6 Tips To Use When Mowing After Rain

As your local lawn care service provider, Ryan Lawn & Tree wants to make sure we work together to take the best care of your lawn. You may have heard that mowing wet grass after rain can be damaging not only to your lawn mower but also to your grass. While this is true, if you have no choice but to mow a wet lawn, here are six steps you can take to minimize any potential damage to your lawn or mower.

1. Sharpen your mower blades

Mowing with dull blades causes extra stress to your lawn by shredding it rather than cutting it. This makes it easier for diseases to take over your lawn. Keep your grass healthy, especially in damp mowing conditions, with a sharpened blade. If you’re strapped for time or prefer to have an expert sharpen your lawn mower blade, choose a small engine repair shop like Maisch Small Engine in Kansas City or hardware store in your area to safely and effectively do this project.

2. Raise your mower deck

If you’ve had Ryan Lawn & Tree seed your lawn with cool-season grasses, you’ll want to raise your mower deck to cut at about 3 to 4 inches. Most homeowners cut these grasses too short, and that causes more problems that are magnified by damp conditions. Your mower cannot handle cutting cool-season grasses so short in damp conditions, so move the mower deck to the highest or second-highest setting. Also, if you have recently seeded your yard, you might enjoy downloading and reading RYAN’s How to Care for Your Newly Seeded Lawn. 

3. Side-discharge your grass

Instead of bagging or mulching, set your mower to the highest setting and put the side discharge in place to mow. Your lawn will have rows of clippings that you can mow again after they dry for a couple of days.

4. Manage your fuel

Don’t overfill your mower with fuel — only purchase enough fuel to use in two to three weeks. Ethanol in gasoline has an affinity for moisture, which can affect your mowing. Prevent fuel contamination by using a stabilizer when filling your mower, and only purchase more after your fuel has depleted.

5. Clean after you mow

After mowing your lawn, clean out the underside of your mower where grass clippings can cling so they don’t form a soggy layer that becomes a moldy mess. Use your mower’s washout port, if it has one, to clean the deck. Scrape the deck clean with a putty knife and clean your mower’s tires with a wire brush. Regular cleaning will help your mower continue to work properly and give your lawn a healthy cut every time.

6. Mow more often the following week(s)

Lots of rain means an increase in the growth of your grass. Shorten your mowing interval by a few days to prevent the grass from getting too long and shaggy. Tall, wet grass is difficult to mow properly.

Lawn Care Service From The Pros!

If you need help keeping your lawn looking the best on the block, check out the Ryan Signature Lawn service available at all of our Midwest locations in Kansas City, Tulsa, Springfield, St. Louis and Wichita. While we don’t mow your lawn, our Signature Lawn Care program features proactive seasonal applications that eliminate weeds & pests, combats disease and provides your lawn with the nutrients it needs to stay healthy, lush, and green. Our Pros in the clean red trucks are traveling through your neighborhood now and would be happy to stop by your home, inspect your lawn and give you a free, no-obligation price quote.