Sometimes, you can make plans to mow your lawn on a certain day because it is your day off from work. However, the night before, it rains. What is the way forward? Do you go right ahead and mow it when wet or do you wait for it to dry? It is recommendable to wait until the grass dries up before mowing the lawn.

So, how long will it take the grass to dry after raining? To determine how long the grass will take to dry after raining, there are a couple of factors to consider. First is how long it rained, to what extent or the severity, and the present weather at your location. For a warm and windy weather, you can expect the grass to dry well after about two days.

This article explains further about the duration of grass drying, the issue of mowing wet grass, and other related questions. Keep reading to learn more.

Factors Influencing the Drying Of Grass after Rain

We have already mentioned that the drying of grass after rain is dependent on a couple of factors:

• How long it rains– practically speaking, if it has been raining for three days consecutively, it may take longer for the grass to dry and be fit for mowing. However, if it only rained for a few hours in the night, then it can take a shorter time to dry.
• The severity of the rain– it can rain for three consecutive days, but just a few raindrops for a few minutes each day. This means that the grass can dry out faster because it is not so severe. On the other hand, it can rain so heavily for two straight hours only, but with this severity, it will take longer to dry.
• The weather– the weather in your location plays an important role in how the grass dries. If it is sunny/warm and windy, the grass will dry out faster. However, if it is cloudy and no sunshine, even a little rainfall can take longer than expected to dry off the grass. Thus, the two factors above, that is the severity of the rain and how long it rains can still be altered by the weather.

Thus, we do not have a definite time when the grass is likely to dry up. All the factors listed above must be taken into consideration. Otherwise, it does not need rocket science because you can see if the grass is wet or not, and you can feel if the ground underneath is dry too.

Can You Mow Your Lawn When The Grass Is Still Wet?

You have been waiting for the weekend to mow your lawn, and it rains heavily on Friday night. Disastrous, right? Well we have all been in such a situation.

Will you go right ahead and mow the grass when it is still wet? If you do, will it damage your mower and your grass?

Well, cutting a wet lawn has its repercussions. The blades of your mower will get ripped and its lifespan is shortened given the additional stress on the mower’s engine. Additionally, once the grass dries, it will look uneven and aesthetically not so good. Thus, it would be better to wait for the grass to dry.

Below are more reasons why you should wait until the grass is dry to mow the lawn.

• First, if the grass is still wet, that means even the soil underneath is wet too. Mowing it will create furrows as the mower’s wheels ride through the lawn. You definitely do not want this, thus, it could be better to wait for at least two days for the place to dry before mowing.
• As already seen, if you mow wet grass, you will end up with uneven lawn. This is because of the moisture, which will make the grass to bend as the mower goes over it, and it will not be straight again. If you love your lawn, there is no hurry; just wait for it to dry rather than damage it.
• When the grass is wet, the clippings may tend to clamp together to the extent of blocking the deck and making mower riding more difficult. You will have a hard time having to remove the clogged grass from time to time.
• Another disadvantage of mowing a wet lawn is that you will have less healthy grass because you will end up clipping the blades of the grass only.

So How Dry Should the Grass Be For Mowing?

If your plans of mowing the lawn have been delayed by the rain, you may be wondering how dry the grass should be so that you start mowing.

First, the grass blades should be dry with no water droplets on them.

Second, the ground underneath should also be dry, or at least not squishy such that it can leave furrows as you ride the mower on it.

Can You Mow Dewy Grass?

We have put a stand that you should wait for the grass to dry before mowing. The morning dew is no different from the rain; the only difference is that the ground underneath may not be soaked or wet, and that the water droplets will dry faster given favorable weather condition.

However, the effects of mowing dewy grass are similar to those of mowing rained on grass. Just wait for the dew to disappear to avoid poor quality cut, rusting of mower blades, clogging up of the mower, and having wet grass sprayed all over the place.

The difference between a high-quality cut and a poorly done lawn in terms of mowing is patience. Just give it time to dry and you will do a great job.

Depending on the weather, the grass should be dry from the morning dew between 8 AM and 10 AM, and you can safely mow it.

Can You Cut the Grass Right before It Rains?

Well, assuming you have been planning to mow your lawn, and suddenly the weather changes and it looks like it might rain, can you go right ahead to mow the lawn? Definitely yes. Remember that if it rains, all your mowing plans will come to a stop. So hurry up and get the job done before it rains.

Related Questions

When should you never mow the lawn?

Do not mow the lawn if the grass is wet. The ideal time to mow the lawn is when the grass is dry. When it is wet, the grass blades are weighed down by the moisture, preventing a straight cut. There is also the possibility of creating furrows if the ground underneath is wet, not to mention damage for the mower because of the stress put on the engine. Thus, avoid mowing wet grass.

Which is the ideal time in the day to mow the lawn?

Generally, the ideal time to mow the lawn is midmorning between 8 AM and 10 AM when the grass has dried up from the morning due. You can also mow in the late afternoon between 4 PM and 6 PM. This way, you will ensure moisture is retained in the roots, and the grass will have enough time to recover before sunrise again.

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