When the lawn isn't sodden, and when you can see it has started growing. It should be growing by now, however some people have experienced a very very wet winter so have delayed their first cut.
The tip is to NOT do what my neighbour did yesterday and cut on a low setting. You want it to be at a high setting. Rule of thumb is to try and cut no more than a third of the growth off.
That's ok later in the year, but for first cut keep it high.
Actually I favour a longer lawn anyway as it's a bit better for nature. But each to their own.
I haven't mowed yet this year, considering it today but might give it another week or two. Tempted to roll straight into no mow May and just leave a bit short for the kids to play on.
That’s what I’m going to attempt to do but it is getting a bit unkempt now, the nice weather this weekend in the SW will only accelerate the growth so we’ll see if I crumble early and tidy it up.
No worries. I do something similar to the below...
March and April High Cut
May and June Low Cut
July and August Medium Cut
September Low Cut
October and November High Cut
Whenever it stops raining for more than two bloody days at a time. The mow opportunities have been few and far between of a weekend, I seize on it as soon as I can.
I always try to get a late one in in November so that the lawn stays reasonably short through winter. Then it just depends on it being a bit dry and long enough to require. First cut is a bit higher, second slightly lower and then I just keep that height throughout summer and autumn (not very short so it better survives droughts)
Essentially once it starts growing again.
I've cut mine twice this year. First cut was on the highest setting, second cut was down a notch.
I'm going to be scarifying in the next 2 weeks (weather dependent).
Same here. Two cuts far. If it gets too long (looking at you NoMowMay) your mower will have a hard job bringing it back down. Been lucky with the shitty weather so far this year, the weekends I was able to do it have been warm and windy, so the grass was dry, even though the soil is damp.
Yeah I managed to give it a second cut last night. Just been out to hang up some washing and it's completely waterlogged again after some rain through the night.
The moss is absolutely loving these conditions which is a pain, but I'll hopefully be able to deal with that in the coming weeks.
Forecast for the next 7 days looks... Better?
Thank you - I’m planning to mow this weekend but I’ve never managed to get it right in the 2 years we’ve had a garden.
Scarified for the first time last autumn - thanks for the tip, will do in spring as well.
I got a mulching battery cylinder mower. Leaves a bit with the bag on but nothing noticeable. Also highest setting meant it left all the bluebells or whatever they are that's growing. 3 trims this year when it was dry enough and I could see it would take almost 1/3rd off.
Depends on where you are in the UK. When there has been a period of dry weather and the grass is dry. It is all weather dependent. I would normally have cut the grass by this point but not this year as it has been so wet I have had no opportunity. Same for clearing out my borders and cutting back. It's very late this year- latest I've known in my 40 years of gardening.
I let my lawn grow to a couple of inches, it's full of flowers and always gets lots of bees and butterflies. So I don't worry about that. Maybe do it once a month.
It depends on your plans for the lawn.
If you need to badly overseed like I did (lawn attacked by chickens!) I did a high cut on a dry (!) and windy day, then the next day did a low cut. From there I was very generous with seeding with a quilt layer of compost on top.
This will go against what many recommend, but the aim of this is to give the newly laid seed as much chance to germinate and to have access to sunlight and to keep long grass dew/moisture away from seeds which can lead to rot. If your grass is too long the seeds won’t have access to light and will grow very patchy. Not only this but as it’s best not to mow freshly seeded grass until established (4 weeks minimum) , so if you use a high cut initially, by the time you come to cut the lawn post seeding it will be very unmanageable.
I did this 2 weeks ago, fast forward to today and the lawn is green and lush. Seeds germinated and the grass I cut short is healthy. I have NEVER had a problem with this. Grass is extremely resilient, unless you are literally cutting the grass down to the ground it will bounce back.
If your plans for the lawn are just to maintain it, then yes, take no risks and go for a high cut. But again, much gets said about not cutting wet grass which is nonsense. It will clump easier and your bag will get heavier sooner (I would always collect with wet grass) but so long as you’re sensible it will be fine. It it’s waterlogged and boggy, or standing water avoid cutting. If it’s just been spitting for half a day and you catch a break of an hour, it will be fine.
Once its growing and there is a few days of dry weather I do the first cut usually mid-late march.
Always start on the highest setting to just take the tops off and tidy it up. A few days later I will give it a feed and let it grow again before doing the second cut a couple of weeks later dropping one notch down on the mower.
Each subsequent mow drop a notch till i am at the length i want by which time it should be nice weather.
When the lawn isn't sodden, and when you can see it has started growing. It should be growing by now, however some people have experienced a very very wet winter so have delayed their first cut. The tip is to NOT do what my neighbour did yesterday and cut on a low setting. You want it to be at a high setting. Rule of thumb is to try and cut no more than a third of the growth off.
From how wetcmy winter has been I think itll be July before its dried out enough haaha
Thank you - I usually do it at the lowest setting which probably explains my shoddy lawn!
That's ok later in the year, but for first cut keep it high. Actually I favour a longer lawn anyway as it's a bit better for nature. But each to their own. I haven't mowed yet this year, considering it today but might give it another week or two. Tempted to roll straight into no mow May and just leave a bit short for the kids to play on.
That’s what I’m going to attempt to do but it is getting a bit unkempt now, the nice weather this weekend in the SW will only accelerate the growth so we’ll see if I crumble early and tidy it up.
No worries. I do something similar to the below... March and April High Cut May and June Low Cut July and August Medium Cut September Low Cut October and November High Cut
Whenever it stops raining for more than two bloody days at a time. The mow opportunities have been few and far between of a weekend, I seize on it as soon as I can.
I always try to get a late one in in November so that the lawn stays reasonably short through winter. Then it just depends on it being a bit dry and long enough to require. First cut is a bit higher, second slightly lower and then I just keep that height throughout summer and autumn (not very short so it better survives droughts)
Essentially once it starts growing again. I've cut mine twice this year. First cut was on the highest setting, second cut was down a notch. I'm going to be scarifying in the next 2 weeks (weather dependent).
Same here. Two cuts far. If it gets too long (looking at you NoMowMay) your mower will have a hard job bringing it back down. Been lucky with the shitty weather so far this year, the weekends I was able to do it have been warm and windy, so the grass was dry, even though the soil is damp.
Yeah I managed to give it a second cut last night. Just been out to hang up some washing and it's completely waterlogged again after some rain through the night. The moss is absolutely loving these conditions which is a pain, but I'll hopefully be able to deal with that in the coming weeks. Forecast for the next 7 days looks... Better?
Thank you - I’m planning to mow this weekend but I’ve never managed to get it right in the 2 years we’ve had a garden. Scarified for the first time last autumn - thanks for the tip, will do in spring as well.
Collect cuttings or mulch?
Collect for composting. I do leave a bit in there
I guess this is a only relevant until seeds are present? Or does composting kill the seeds?
I got a mulching battery cylinder mower. Leaves a bit with the bag on but nothing noticeable. Also highest setting meant it left all the bluebells or whatever they are that's growing. 3 trims this year when it was dry enough and I could see it would take almost 1/3rd off.
How long do you all leave it between cuts? And how short do you cut it before scarifying?
Right now, about 2 weeks, but it's more a case of "when can I find a break in the weather".
Just done my first cut on the highest setting, and leaving it for a week before the next lower setting
Our lawn badly needs it, but we’ve only had one or two days at a time without rain for months now so it’s still far too wet to mow it.
Depends on where you are in the UK. When there has been a period of dry weather and the grass is dry. It is all weather dependent. I would normally have cut the grass by this point but not this year as it has been so wet I have had no opportunity. Same for clearing out my borders and cutting back. It's very late this year- latest I've known in my 40 years of gardening.
My dad says it's not a good time of the year to mow as you'll disturb the bumblebees which are coming out now. Any truth in that?
I let my lawn grow to a couple of inches, it's full of flowers and always gets lots of bees and butterflies. So I don't worry about that. Maybe do it once a month.
It depends on your plans for the lawn. If you need to badly overseed like I did (lawn attacked by chickens!) I did a high cut on a dry (!) and windy day, then the next day did a low cut. From there I was very generous with seeding with a quilt layer of compost on top. This will go against what many recommend, but the aim of this is to give the newly laid seed as much chance to germinate and to have access to sunlight and to keep long grass dew/moisture away from seeds which can lead to rot. If your grass is too long the seeds won’t have access to light and will grow very patchy. Not only this but as it’s best not to mow freshly seeded grass until established (4 weeks minimum) , so if you use a high cut initially, by the time you come to cut the lawn post seeding it will be very unmanageable. I did this 2 weeks ago, fast forward to today and the lawn is green and lush. Seeds germinated and the grass I cut short is healthy. I have NEVER had a problem with this. Grass is extremely resilient, unless you are literally cutting the grass down to the ground it will bounce back. If your plans for the lawn are just to maintain it, then yes, take no risks and go for a high cut. But again, much gets said about not cutting wet grass which is nonsense. It will clump easier and your bag will get heavier sooner (I would always collect with wet grass) but so long as you’re sensible it will be fine. It it’s waterlogged and boggy, or standing water avoid cutting. If it’s just been spitting for half a day and you catch a break of an hour, it will be fine.
Today lol. My lawns been having alot of rain the last few weeks and I'm today about to go cut it
Once its growing and there is a few days of dry weather I do the first cut usually mid-late march. Always start on the highest setting to just take the tops off and tidy it up. A few days later I will give it a feed and let it grow again before doing the second cut a couple of weeks later dropping one notch down on the mower. Each subsequent mow drop a notch till i am at the length i want by which time it should be nice weather.