As the seasons change, so do the needs of your lawn. Knowing when to stop mowing lawn is crucial for maintaining its health and ensuring it’s ready to thrive when warmer weather returns.
Timing this transition correctly helps prevent damage to your grass and prepares it for the seasonal shifts ahead. Yet, many homeowners either stop mowing too soon or continue mowing for too long, unintentionally impacting their lawn’s long-term health.
Understanding the seasonal cues and avoiding these common mistakes is key to effective lawn care. Factors like grass type, growth patterns, and weather conditions all play a role in determining the right time to hang up the mower.
For Denver homeowners, Mile High Lifescape is the trusted name for expert tree and lawn care services. Their team knows exactly how to care for your yard during every season, ensuring a healthy, beautiful landscape year-round.
Ready to explore how to keep your lawn thriving while avoiding seasonal missteps? Let’s dive into the details!
Benefits of Mowing Your Lawn
- Prevent disease: When grass is too long in winter, it’s more likely to get snow mold, a fungal disease that can harm the grass. Keeping the grass short helps prevent this from happening.
- Deter voles: Long grass gives voles a place to hide and a food source, as they munch on healthy grass and roots. Shorter grass doesn’t offer them cover, so they’re less likely to come around, especially when there’s no snow for shelter.
- Reduce winter kill: Long grass is more prone to winter kill, especially when snow is on the ground. Snow can bend the grass over and trap moisture, which leads to disease and rot. Shorter grass helps prevent this.
In the spring, having short grass is much better for your lawn:
- Faster green-up: Short grass lets sunlight reach the soil, warming it up and helping the grass grow back quicker. This means a lush, green lawn sooner!
- Less debris: Short grass helps leaves and other debris blow away in the wind, instead of getting stuck in tall grass.
- Less snow mold: Snow mold can form even without heavy snow. If the grass is short, it’s better able to stand up to snow or rain, keeping your lawn healthier through the winter.
When to Stop Mowing Lawn: Signs to Know
When to stop mowing your lawn depends on a few factors, like the temperature of the soil and the time of year. Here’s what to look out for:
Soil Temperature
Warm-season grasses, like Bermuda, go into dormancy when the soil temperature drops below 55°F. Cool-season grasses, like fescue, start to slow down and go dormant when the soil reaches 45°F. You can check the soil temperature online or just watch how fast your grass grows. If the time between mowing gets longer, from two weeks to once a month, it’s a sign the grass is growing slower and it’s time to stop mowing.
Leaves
When you start seeing a lot of leaves falling, it’s a sign that cooler weather is here. If your trees are about half bare, grass growth usually slows down too. Even though the grass is dormant, it’s still important to remove the leaves to keep your lawn healthy. Using your mower to mulch the leaves is an easy way to do this.
Frost
After a few hard frosts, warm-season grasses will go dormant for the winter. Cool-season grasses might still grow a bit and may need to be mowed. But never mow your lawn when it’s covered in frost. Mowing frozen grass can harm it, so it’s best to wait until it thaws out.
The Golden Rule
When to stop mowing lawn? The main rule to follow is: keep mowing as long as your grass is still growing.
Cool-season grasses can keep growing well into late October and November. You might not need to mow as often, but it’s important to watch your lawn and mow when needed before winter. Your last mow of the year should be about a week before the first frost hits. That way, your lawn stays healthy and ready for the colder months!
Why Knowing When To Stop Mowing Lawn Is Important?
Many homeowners don’t realize that your final lawn cut of the year can help protect your grass from disease during the winter and help it grow back healthy in the spring. When it’s time for that last mow, make sure you adjust your mower to the right height:
- Kentucky bluegrass and ryegrass should be cut to 1.5 inches.
- Tall Fescue grass should be cut to 2 inches.
Long grass tends to bend and flop under the snow, creating a perfect spot for winter diseases like snow mold. The matted grass can suffocate your lawn in spring, making it harder to bounce back. Shorter grass, on the other hand, stays stiff and can handle snow and ice better.
Before winter comes, make sure to mulch or rake up any leaves, twigs, or other debris. Leaving debris on the lawn can smother your grass and lead to fungal problems. So, make sure you clean up and get your lawn ready for the colder months.
This way, you’ll know exactly when to stop mowing lawn and how to keep your turf safe.
When to Mow Your Lawn: Tips For Each Season
Mowing usually happens between March and October, but if the weather is mild, it can sometimes continue into the winter. Keep in mind that the exact start time for mowing depends on local weather conditions, so it may not always begin in March.
Spring Lawn Mowing
Start mowing your lawn in the spring, around mid-March, for the first cut of the year. After that, try to mow your lawn once a week.
Keep the grass at a consistent height throughout the spring. For most lawns, the ideal height is between 2.5 to 4 cm (1-1.5 inches). If your lawn gets a lot of foot traffic, aim for a height of about 5 cm (2 inches). If any part of your lawn is shaded, let the grass grow a bit taller, around 7.5 cm (3 inches).
Remember, don’t cut the grass too short—it can weaken the grass and make it easier for weeds and moss to grow.
Summer Lawn Mowing
As summer approaches, you’ll want to mow your lawn more often. Aim to mow about twice a week, but if there’s a drought, you can go back to mowing once a week. When mowing in hot weather, adjust your mower blades to cut a little higher. Longer grass can handle heat and drought better, staying greener and healthier. It’s also tougher and less likely to get damaged.
During dry periods, just trim the top of the longer grass to encourage new growth and keep it looking great.
Fall Lawn Mowing
As the days get shorter and the weather cools down, your grass will start growing slower. This means you won’t need to mow as often.
In the fall, mow your lawn about once a week, just like you did in the spring. But as winter gets closer, raise the mower blades a little higher. Fall is usually when to stop mowing lawn (final cut) before winter.
Winter Lawn Mowing
In winter, you usually don’t need to mow your lawn unless it’s unusually warm and the grass is still growing. If that happens, you can mow, but keep the mower blades set to a high setting.
However, if the ground is soft or frozen, it’s best not to mow. Avoid mowing when the grass is wet or frosty, as this can damage the soil and your lawn. It’s better to wait until the lawn has dried before mowing.
Conclusion
Knowing when to stop mowing lawn is key to keeping your grass healthy during winter and preparing it for spring growth. Monitor soil temperature, frost, and leaf fall to determine the right time to give your lawn its last cut.
Keep the grass short to prevent diseases like snow mold and clear away debris to avoid suffocating the turf. With proper care and timing, your lawn will stay healthy and bounce back lush and green in the spring. Follow these tips for a thriving yard all year long!
