Summer might be on the horizon, but the downpours of the recent few weeks have put a dampner on our gardening plans. However, if you're feeling guilty about not nipping out on those dry days to mow the lawn, don't be as experts warn that it’s actually a bad idea to cut your lawn in the days between downpours.
Holding off until a longer dry patch is usually the best option when it comes to protecting your lawnmower and getting your lawn care routine off to a good start this summer.
Why you shouldn’t cut your lawn between downpours
For those who are set on achieving an enviably even, green and lush-looking lawn this spring and summer, cutting your lawn is probably the last thing you should do if April showers are still ongoing in your area, James Lewis, expert gardener from MyBuilder.com explains.
'While regular cutting of your lawn is essential for its general health, mowing while wet is counterproductive,' he says.
'When grass is wet, it doesn’t stand up straight and therefore it’s impossible to get an even cut. You will end up with a messy cut, or the mower may miss blades of grass entirely, leaving you with patches of totally unmown lawn.'
And that’s not all! James says, 'worse still, these tears in the blade leave your lawn vulnerable to fungal infections, which thrives in wet conditions.'
Dobbies’ Head of Gardening, Liz Brennan, also explains that it's not only your lawn that can suffer – if you mow your lawn when wet, you also run the risk of harming even the best lawnmower.
She says, 'wet grass can really damage a lawnmower and cutting it can impact its recovery after a heavy rain spell, so hang fire and wait for the grass to dry out. Patience will serve the garden and your lawn mower well!'
If you’re really desperate to do some garden maintenance this coming weekend however, Liz insists that there are less potentially harmful tasks you can carry out no matter what the weather.
In fact, if you've had a lot of rain recently, there's one task that can even help to ensure you’re able to cut your overgrown lawn sooner, rather than later.
'If your garden space is experiencing flash flooding you can use an aerator tool on the ground to create small drainage holes to avoid waterlogged zones,' she says. 'Once the weather dries up you can start looking at lawn maintenance, re-seeding bare patches or sowing new lawn where necessary.'
So when it comes to the best time to mow your lawn, it's wise to wait for a longer period of drier weather. It can be useful to check the weather in your local area and plan this garden task in for when there's no rain forecast for at least a few days.
