When is the best time to stop mowing your lawn?
There is an Old Wives’ Tale about when to stop mowing your lawn in the winter months. The true is grass does not actually stop growing even when it is really cold, it simply slows down. So the question of when you should stop mowing the grass is more a question of the prevailing weather and ground conditions that quite often prevent you getting onto the lawn when you have the ideal opportunity to mow it.
The factors restricting lawn mowing in the winter months can be –
• Ground frost and snow
• Water logging
• Earthworm casts
• Rain
• Reduced daylight hours
• Temperature
• A heavy lawnmower or ride-on-tractor
The lawn’s growth pattern will naturally slow as the soil and air temperatures reduce. If the air temperature is above 5 degrees centigrade the grass will keep growing. Reflective heat from buildings and localised sheltered microclimates will aid growth and where you live in the UK geographically.
As we are now into the winter months the frequency of mowing will reduce from twice a week or more normally once a week only to once every 10 days then down to once a fortnight and finally down to once a month in December and January. The aim is to literally take the ‘top’ off the lawn, so that means no more than 25% of grass growth at one time. This will keep the lawn tidy and help in the removal of leaf litter and debris. And mowing the lawn if you are able to a few weeks before Christmas keeps the garden looking neat and tidy ahead of the festive season.
If you have any questions regarding what type of lawn mower, ride-on-mower or tractor you should be using then give us a call on 01403 700743.
