Should You Mow Your Lawn On Cold Spring Days?

Proper landscaping is a must for the exterior of your home, and that includes your lawn. Maintaining your yard can keep pests and weeds away and increase curb appeal and home value, but each season brings a different kind of maintenance protocol. Once winter ends and spring comes, you may be ready to head out and get your lawn in order, but there are spring days that are still chilly. Which brings up the question, should you mow your lawn on cold spring days? Ultimately, the answer is no.

Mowing on a cooler day can be a surprising way you've been killing your grass without knowing it. In early spring, cold fronts can come at any time, and if you grab the mower, you can be causing more harm — like damaging your grass, compacting and hardening the soil, and even impacting how well your mower runs. If you see frost on the grass or soil seems frozen, it is not a good time to mow your yard. But don't get discouraged, because it's still good to know how to take care of your lawn during cold spring days — and what temperature is the best time to start mowing.

Just because you shouldn't mow on a chilly spring day doesn't mean you should forget about your yard altogether. On those colder days, it is the perfect opportunity to get your yard ready to mow. Go around and pick up trash, twigs, and branches. Once all the debris is picked up, rake and de-thatch your lawn. Thatch is layers of piled-up leaves and dead grass that builds up between your living grass and the soil, preventing water and air from reaching it. Once everything is cleared out, your yard is ready for those warmers days to come.

During these colder temperatures, you should also work on removing the unsightly weeds and applying weed killer. It is also important to still water your yard, even with chilly wind, because it can dry out the soil. Spring days fluctuate in temperature, so if you must mow during these cooler temperatures, try to get it done between late morning and early afternoon, when the sun is out. If you want a green yard all year long, no matter the temperature, there are many eco-friendly grass alternatives for your lawn that you can choose from.

Once you have your lawn prepped and the temperature warms up, it is time to finally mow your yard. The best time to crank out the lawn mower are warmer temperature days, falling around 50 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. During this weather, it is the perfect opportunity to aerate the soil, fertilize the grass, and seed and lime as needed. As temperatures climb into the hotter spring to summer days, it is best not to mow since it can cause more damage to your grass than good.

While mowing on these warm, sunny days, you can't forget to practice proper mowing tips. Always follow the ⅓ rule, where you cut no more than ⅓ of the grass' height. If you cut too much, you could be causing damage to your grass to where it won't grow properly. On days over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, try not to step on your yard, because you can break off dry grass. Instead, let your yard grow, because taller grass provides shade for the soil on those extra hot days. As you mow, you may come across even more problems with your lawn, like dead patches and uncontrollable weeds. Many people think an easy way to fix their yard issues is with store-bought solutions, but don't head off to the shop just yet. Instead, learn how to grow a healthy lawn without harsh chemicals.