Mowing wet lawns is generally not a problem. Rainy weather for days and short hours of sun again and again make grass grow incredibly quickly. In such situations you have to unpack the lawn mower and cut the stalks. Mowing the lawn when it is wet is always communicated as a kind of bad habit among garden owners. In truth, it’s okay with a few caveats.
Important in advance: If you want to mow wet lawns, you should consider a few things. You shouldn’t mulch damp lawns. If you mulch it instead of mowing it, you are laying the cut directly on the fresh lawn. The wet cut is like a cover and also heavy. This means that no more light can reach the stalks and it can even lead to rot. Therefore, please note in advance, never mulch damp lawn with a lawnmower but always use a collecting basket and mow.
Mow a wet lawn
Regardless of whether it is a petrol lawn mower or an electric drive, you can mow wet lawns. The lawn mower should definitely have a collecting basket that holds very well. Moist grass clippings have a completely different weight than dry stalk tips. This is why mowing the lawn becomes a little physical challenge even when it is wet. The process can be up to 5 times as difficult. There are no disadvantages for the lawn itself if you consider a few things.
- Empty the grass catcher halfway through to reduce the weight of the mower and the pressure on the lawn.
- Do not step on the lawn beforehand but always walk directly behind the lawn mower. Otherwise you will flatten the stalks more than in dry conditions and the mower will not reach them.
- Damp grass often gets caught on the knife and usually sticks to the grass catcher. Therefore, take regular breaks and briefly clean the lawnmower if necessary.
- Possibly increase the cutting height a little and instead mow the lawn in two passes. Before you get to the second cut, the lawn dries more.
- When using electric lawnmowers, it is essential to pay attention to safety and do not leave any moisture on plug connections.
In most cases, you face the problem of having to mow a wet lawn in autumn. Because in late autumn, the lawn must be shortened to an appropriate length before the first frost and snow. If you were to simply let the lawn grow into winter, the snow cover and too much leaves would create solid covers and the lawn would suffocate underneath. In summer you usually have time and can let the lawn dry. Nevertheless, it is important to mow as soon as possible so that the desired length can be reached. Because the cutting height should be defined according to certain rules.
The right cutting height when mowing the lawn
No matter how high the grass grows, the lawnmower should straighten it and the break will be greatest when you get the most out of it. No, absolutely not. We would be happy to explain below which cutting height is the best for green stalks.
1/3 rule for the cutting height
In general, 4 centimeters is the optimal length for a healthy and hard-wearing lawn. In order to always be able to keep your lawn at this length, you have to switch on the lawnmower when it is no longer than 6 cm. Because stalks should only be shortened 1/3. At 6 cm, a third is then 2 cm that can be cut off.
If you do not manage to cut the lawn on time because of vacation etc., you should still only shorten the lawn 1/3 and mow it again after three to four days in order to achieve the desired cutting height. Lawn that is too heavily cut can quickly develop gaps and no longer look beautiful. In addition, the stalks become very sensitive to the sun and soon turn yellow. Therefore always make a healthy cut. In our 1 × 1 for lawn mowing, we explain further points that should be observed when mowing the lawn.
If you always want to have a beautiful lawn and no longer have to worry about mowing yourself, you can buy a robot lawn mower. We are already testing a large number of such robots in the editorial office and writing test reports on them. Robotic lawn mowers can drive over the lawn every day and always keep it at the desired height.
Not the right mower yet? Here we have selected the two best lawn mowers for you, one is electrically operated and the other is a petrol lawn mower.
