'When it comes to mowing your lawn, to minimize disturbance and maximize efficiency, the best time is in the morning, around 8am to 10am,' says Jeremy Yamaguchi, CEO of Lawn Love. 'This way, it's not too hot for physical exertion and not too early to wake everyone up.
To minimize disturbance and maximize efficiency, the best time to mow your lawn is in the morning, around 8am to 10am. This way, it's not too hot for physical exertion, and it's late enough that the morning dew has dried.
It is highly probable that your lawnmower will produce clumps, leave tracks, and cause the grass to mat up. All these lead to further problems like leaving your lawn out for the reaping by mold and fungus. For your neighbors, lawn, and mower, before 8 a.m. is probably not the most preferred time for lawn mowing.
'The least acceptable times are before 8am and after 8pm when most people are seeking rest and relaxation,' says expert gardener Diana Cox, founder of The Gardening Talk.
Don't Mow Too Early or Too Late – Mind the Noise
Avoid mowing the yard when the vast majority of people could be sleeping. This means that you should avoid mowing before breakfast or after dinner.
Anywhere from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. is generally the second-best time after the mid-morning time slot. At this time, you avoid the highest temperatures of the day while making sure your grass is also thoroughly dry before mowing.
Mid-Morning (8–10 AM)
This is the best time to mow your lawn, just after the dew or daily watering has dried off, but before it really gets hot. The grass is dry and standing tall, perfect for an even trim.
When should you avoid cutting the grass in spring? If you've recently planted grass seed, cutting a newly sown lawn too early can halt its development resulting in a sparse and patchy lawn. Make sure you wait until the grass blades have grown to at least 2 inches before mowing for the first time.
No Mow May was first popularized by Plantlife, an organization based in the United Kingdom, but is now gaining traction across North America. The goal of No Mow May is to pause mowing during the month of May, allowing flowers to bloom in your lawn to help early season pollinators.
While it might be tempting to mow your lawn as soon as the rain clears, you're better off waiting until the grass is dry. Cutting wet grass can lead to plant fungal diseases, soil damage, and even mower operator injury—all of which are preventable with a little patience.
As a general guide, the latest time to finish the lawn mowing activity is 8:30 pm. Though, during the winter season, you should think about finishing up before dark to avoid any potential conflict with your neighbors. If that's the case, talk to your neighbors and see what's best for all parties.
What Are The Laws For Mowing After Hours? For the most part, it's not illegal to mow your lawn early in the morning or at night, because there's no law in any of the 50 states that restricts you from doing so. However, and as mentioned earlier, lawn mowers can be extremely loud, which may merit police involvement.
Mowing every two weeks — instead of weekly — and not dousing grass with chemical herbicides and fertilizers, helps the environment and supports the health of bees, which are among the world's most important pollinators.
9am is totally fine.
How often should you mow? Normally, weekly mowing is the rule, but some lawns need cutting more often. Other lawns will grow more slowly and might need cutting only once every ten days or two weeks. Generally, don't cut off more than one third of the grass blade.
Once your grass has come out of its dormant state, you may be wondering when you should start cutting it again. Generally speaking, if it is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, it is still considered to be too cold to mow your lawn. The ideal temperatures to mow are between 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
When you prevent the grass from growing vertically (skywards), it converts that energy into growing horizontally (along the ground). The end result is thicker grass. This is why mowing new grass frequently helps it to grow from patchy little tufts to even coverage in a shorter space of time.
It is always better to mow before rain if possible. If your grass is dry, but you see rain on the way, it is a good idea to mow the yard before the rain arrives. Otherwise, the next best time to mow is when your grass has completely dried after rainfall.
It is not permitted to start lawn care operations before 7 a.m. in most areas. Mowing in the early morning will harm the grass because the plants are still wet and have dew on them. Mowing your lawn between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. is the best time.
If you use a push mower (not powered), there is no problem. If you use an electric mower, evaluate the noise. The answer is “maybe”. If you use a gas powered mower, then Yes, it is bad etiquette at 6 am.
It's recommended to avoid cutting your grass in the early morning and midday. Even though heat and humidity are typically reduced at daybreak, mowing too early on wet grass can leave ruts and cause grass to clump, settle, clog your mower and damage your lawn's roots.
'As long as your blades are sharpened, and the grass isn't not soaking wet, mowing in the early morning dew is totally fine,' says Douglas Dedrick.
A basic rule of thumb to follow when thinking about when to mow your lawn is to avoid doing it when the majority of people around you may be asleep. I recommend not starting to mow your lawn until at least 9:00 am. By that time, most people should be awake, and you won't run the risk of disturbing your neighbors.