The snow has melted, and the spring flowers are starting to pop up, but your lawn mower is still collecting dust in the shed. Well, it won’t be long before it’s time for the first mowing of the season. But when is that exactly? The first mowing varies depending on your location, but your lawn will show you a few signs when it’s ready to be cut. Let’s take a look.
When to Cut Grass for the First Time in Spring?
When deciding on your first mow of the year, you want to let your lawn tell you it’s ready. If you can see new grass blades and the grass is starting to get longer, this is a good sign it’s time for mowing. But if your lawn has popped up a few blades across your lawn doesn’t mean you need to start mowing.
You’ll know it’s time when your lawn as a whole starts to grow. Depending on where in the country you live, this could be at a different time. Those down in Florida might be grabbing their vests and shorts in spring, whereas people up in Maine might still be grabbing a scarf to go out.
So, saying April is a good time to start mowing won’t work for everybody. The best thing you can do is make a close inspection of your lawn and see how it’s growing. Jumping on your lawn mower too early could cause some damage to your lawn. Dormant grass really doesn’t handle being mowed very well.
How High to Cut Grass the First Time in Spring
So, your entire lawn is starting to grow, and it’s time to start mowing. The grass is doing well, and it’s starting to get pretty long. What height should you adjust your cutting height to? Again, this all depends on your particular lawn grass and where you are located.
A fescue in the south might need to be mowed differently from a Ryegrass lawn in the north, as would a St. Augustine lawn in the east compared to a Zoysia in the west. But generally, if my lawn is looking strong and growing well, I make my first cut a little longer than the height I would mow in the summer. I always remember the golden rule that you never want to cut off more than ⅓ of the blade because it can put the lawn under stress and create a bunch of problems.
So the question I ask myself is how high to cut the grass the first time in spring, not how short to cut the grass the first time in spring. I definitely recommend cutting longer than shorter. You can work down to the right cutting height over the next few cuts.
Here are some examples of the ideal mowing heights for a variety of lawn grasses:
- Perennial Ryegrass 2″–3″
- Annual Ryegrass 2″–3″
- Bermudagrass ½”–1″
- Zoysia ¾”–1½”
- Bahiagrass 2″–3″
- Tall Fescue 2½”–3½”
- Fine Fescue 2½”–3½”
- Bluegrass 2″–3″
- Centipede 3″
- Augustine 3½” – 4″
Should I Bag or Mulch on the First Mow of the Season?
Now you have an idea when your first mowing of the season should be. But now you may be wondering, should I bag the first mow of the season? Well, this all comes down to the length of the grass clippings. If the clippings are long and could block the sunlight from getting to the lawn, then I’d bag or mulch them.
Alas, I’m a firm believer that leaving clippings on my lawn for free nutrients is always a plus, which is part of the reason I make my first cut just that little bit longer than normal. Cutting longer instead of shorter reduces the stress on the lawn of the first cut and gives me some free fertilizer.
My Other Tips for a Successful First Mow of the Season
You’ll want to think ahead before you get excited about your first mow of the season. Deciding how high to cut the grass the first time in spring and when to cut the grass the first time in spring are definitely two very important factors, but there is still one more thing I always keep an eye on—the weather forecast.
Most years, when I see my lawn coming to life, all of a sudden, a cold front comes in and puts my lawn back to sleep. Spring tends to vary where I live, so I never put an actual date on when I first start mowing. Instead, I let the grass do the talking.
Leave a Reply