Updated: 09/12/2020

When To Cut Grass

While most people have immaculate lawns in spring and summer, getting back to maintaining the garden after autumn and winter can be quite tedious. Almost everyone asks when is the right time to cut the grass, and how many times should you cut it? Cutting and maintaining grass and lawn health is essential in the upkeep of the garden. The green of the garden is what adds to the beauty of it. A well maintained and manicured garden makes the entire space look a lot better than an unkempt one. 

Always remember that there is no set schedule to cut the grass. You cannot set a timer and reminder on your smartphone and cut grass according to a strict schedule. Since each type of grass grows differently, it is essential to keep a watchful eye on the growth, colour, height, and length of the grass. 

Which Factors Attribute Towards Growth of Grass?

There are other factors like water, soil heat and temperature, nutrients, soil aeration, and sunlight to factor into the cutting and maintenance schedule before merely going over the lawn with an electric lawnmower or a petrol lawnmower. 

Cutting the grass depending on these elements also helps determine the speed of regrowth, the colour of the grass, and the quality of the growth. 

Growth of the grass also depends on the tools used to cut and maintain it like garden shears, grass strimmers, lawnmowers, water sprinklers, and many more.

Should All The Grass Be Cut At Once?

Most people would say yes, it should. However, experts say that cutting the grass only in bits and pieces helps in proper growth. Usually, you should cut or mow only that part of the grass that is looking extraordinarily wild and unkempt. Doing this will immediately improve the look and feel of the grass while ensuring that the rest of the grass is allowed to grow to full height. You could use a petrol lawnmower or electric lawn mower only on the area that needs immediate attention. If the area is tiny, you could use a pair of cordless grass strimmers and do quick work out of it. 

Most lawns also have some small wildlife that will continue to flourish and find shelter from the heat of the sun and from large predators.

Allowing natural habitats to survive will help nurture your garden and green. Planting a little wildflower in small bunches will ensure that the attention is off the grass and on to the flowers instead. 

Let us look at when to cut the grass so that it looks fantastic.

Pre Cut: When you think of cutting grass, you should first check the season. Avoid cutting your grass in winter since the ground will mostly be frozen, and it is futile to try and thaw everything out first. The cold also kills off the majority of the grass or freezes it completely. After months without sunshine and heat, the garden does start looking bedraggled and neglected. 

Before cutting the grass after winter, you should first clear out any other organic and inorganic debris that may have piled up. Twigs, dead sticks, fallen leaves, dead plants and flowering pots, and any other matter that needs a cleaning should be removed first. Loose stones and thick branches should also be cleared out from the grass since these may get stuck in the lawnmower and spoil the sharp blades. You could also sharpen the lawnmower blades before starting since they could have gotten blunt with unuse. 

Quick March Cut: With the change from cold to warm, British weather supports a late March cut. The last week of March and the first two weeks of April are ideal for an initial snipping with a pair of cordless strimmers. Garden shears also help in trimming the extra growth off. The quick cut should not exceed more than one-third of the blade of the grass. Cutting more than one-third of the grass after a cold spell can stress the existing grass and cause it to wither. 

Deep April and May Cuts: After the initial quick cut, you can start cutting with grass strimmers or a lawnmower going deeper than one third. Ideally, this process should be done over a few weeks going into May before planting fresh grass. While making deep cuts, pay close attention to the edges of the garden since they can look unkempt if overgrown. Trimming the edges immediately after mowing the grass helps it grow evenly without discolouration or stress. Once done, wait for a few hours before watering the grass.