces drag on your engine. And two, it’s healthier for your grass if you make a sharp, clean cut. Again, it helps fight disease in tender spring grass plants.
4) Finally, mow ahead of schedule if you can. That’s right, if you know it’s going to rain on Wednesday you might want to mow a day or two earlier to get ahead of the weather and the extra growth. And mow more often if you can. Inconvenient? Yes, but more convenient than raking all those clippings.
For other tips on spring lawn care, consult the Ever-Green website on a weekly basis. It’s a good idea. But best of all, it’s “free”
Your lawn will thank you!
