No, you should not mow wet grass or when it’s raining!
Mowing grass when wet is a little bit confusing because the grass is already taller and you are not sure about cutting wet grass with an electric mower.
So, you keep asking can you mow in the rain or can’t?
You are not alone. A lot of my regular readers keep asking that. The simple answer is you should not.
I will explain why in this article including whether you should cut grass before or after rain.
Why You Can’t Mow Grass In The Rain?
It’s never a good idea to mow your lawn when it’s raining or when the grass is still wet. You should wait until the turf and grass dry up. And visit Reviewer Guides for more lawn caring tips.
Here are the reasons why you should not:
- Bad Cut & Grass Clumps
To have a good cut, you need the lawn grass to stand up straight. When it’s raining or the grass is wet, it’s NOT the case.
Instead, due to the water, the grass will become heavy and thick. Many parts of the grasses will be laying down.
So, mowing wet grass will never give you a good cut and will leave grass clumps. You can’t blow off such grass clumps, so you will end up having dead spots all over your lawn.
- It Will Damage The Lawn
When the water is covering the lawn, you should not take your heavy machinery like an electric mower over the turf. The mower will cause ruts, dents, and other damages to the turf.
- Damaging The Mower
Cutting wet grass with electric mower is bad news for the mower itself. The water from the lawn grass will enter the mower’s engine and will result in significant damages.
As the grass will be laying down, the engine of your mower will bog down which in turn will cause it to stall. Even if the grasses are not wet, the same thing will happen if you mow when it’s raining.
Since the grass sticks together when wet, they put more stress on the mower drive and engine.
- Danger of Accidents
Mowing wet grass is dangerous for you too. Mowing in wet conditions increases the risk of falling or slipping.
This may not sound deadly but if you fall or slip while cutting wet grass with electric mower, you can fall or slip right next to the sharp spinning blades!
And if you are mowing with an electric mower that is plugged in, it becomes extremely dangerous to cut grass in the rain.
Cut Grass Before Or After Rain
So, what’s the best time to mow your lawn? To me and even to any commercial lawn care provider, it’s when it’s dry.
After the rain, the grass never gets a clean cut. Instead, they just tear. That’s how your lawn grass becomes more susceptible to more lawn diseases. The overall lawn health weakens significantly.
Don’t be disappointed! You can always avoid this by not mowing too low and having sharp blades. But if you have a rotary mower, you should skip mowing your wet grass as it can’t collect the wet grass clippings properly.
So, the main issue here is not about before or after rain mowing. You can mow anytime you want when the grasses are dry. If the grasses are wet after the rain, wait until they dried up.
So, the right time is always when it’s dry. That’s the reason you should not mow early in the morning due to the dew on the grass or right after watering your lawn.
If you notice the rain is coming, mow your lawn before the rain hits your lawn. That’s how you can avoid wasting your scheduled time.
Expert Tips On Mowing Wet Grass
I already have shown you plenty of reasons not to do this at all. But people still do this.
But if you absolutely have to cut wet grass with an electric mower mow during the rain, I strongly recommend following these tips:
- Do something first to make the grass dry quickly like use a hose to remove the excess water.
- You should not be stressing out the engine. So, raise the mowing height to reduce the load.
- The lawnmower blades have to be really sharp to cut wet grass.
- Mow slowly to reduce stress on the blade and mower.
- Empty the grass bag more often than you do normally. Do not put the grass clippings on walkways or flower beds since wet grass clippings tend to leave stains.
- Turn off the mower if the grasses clog to clean them out.
- Completely clean your mower right after mowing the wet grass.
You can only follow these tips if it’s not raining tremendously. In that case, skip mowing completely. In fact, I skip mowing even if it’s raining lightly!
You should seriously follow these above-mentioned tips. They are from professionals who cut lawn grass for a living. That’s how they do it on a rainy day.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How long does it take for grass to dry after rain?
Answer: 1 to 2 days depending on the condition of the weather and intensity of the rain shower.
When should you mow the lawn?
Answer: Anytime you want when the grasses are dry. I skip morning mowing because of the dew problem.
Can you cut wet grass with a Flymo?
Answer: You can but you should not. It will damage your lawn including the Flymo.
Can you use an electric whipper snipper on wet grass?
Answer: Trimming or mowing your wet grass is absolutely a bad idea. You can slip or fall! Even there is a higher chance of damaging your whipper snipper.
Can you cut wet grass with an electric strimmer?
Answer: Technically you can but you won’t have a clean-cut due to the wet grass. More so, it will damage your strimmer and the lawn itself.
Bottom Line
So, can you mow in the rain? Well, as I have talked above, technically you can cut wet grass with electric mower or strimmer BUT you should not.
Skipping mowing for a day or two won’t ruin your lawn, but it can damage your mower and lawn severely if you do.
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