When the weekend comes around you more than likely have a set time to mow the grass. After all, we are busy, and life can’t wait for you to mow your lawn. What if it has rained the night before or there is some morning dew on the grass? You don’t have another time to mow, so why wouldn’t you mow the grass at the time you were planning? Well, it turns out that there are actually a lot of reasons why you shouldn't mow your lawn immediately after it rains.

Joan and I have been doing this for many years and we have seen a lot of different ways improper lawn care could create issues for your lawn. One of the biggest ways it happens is usually when people mow the grass too soon after a rainstorm. Here are the reasons this is bad and can damage the lawn in ways that are hard to fix.

The Grass Can Bend

Grass itself is extremely flexible. This is why when you walk on it the grass is able to flex underneath your feet without snapping off or breaking. As strong as it is, it can not withstand the sharp blades of a lawnmower. Your lawnmower can not adjust to how it is bending though. Some of the grass may be more flexible than others allowing for it to bend down even more. If this happens, the blade will not be able to get an even cut.

The point of cutting the grass is so it can be even and look great. Cutting the grass while it is bent will not allow the grass to look like it is properly maintained even if you just did so. This is why it is always best to wait when it comes to rain. If someone mentions that your lawn looks overgrown, instead of being embarrassed about it, you can blame it on the rain! It is always better for it to look overgrown rather than ruining your lawn. 

It Can Be Dangerous

Grass becomes extremely slippery when wet. If your lawn is at a slope or is slightly uneven it could cause you to fall and hurt yourself. You could potentially hurt your back or sprain a limb. Grass would be the least of your worries at that point because you would have to worry about how long your injury will take to heal and when you could get back to work.

It is important to note that even if the grass is relatively dry it's best to wear proper footwear when mowing. A single wet spot could cause improper footwear to slip out causing a potential injury. Wear close-toed shoes that have traction on the bottom to avoid any issues.

Clean Cut

When you notice the grass is wet the soil below most certainly is too. The ground being so soft can pose an easy threat to the grass because it can be pulled out with ease. That means the blades of the lawnmower could pose a threat to the grass because instead of getting a clean cut it could simply pull the grass out. 

Even if it is not pulling the grass out, the grass is soft enough when it is wet that instead of simply getting cut, it is breaking apart from the root. When it breaks instead of being cut it can damage the grass blade enough that it will either stop growing or it will only partially grow. If it partially grows it will leave your grass looking uneven causing even more of a headache for your lawn care in the future. 

If the grass breaks too much in a single area you will start to notice brown spots on your lawn that will require a lot of extra work to extract and ultimately replace. Overall, that clean cut really matters to the health and well-being of your grass. It is important to take care of your grass’s health if you want it to flourish for years to come. 

Clumps

Have you ever noticed how sometimes you will have clumps of grass that ended up being left on the ground? This is usually indicative that the grass was being pulled out and tangled in at a certain spot in your lawn. Normally, when you are mowing the grass, it will often leave behind some blade clippings, but they can be left there without notice. Clumping can cause bigger issues in your grass than you think.

When clumps are left in a spot it compacts the grass underneath which allows far less airflow to the area. When there is less air, it can open the gate for the area to remain damp. The grass will then begin to grow mold that can easily lead to issues throughout your entire lawn and affect long-term damage that will cause more of a headache than you originally thought. 

Soil Impact

While your grass may be the most important part of your lawn to you because it is what you see, it is not always what you are impacting the most if you cut the grass when it is wet. The soil is key to your yard’s health. If you cut your grass when it is wet, the soil can be impacted by the wheels of your lawnmower. As it gets compacted, it does not allow proper aeration for the grass. The ground may become so packed down in areas that it may not allow the grass shoots to properly grow. This will leave dead spots that will need repairing to have a healthy lawn

Proper Maintenance

We understand there may not be enough time to take out of your busy schedule to have proper lawn care maintenance. That is why your local landscape service in Chattanooga is here for you. When the grass is dry, we will be right there cutting it so even if you can’t touch it on the dry days, you can still come home to a beautiful lawn. We also specialize in lawn maintenance and clean up, so if you accidentally hurt your grass we can help you get it back to normal! Contact Ray Lawns today and have our team help you out!