Thinking of tidying up your November garden? If you’re keen to give the grass one last cut, but you’ve heard some horrific tales about mowing your lawn in winter, don’t fret!
If you’re wondering whether you can mow the lawn in November, the answer is yes. You will need to take a few precautions, however, so you don’t damage the grass just before winter hits. Make sure to keep the grass to a minimum length of 3-4cm, mow only when the grass is dry and stay off the lawn when it’s frozen.
Let’s take a more in-depth look at what you need to know when mowing your lawn in November.
Photo by Elizabeth Dunne on Unsplash
Is it ok to cut grass in November?
You might be asking yourself, is it too late to mow the lawn in November? This is one of the most common questions lawn owners have in late autumn. Fortunately, for those who just realised their grass is a bit long, you can definitely cut your grass in November. However, it does depend on where you are in the UK and the current conditions your lawn is facing.
If you want to cut your lawn in November there are a few things you should keep in mind so that you don’t damage your lawn just before winter arrives. Keep reading to find out more about the dos and don’ts of late autumn lawn care.
What’s the proper lawn care in November?
This late into autumn, you need to be careful about how you treat your lawn. At this point, any lawn damage will persist throughout winter and only start the recovery process in spring. This means you’ll need to deal with not having a perfect lawn for a few months. Here are a few things to keep in mind to avoid any November lawn care disasters:
- Only mow your lawn when the grass is dry
Cutting your lawn in November can be tricky. The weather doesn’t always play fair. When you do get a gap to do some lawn care, make sure the lawn is dry before you mow it. Mowing a wet lawn can cause root damage and will lead to an uneven cut. Water weighing down the grass blades is the root cause of an uneven cut.
The water will cause longer blades to flatten down while the shorter blades hold their own. That means when you’re cutting the grass, you’ll be cutting the already short blades and miss the longer ones that are weighed down by the water. Once the lawn dries, the longer blades will stand up again causing your lawn to look even more untidy than before.
- Stay off a frozen lawn
Pushing a lawn mower over a frozen lawn, or simply just walking on it will damage your grass. Frozen grass blades are very fragile and will break when stepped on. Once the grass thaws, the damaged areas will turn brown.
This happens because the damaged grass blades are dying off, triggering a chain event. When the grass blades die off, the roots aren’t getting the nutrients they need and will also start to die off. When winter really hits, you’ll be left with dead patches of lawn that will need to be reseeded when spring comes around again.
- Keep the grass as long as possible
Longer grass in winter is great for protecting the roots of the plant against frost, snow and ice damage. It also helps with photosynthesis since there’s more surface area to produce food for the grass plants.
Before mowing, make sure your lawnmower is set to only top the grass. This means that your grass will be about 3-4cm long when you’ve finished. All you’re basically doing is neatening up the top.
- Remove debris from your lawn
It’s very important to rake up any fallen debris like autumn leaves and bark. At this stage, lawn growth will have slowed right down and your grass plants are just hanging in there. Fallen leaves and other debris can kill your lawn by taking away vital sunlight. Make sure to remove them since sunlight is already a luxury at this point.
Debris on the lawn can also cause problems such as algae growth and trigger all kinds of lawn diseases. It’s better to just rake once a week than to struggle month after month to get your lawn back to full health.
Image credit: @_steph_ann_93
When to stop cutting grass
When you need to stop cutting your grass will depend on two things. Firstly, where in the UK you live and secondly, the type of grass that you have.
Different areas in the UK have very different temperatures. Some areas might experience only mild frost, while others get full-on snow blizzards. If you live in an area with only mild frost, your grass will continue to grow throughout winter. This means that you’ll need to keep mowing your lawn at least once a month through winter.
In areas with very cold winter temperatures, you’ll be able to put away your lawn mower until the grass starts growing again in spring.
Of course, the type of grass you have will also play a role. If you have warm-season grasses, you’ll notice the growth of your lawn slowing right down or even stopping completely at the first sign of frost. Cold season grasses on the other hand will continue to grow throughout winter. The growth of these grasses will slow down, but it never really stops.
Image credit: @_steph_ann_93
Conclusion
You can most definitely cut your grass in November. Just make sure to take a few precautions before you start mowing away. Keep the following in mind:
- Don’t cut your lawn when the grass is wet
- Don’t walk on a frozen lawn
- Make sure the minimum length of your lawn mower is set to 3cm. Longer is better at this stage.
- Remove any debris from your lawn at least once a week.
Do you feel confident enough to cut your lawn in November? Do you have any tips to add? Let us know about your November lawn-cutting experiences in the comments below.
Happy lawn mowing!
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Rita is a writer and plant lover from sunny South Africa. She grew up on a fruit farm and that’s where she developed a deep fascination for the miracles of nature and grew her green thumbs.
