What Is The Best Time Of Day To Cut Your Grass? Lawn Mowing Etiquette Guide

Maintaining a well-manicured lawn isn’t easy and involves various tasks, with mowing perhaps the most important one. Speaking of which, many homeowners aren’t sure about the best time to cut grass.

If you ask me what is the best time of day to cut your grass, the answer is in the late morning to early afternoon (between 8 AM-10 AM), when the grass is dry, avoiding the dew of the early morning or the heat of the midday sun.

But there are pros and cons to this time period, which I will go over below.

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Early Morning Cut (6am-8am)

early-morning mow

The early morning is the least recommended time to mow your grass. It may be cooler but in most areas, there will be dew on the grass which will just give you headaches when you cut the grass.

Mainly from clumps of grass clogging the mower and getting stuck under the carriage as well as mounds of grass clippings sitting on your lawn which you will have to rake up later.

Plus mowing wet grass can be problematic to your grass as it can lead to various lawn diseases such as dollar spot and brown patch. So in short, sleep in and enjoy the morning in peace. If you have neighbors they will appreciate not hearing a lawn mower waking them up.

Mid-Morning Mow (8 AM – 10 AM )

mid-morning mow

This is the recommended time window to mow your grass. The morning dew should have dried up and your lawn should be nice and dry if it is not raining and has not rained the day before.

Your grass is also the least stressed during this part of the day as the hot sun has not been drying it out yet which adds to the stress.

Using a sharp blade to cut is the best as that will also reduce the stress on the turf. Also, temps should be the most comfortable for you in most zones during this period.

Mid-Day Mow (Noon – 4 PM)

mid day mow

If you miss your mid-morning window you should probably skip the mid-day times if you can. I know everyone’s schedule is different and most mow when they can get to it.

If you don’t mow during this time you will be saving yourself from potentially getting overheated due to the hot temps of the day, and your turf will thank you because this will be the most stressful time of the day for your grass to recover.

But that’s not all, mowing grass in the heat of the day can cause stunted growth and can burn the grass.

Late Afternoon Mow ( 4 PM – 6 PM )

late afternoon mow

This is the second-best time window of the day to mow your grass and probably the most recommended time for homeowners.

I have many neighbors who get home from work and do a quick mow before eating dinner. This time of day is good as the temps are starting to cool off a bit which again is not only good for you but also good for your turf as it is less stressed and will have a good time to recover before the night dew sets in again.

Early Evening Mow ( 6PM – 9 PM )

early evening lawn cut

Even though this is my second least recommended time to mow, this is probably the most common for homeowners.

I don’t like that late day cuts as that can lead to many lawn diseases as the blades are under stress from getting hacked and most people may not have the sharpest blades on their mowers which will open up the blades of grass and invite diseases from the overnight dew.

And if you don’t know already, I don’t recommend watering in the evening or nighttime either. Set your sprinkler systems to run first thing in the morning to cut down on lawn diseases.

Lawn Mowing Etiquette

There are some common courtesy rules when it comes to using lawnmowers and any other loud lawn care equipment if you live within 50′ of any other homeowner.

Many HOA’s will have set their neighborhood rules about this but here are some simple guidelines to follow to keep your neighbors happy and keep you on the friend list. 🙂

  • Don’t mow before 9 AM, especially on the weekends.
  • Don’t mow after 8 PM
  • Do mow your entire lawn if you can. No one likes to hear their neighbor running lawn equipment for multiple days in a row.
  • Don’t let your grass get too tall and unruly. Mow at least once a week.
  • Don’t leave lawn clippings all over the sidewalk and driveway.
  • Keep your edges cut and looking sharp.
  • Never mow the lawn when the grass is wet either from water or dew

Also see: Is It Illegal To Mow Your Lawn At Night? – Nighttime Mowing Safety

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