4 Main Reasons Why You Shouldn't Be Mowing Wet Grass

Mowing your lawn is an essential component of yard care. It can remove pests from your grass and ensure that your lawn stays healthy. During the growing season, your lawn should be mowed once each week. For the rest of the year, you should mow your lawn every other week.

However, what should you do when it’s been raining? Is cutting your grass when it’s wet okay? If you want to take great care of your lawn, these are a few things you should know.

Reasons Why You Should Not Mow Wet Grass

1. Cutting Wet Grass Can Damage Lawnmowers

Wet grass can be more difficult to cut, which can place a lot of strain on lawnmowers. In some cases, trying to cut through wet grass will cause your lawnmower to overheat.

While the average lawnmower struggles with wet grass, however, commercial-grade lawnmowers may be able to handle it without much of an issue. If you’re not sure your mower can handle wet grass, you should attempt to mow a row. If you can tell that your mower is struggling, you’ll want to stop mowing and cut your grass after it’s started to dry.

2. Wet Grass Can Clog Your Mower Deck

Grass cuts less cleanly when it’s wet, and that means your grass clippings are more likely to clump together. In fact, you could wind up with a clogged mower deck if you’re not careful.

Mowers that have air-tapered decks are better at handling these kinds of grass clumps, but they aren’t foolproof. You shouldn’t rush to mow your wet lawn. Instead, you should proceed slowly and cautiously. Keep an eye on your clippings so that you can make sure your mower isn’t clogged.

If you’re seeing a lot of clumping, you should stop mowing, even if your mower is able to handle the larger clippings without getting clogged. Wet grass doesn’t make great mulch, and it could actually damage your lawn. If these clumps are left on your grass, they could crush or even kill lawn patches.

3. Mowers Struggle To Cut Wet Grass Evenly

When grass is wet, it’s more likely to bend when a mower passes over it. This means that many blades of grass may not be cut at all. Cutting wet grass can leave your lawn with an uneven cut.

Thankfully, you don’t need to wait until your grass has dried completely to mow it after a rainfall. Instead, you should examine your lawn to see if blades are bent over. If your grass is standing up straight, you should be able to mow your lawn.

4. Wet Grass Is More Difficult To Cut When It’s Tall

If your weather forecast is predicting rain, you may want to move up cutting your grass. Wet grass is already more difficult to cut, and you’ll have an even harder time if your grass is long.

If you’re vigilant about mowing your lawn, it will be easier to hold off on mowing when your grass is damp. If you’re in a situation where you do need to cut wet grass, the job will be easier for your mower to manage.

Weigh The Pros And The Cons When Deciding Whether Or Not To Mow Wet Grass

Why do People Mow Their Lawns Even When It’s Wet?

While cutting grass while it’s wet can be damaging, your lawn may also be damaged if you avoid cutting it. That’s why you’ll want to evaluate the situation and find the best way to proceed.

If your lawn is only slightly wet, and you have a good mower, you should be able to cut your wet grass without any issues. However, if your grass is still very wet, and it was cut fairly recently, you may want to wait a few days or even a week to mow your lawn again.

1. Regular Mowing Is Essential

When you fall behind on mowing your lawn, you may feel that it’s necessary to cut your grass, even when it’s wet. If you mow your lawn on a regular basis, you can afford to go a few days without cutting your grass.

We can’t always control the weather, but we can control how often we mow our lawns. You should have a regular mowing schedule and stick to it. When it rains, adjust your schedule accordingly. If you take great care of your lawn, you’ll never feel pressured to cut it when it’s wet.

2. Having The Right Mower Can Prevent Issues Caused by Wet Grass

There are a lot of issues that crop up when you’re cutting wet grass. However, these problems are a lot more pronounced when the mower you’re using isn’t up to snuff. That’s why you should make sure you choose a high-quality mower, especially if you have a larger lawn.

As mentioned above, commercial-grade mowers are better at cutting damp grass than other types of mowers. If you get a lot of rainfall, a mower like this could be a worthwhile investment.

How Soon Can You Cut Wet Grass?

If your grass is so wet that you can’t walk across it without your shoes getting damp, it’s too wet to cut. You don’t have to wait for your grass to dry completely before you mow it, but you’ll want to make sure that your lawn isn’t soaking wet.

1. Look at the Condition of the Soil

It’s also a good idea to look at the condition of the soil. When your soil is soft or slippery, the risk of rut damage is a lot higher. If your soil is still very muddy, you’ll need to wait before you mow your lawn.

2. Avoid When There is Steady Rainfall

If you’re getting steady rainfall, and your grass hasn’t had enough time to dry, you’ll have to weigh your options. While mowing keeps your lawn healthy, you shouldn’t risk damaging your mower when the grass is very damp. If you live in a wetter region, a commercial lawn mower could be a worthwhile investment.

In Conclusion

While it’s sometimes necessary to cut damp grass, you should always be cautious about cutting your grass when it’s wet. Monitor the condition of your lawn so that you can find the best time to cut your grass after a rainfall.