It’s still early. We’re going to have more cold nights and days, probably even a bit of snow.
But already in some areas you can see the first sign of bluegrass and rye turning green, just waiting for that one ‘warm’ rain to come springing out of the ground.
Which raises the question, when is it time to get the John Deere or the Toro out for that first mowing?
Well, if you’re one that dreads the prospects of weekly mowing you could put it off for a couple more weeks, depending on the weather, of course.
But, if you’re one that truly cares about the spring look of your yard it’s not a bad idea to get out the mower, sharpen the blades, and ‘dead head’ your lawn. And by ‘dead heading’ we mean clip off the very tops of your grass turned brown by winter freeze and frost.
The reason is…when you do that you send a signal the to the plant’s roots to regenerate – dormancy is over – and begin the cycle of mow and grow. The advantage is you have everything grow to a consistent height sooner when you clip off the high spots. For instance, rye is going to be the first grass to become active, while blue grass is usually a couple weeks behind. Mow now and you’ll have a more uniform look sooner.
The other advantage is you avoid having piles of clippings from that early growth if you give the lawn a preemptive trim, which in spring is a nuisance and never a good thing. And it’s always a good idea to cut more often in April to avoid wet-weather issues like fungus and disease. Cut early, and more often, even if you’re only taking a half-inch off the top, and you’ll avoid this problem.
So if you’re wondering about when to mow, consider the above and do it sooner, rather than later.
Or do it later, rather than sooner, and deal with the consequences.
