Gardeners urged to stop mowing lawns before November
Mowing too late in autumn can leave grass thin, damaged, or even kill it completely, so it is important for gardeners to know when to make their final cut in October.
Lawns need to be mowed constantly to keep them well-maintained, but gardeners will be thrilled to hear that it is almost time to store their mowers for the rest of the year. It is incredibly important to stop cutting the lawn at the right time in autumn, as grass stops growing once frost appears and needs time to grow a little before then to protect itself.
The best time to stop mowing is different across the UK, as it largely depends on local temperatures, so gardeners in the Scottish Highlands will finish their final cut much earlier than those in London. However, Oliver Wright, a gardening expert from Compass Garden Machinery, has shared a good indicator that it is time to stop mowing a few weeks before your first frost. Oliver said: “Knowing when to perform the final mow matters to lawn health. It usually occurs before the first hard frost, when temperatures drop consistently below 10°C.”
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When to stop cutting the grass in autumn?
In northern Scotland, it can fall below 10°C in early October, while in southern England this tends to happen in late October.
By mid-autumn, most lawns in the UK will stop growing, so you should keep checking the temperature. However, most gardeners' last cut will be in the next few weeks.
Why should you stop mowing the lawn at below 10°C?
Once the weather is below 10°C, the first frost of the year will happen in a few weeks, and grass needs time to grow and conserve energy before it goes dormant.
Lawns need to be left uncut, as long grass insulates the roots and shields them from the freezing cold, keeping them healthy throughout winter.
If you keep cutting the grass, it will not have time to grow, and the cold will begin to wet the roots, so you will be left with bare or very thin patches once spring arrives.
Keeping the grass long before the first frost will allow it to photosynthesise and store more energy, which means it will also be more likely to come back thick and green next year.
What else should you know to keep your lawn healthy?
It is easy to just stop maintaining a lawn once you stop mowing it, but one of the biggest mistakes gardeners make is not clearing up the grass regularly.
Oliver said: “Proper care of your lawn involves more than just knowing when to stop mowing. Managing fallen leaves and seeking expert advice can greatly impact the health of your lawn throughout the winter months and beyond.”
Fallen leaves can create a thick layer that blocks sunlight and water from reaching the grass, completely smothering a lawn. This layer also causes lots of moisture to build up, which can attract fungal disease, moss, and pests, so your lawn is likely to come back brown and brittle after winter.
After you stop mowing a lawn, make sure to pick up any leftover leaves at least once a week. The grass should stay healthy throughout the cold, frosty months.
