Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!
For many hobby gardeners, the lawn is one of their favorite and most intensively cared for areas in their home garden. All the more controversial are topics related to the care and maintenance of this green space. The question of whether it is permissible to mow wet lawns or whether mowing the lawn when it is wet is more likely to damage than benefit the grass surface is at the center of numerous discussions.
to mow or not?
The numerous discussions in forums and other digital exchange areas already show that there is probably no one, universally applicable model solution to the question of mowing the lawn when it is wet. But let's take a closer look at the individual aspects for decision-making:
What does wet mean?
First of all, you should consider what “wet” even means in relation to your lawn. It should be undisputed what characterizes the actual lawn even when it is wet:
- Blades of grass wetted with water droplets
- Drops of water standing between the blades of grass
- Damp or even wet soil in the root area
In addition, however, the question arises as to whether "only" the lawn is wet, while the weather is already dry and sometimes even sunny at the time of mowing, or whether it rains while mowing.
Mow in the rain
From a purely biological and botanical point of view, mowing the lawn when it rains does not pose any problem for the plants. Quite the opposite. As long as it rains, the environmental conditions are such that, on the one hand, excessive drying out of the interfaces and thus damage to the blades of grass are avoided. Due to the absence of too intense solar radiation, burns in the area of plant damage are also prevented with some degree of certainty. On the other hand, the microclimate between the blades of grass when it rains ensures that pathogens and fungi cannot easily migrate into the lawn plants via the cuts and damage them.
Mowing on wet lawns and in the sun
On the other hand, you should only mow a wet lawn in combination with dry weather under certain conditions. When the sky is overcast, the intervention is hardly a problem for the plants and can be equated to cutting a dry lawn.
The situation is different when a wet lawn meets the blazing sun. Surely you have heard of the sunlight focusing effect of water droplets. What quickly burns people's skin in the open air pool or by the sea can also quickly and permanently damage plants that have been cut.
This means that, from a biological point of view, you can basically mow a wet lawn as long as it is not done in intense sunlight.
TIP: Keep in mind that you shouldn't only trim your lawn when the sky is overcast. Because of course the sun's rays are also significantly reduced in the early morning or late afternoon, so that you can definitely mow it here even when the sky is cloudless.
Technical aspects
Of course, it's not just about the lawn plants. Because when it comes to mowing a lawn, you have to deal with numerous "technical" aspects that can also lead to a decision for or against mowing a wet lawn:
The lawnmower
It has now been clarified that the lawn can usually cope with a cut when it is wet. However, that alone is not enough. After all, no grass can be cut without technology.
Generally speaking, a blade of grass does not change its resilience even when wet, so that the technical device should also be able to cut wet blades of grass. But:
- Quick clogging of the mower due to sticky grass cuttings
- Poorer access to the blades of grass for the blades when the blades are lying down due to the weight of the water
- Risk of wheels sinking or powered lawn mowers getting stuck in soft ground
- Difficult uptake of the lawn clippings
- As a result: less aeration of the lawn and increased risk of mold and rot, as well as colonization of moss etc.
The floor
In addition to the technical device, the soil also plays a role in the decision for or against mowing the lawn when it rains. Because, unlike the lawn plants themselves, it actually changes in important aspects when it is damp or even wet:
- Less support for roots, thus easier extraction of the plants from the softened soil by mower blades
- Increasing compressibility due to moisture
- As a result: high soil compaction due to driving over it with a lawn mower when it is wet
- As a result: less soil aeration, poorer infiltration of precipitation, generally more disadvantageous supply of the plants
NOTICE: The soil does not have to be soaked when the lawn is wet. Before deciding on the mowing process, first check with your finger how dry or wet the soil is. Even when the lawn is wet, you can mow without hesitation if the ground is only moderately moist.