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While you might have heard conflicting information about whether it ’s OK to mop your lawn when it ’s wet , the expert we surveyed are in agreement : As Colorado landscaper Ross Hulstein compactly puts it , “ pout wet green goddess is a bad idea . ”
Whether your Gunter Wilhelm Grass is stiff from morning time dew , all-night rain , or sprinklers , it ’s respectable to tackle some other out-of-door chore while you wait for the sun to do its magic and dry the lawn before you haul out your mower .
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Is It Bad to Mow Wet Grass?
Wet grass is surd on your mower and tough for the wellness of the lawn , and a lawn mown when besotted is not a pretty sight . “ The lawn itself look exhausted after such a process , ” says Hulstein , whose company , Enviroscapes , does landscape excogitation and construction in the Denver area . It ’s also unsafe for the person pushing the lawn mower around on loaded , slippery weed .
7 Reasons to Avoid Mowing Wet Grass
Mowing the lawn is all about hold back it looking squeamish and ensuring it ’s healthy , right ? Mowing skunk when it ’s wet work counter to those goals , and you ’re likely to finish up with a large mess than you started with . Here are some good reasons why the answer to the question “ Can you mow wet grass ? ” is fundamentally , “ No . ”
1. Water can damage the lawn mower.
Using anelectric lawn moweron wet green goddess , especially with an extension cord , runs the risk ofelectric daze . “ An electric lawn mower can become dangerous if the line touches wet somewhere , ” says Hulstein . When the connections or any wiring within worn or damaged portions of the cord are uncover to moisture , it can damage the automobile — and possibly electrocute the operator .
Even if you ’re using a natural gas - powered lawn lawn mower , rainwater might get into the fuel army tank . This can cause the engine to malfunction and break go wholly . Over meter , water can cause corrosion of engine theatrical role , leading to expensive - to - haunt damage .
2. Wet grass can strain the mower.
A lawn mower and soaked grass do not get along well . “ Mowing pixilated grass can put spare strain on the mower ’s engine and blade , ” says Chandler Moncada , who works withCGL Landscapingin Phoenix .
“ Wet grass is great and can clog up the mower deck , lead to decreased performance and possible damage to the lawn mower ’s components , ” according to Moncada . If you ’re not cleaning carefully as you go , occlusion force the machine to work harder until it ultimately keep out off .
Additionally , without the appropriatefuel stabiliser , when you snub the grass after rain , leftover fuel in the mower ’s gas pedal tank car can be contaminated with wet , which can rust your simple machine .
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3. Wet grass can be hazardous.
Aside from the jeopardy of galvanizing shock , but walk across a sly lawn can be dangerous . “ It can be unsafe for you as the mower operator because pissed grass can be tricky , increasing the risk of infection of slips and hang , ” say Moncada . Ward Dilmore , laminitis and head landscape painting designer atPetrusin the San Francisco Bay Area , concurs : “ It is not the best environment to operate a machine with spinning blades ! ”
The risks are significant . A fall in wet weather could ensue in your head smacking up against that beautiful stone edging you just installed or on the adjacent driveway . profound rain can impair your ability to see what you ’re mowing and where you ’re going . If you wear eyeglasses orsafety goggles , cutting grass in the rainfall could cause the eyewear to become haze over up or coat in urine , further diminishing your ability to see clearly .
Tried-and-True Advice
“ When mow large properties on ariding lawn lawn mower , waiting after a rainwater is even more critical . These lawn mower can librate about 500 pounds , plus the weight of the rider . I ’ve started mowing acreage only to pull in that some of the shadowed areas are not nearly as dry as the spots I checker nigher to the house . This led to a few large ruts , an eyesore and tripping or slip hazard that takes a little work to specify .
Even when grass appears dry , the volume of grass most riding mowers cut can lead to some sticking and buildup on the blade . I would always take time after finishing the twenty-four hour period ’s mowing to filch up our riding lawn mower ’s backwash - out port to the garden hose and hunt down the engine as direct to soundly wash out blotto grass , clay , and the rocks or dust that stuck to the gunk . If you ’re in the market for a riding mower , test to take one that has a similar cleaning option and find a spot near a hosepipe that allows enough infinite for the mower to safely inject out debris per its manufacturer ’s instructions . ”
4. Mowing a wet lawn tears the grass, leading to uneven cuts.
Blades of blotto grass are tricky and tough to slice , creating an mismatched shred ( at best ) , which is yet another reason not to pout the lawn when it ’s soaked . Mowing wet supergrass “ can cause the grass to tear rather than being cleanly cut , ” says Moncada . Hulstein agree : “ The brand chew the stems instead of cutting them . The blade of grass are ordinarily torn ; the roots are crush , ”
Additionally , soaked grass clustering together , and because it ’s harder for thelawn mowerblades to cut through thick clumps , you end up with a raggedy mess . Making things even worse , the wet , torpid ground a lawn mower encounters after rain is more likely to allow grass to be pulled up by dull mower blades rather than cleanly cut .
5. Mowing wet grass can spread fungal diseases.
“ mop blind drunk grass can be harmful to your lawn , ” says Moncada . Tearing rather than cutting the blades “ can stress the eatage and make it more susceptible to diseases , ” he adds . Because fungus thrives in cockeyed environments , it should n’t come as a surprisal that precondition such asbrown eyepatch diseasecan develop on a lawn that ’s been write out mighty after a rainstorm .
“ The pasture sticks together in clumps , clings to the blade and rack , settle on the lawn , and suffocate it , ” say Hulstein . When you will clumps of dampish , matted clippings on the lawn without sufficient flow of air to dry them out , the grass becomes more vulnerable to fungous diseases . “ When large clumps are left , they will shade out the healthy lawn underneath , ” says Dilmore , “ burning and even kill some grass in areas , which will leave patches of sensationalistic or idle locoweed . ” In fact , according to Hulstein , the lawn “ becomes a bringing up ground for diseases . ” The wetgrass clippingsthat stick to the bottom of the lawn mower deck can grow mould , too , which can be spread to your lawn the next time you mow .
6. Mowing a wet lawn can cause soil damage.
cut grass when it ’s sozzled can damage the soil . Lawn mower are heavy machines that are not plan for use on soft , muddy ground . The mower ’s wheels ( and even your shoes ) can compact pure soil or even make ruts to form , damaging roots and handicap the growth of hefty grass in the future . Always see the soil before give the sack up your lawn mower . If it looks mucky or feel soft , it ’s probably effective to wait on cutting the grass .
7. Cutting a wet lawn makes cleanup harder.
Grass snip get special clingy when they ’re wet , so mowing pasture when it ’s wet require excess cleanup . The moist Gunter Grass clippings that stick underneath the mower deck can create a breeding flat coat for mildew — and eventually lead to a broken mower — if the machinery stay put too dampish for too long .
If you do start the lawn mower when the green goddess is besotted , be sure to scratch the deck clean of those stuck - on blades of grass , brush off the tire , and wipe down the body of the lawn mower . Then , turn your aid to the grass stains left on surfaces and clothing . Chlorophyll in impudently trim down besotted pot will cause more stains to originate than you ’d get on a distinctive mowing day , so be prepared to remove grass stains from your wearing apparel , shoes , and private road flop away .
What to Do if You Need to Mow Wet Grass
If , despite these monition , you absolutely importune onmowing your wet yard — the king is on his way over for a spot of Camellia sinensis , perhaps — take a few precautions to improve your chances of success . “ Act smartly and cautiously , ” cautions Hulstein . “ Move slowly , without jerking , to avert skid and leaving ruts , ” he adds .
Test soil saturation.
Before mowing loaded Gunter Wilhelm Grass , guarantee that you take safety precautions . First , test the soil ’s impregnation . When suffer on your lawn , you should not sink into it or see water rising around the bound of your shoes — pout through so much water is a risky idea . As long as there ’s no standing water , you may be able-bodied to domesticize your damp yard to some point using a stabilized gas - powered lawn mower with sharp blade .
Keep the mower blades sharp.
Try cutting a wet lawn only if yourmower bladesare in extremum condition , either freshly sharpened or recently replaced . “ Make trusted your blades are very sharp to facilitate reduce lacrimation and to make a clean cut , ” say Dilmore . If they are less than scalpel - sharp , you might require to make two or three flip over the same patch of wet lawn to get even a fraction of the cut you ’d get if the lawn were dry . And you definitely do n’t want to be toiling in the 1000 when His Majesty rolls up ! In worldwide , lawn mower bladesshould be sharpenedat least twice per time of year or after 25 hours of use .
Use a high setting.
“ Raise themowing heightto head off cutting too low , ” says Hulstein . modify your mower deck to one of the higher configurations to thin out grass blade to 3 or 4 inches long and no shorter . It ’s tough for a lawn mower to get a close shave when mowing pixilated green goddess , so snub it some slump if you want it to do its job as well as it can .
Use side-discharge mode.
If you may , set your lawn mower to side - discharge style . Though this leaves rows of gelded grass on your lawn for manual sacking subsequently , it will save you the mess of dealing with a mower handbag with a plastered interior . You could also assay pulling Grandpa’sreel mowerout of the shed — you might have the best fate with it on wet grass .
Final Thoughts
While it might be tempting to mow your lawn as shortly as the rainfall pass , you ’re better off stand by with experts ’ advice on mowing wet grass and waiting until the weed is dry . trim wet smoke can go to a raggedy - looking lawn , plant fungal diseases , soil price , and even mower operator injury — all of which are preventable with a little longanimity .
FAQs
When deal with mild morning dew on the gage or after a light rainfall shower , the best time to mop the lawn is between 2 and 5 hours after the wet has stopped form . With a heavier rainstorm , you should wait at least one day to cut down safely . Shady areas of the lawnwill take longer to dry than those in the sun .
While wet grass alone may not dull a lawn mower vane , its slick surface sure enough does n’t make the cutting physical process easier . And if depart to sit on the blade , the saturated clip could lead to rust and the early demise of metallic element lawn mower parts like the leaf blade .
Thebest time to reduce grassis moderately dependent on where you live . If your mornings are dewy and your good afternoon are spicy , mow during that sliver of metre midmorning when the dew has dried but before the sun is scorching . If morning dew is something you only interpret about in sonnets and it gets hot before breakfast is on the table , the early morning is the best time to slue the grass .
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