No matter how long your lawn is or how desperate you are to give it a cut, it is important to never mow it whilst it is wet.
The garden gazebo experts at Gazeboshop said: “Mowing the lawn when it’s wet can result in an uneven cut because some of the grass will be weighed down by moisture, meaning these blades of grass will get missed by the lawn mower.
“You might also find that your mower will struggle to cut wet grass, especially if it’s long after months of not being cut.
“Be aware that this can create hazard risks such as causing your mower to overheat and that will be a costly mistake.”
Ideally, make sure the lawn is at least 95 percent dry before mowing it, which is typically between two and five hours after a light shower.
Test if the lawn is dry enough by walking down it in flip-flops, if your feet are damp by the end then hold off mowing it.
When it is time to begin mowing the grass again when the weather is dry for long enough, it is important to avoid making certain mistakes.
This involves not getting the lawn mower out at the correct times of day as well as not cutting the grass weekly.
The experts explained: “It’s best to avoid mowing your lawn this early in the morning – not only to avoid any fallouts with your neighbours after you wake them up – but doing so can cause damage to the grass by exposing it to disease and fungal infections.
“When it comes to the best time of the day to mow your lawn, the sweet spot is generally mid-morning from around 8am to 10am.
“Also do not mow at all if temperatures consistently drop below 10º C. When temperatures drop below this for a long period of time, your grass will enter its dormant stage and stop growing.”
To start encouraging a healthy lawn, Britons should be mowing once a week, depending on the weather, moving to once every four days in May.
According to the pros, regularly mowing the lawn helps to promote healthy growth, prevent stress on the grass as well as improve air circulation.
Just make sure not to cut the grass below 4cm in height as this makes it more susceptible to drought, weeds and moss.
Another big mistake when performing crucial lawn maintenance is to not scarify the lawn. The experts noted: “After the winter months and the recent storms, chances are your lawn is looking a little worse for wear right now.
“But, there’s no need to worry because you can start to revive your lawn by doing some simple scarifying.”
Over time, the base of your lawn can become congested with thatch and moss which inhibits airflow around the grass.
“After you’ve mowed your lawn, you can begin to scarify it by using a flexible spring tine rake. All you need to do is pull the rake back multiple times while criss-crossing your way over the lawn.
“If you have a big garden and don’t feel up to hours of manual labour, you could use a mechanical scarifier which does the same job as the rake but requires a lot less time and effort.”
