You have undoubtedly heard the old saying April showers bring May flowers. As we are here in April and we are seeing yet another wet spring. That is a good thing as rain is a necessary thing for the survival of the human race but sometimes it seems like there is just too much of it. With all of the rain it can make it difficult to find a good time to cut the grass and probably more than once you have been tempted to just go out and do it regardless of how wet the grass is. That is not a good idea and today we will tell you why.
Bodily Injury
There are several good reasons why you should not cut wet grass. The first is your safety. Wet grass is slippery and that increases your chance of falling and incurring bodily injury. Anytime you fall close to your mower’s blades is cause for concern, especially if you are cutting on a slope.
At the same time under no circumstances should you use a corded electric lawn mower to cut wet grass. You can receive an electric shock since water and electricity do not mix.
Hurting Your Lawn
Cutting the grass while it is wet can also hurt your lawn. For a proper cut the grass needs to be standing up. When the grass is wet it is heavier and does not stand up so when the mower blades go over it not every blade will be cut or it will be cut unevenly. Your lawn will look terrible after the grass dries out and the blades stand back up. On top of that the wheels of your mower can sink into the wet ground causing unnecessary damage that can take weeks or months to potentially repair.
But that is not all. Wet or damp grass does not produce as clean of a cut as dry grass. This increases the chance of fungus moving in and the moisture provides a way for the fungus to spread. Wet grass clippings that are clumped together mat down the grass and restrict airflow which can also lead to a fungal infection. On top of that the wet grass clippings that stick to the underside of your mower can become moldy and that mold can be spread to the lawn the next time you cut the grass.
Hurting Your Mower
Wet grass is not good for your mower either and the biggest threat is the moisture itself. This moisture can get into the gas tank or cause exposed metal to corrode. Even if you use non-ethanol gas as recommended moisture can get into the tank and corrode the engine from the inside as well.
Grass clippings will also cling to the underside of the mower deck. Besides the aforementioned mold these caked on clippings can impede the blade forcing the engine to work harder.
Taking More Of Your Time
Mowing wet grass also takes you longer to complete. You will have to remove clumps of grass from the underside to keep the mower running. You might have to constantly start and stop to clean these clumps out. This takes time to do and you might have to redo parts of the lawn due to uneven cuts. On top of that wet grass will stain and stick to whatever clothing it touches, meaning you will spend more time trying to get the stains out or cleaning up loose clippings after you are done.
If You Have To Cut Wet Grass…
Now there may come a time when you do need to cut wet grass. There may just be a rainy period ahead and you have a small window to get it cut so the grass does not grow too high. You might have the property being showcased for a prospective buyer and you want it to look as good as it could be or you are leaving on vacation. Or you might only have so much time to get it done.
If you do need to cut wet grass there are a few things that you can do to help lessen the chance of damage. Sharpen the blades so cutting is as efficient as possible and raise the wheels to put less stress on the engine. Consider adding a fuel stabilizer to prevent any damage from the moisture. Don’t bother mulching, just use the discharge chute since mulching wet grass doesn’t work and you’ll need to bag the clippings manually later.
Cut only half the normal swath that you would normally do to help decrease stress on the engine. Also don’t mow through puddles, standing water or saturated turf. If you step on the ground and water bubbles up around your foot it is best to avoid that part of the lawn. Last, clean the mower well when you are finished.
It’s Best To Wait
Or you could just wait for the sun to come out and the grass to dry. When the blades of grass are upright it is safe to cut. How long this takes depends on how much rain fell, how wet the ground has been and when the sun comes out. You have to operate on nature’s schedule sometimes and there may be nothing that you can do about that.