Mowing your lawn is an important maintenance task that needs to be performed often in Oklahoma in order for your lawn to stay at an ideal height. If it has recently rained and you're wondering if it's okay to mow your lawn shortly after it has stopped, the answer is a resounding NO! It's important to wait until the grass is dry before attempting to mow. Mowing wet grass can cause damage to your equipment, such as a clog in the discharge chute and mower deck. It can also create ruts in the soil, leading to an uneven surface and unattractive appearance. Additionally, wet grass blades will not be cleanly cut and may result in rips or tears. Mowing wet grass also increases the risk of spreading fungal disease, which thrives in humid environments. To avoid any of these issues, it is advisable to wait until the grass is dry before mowing it.

Wet Grass Can Clog Your Mower

Mowing your grass immediately after rainfall might cause damage to your lawn mower. Wet grass has a sticky texture that can clog the discharge chute and the mower deck when mowed. If the discharge chute gets clogged, the mower may stop working properly, while the mower deck will need proper cleaning if it gets clogged. Rain will cause the grass blades to clump. The blades will hold this sticky texture until most of the moisture evaporates.

It's better to wait until the grass dries before mowing it to avoid a clog in the discharge chute and the mower deck.

Mowing Wet Grass Can Cause Ruts in Your Soil

A lawn in Tulsa, OK, with ruts due to improper mowing.

Ruts are visible indentations made in the soil by the wheels of heavy equipment. When soil becomes weakened due to water saturation, it becomes more vulnerable to ruts caused by the added weight of heavy lawn equipment. For example, the wheels of a lawn mower sinking into the wet soil can create ruts that leave an uneven surface. To prevent this issue from happening, you'll want to wait until your grass dries before mowing it.

Mowing wet grass can result in ripping or tearing.

It's important to avoid mowing wet grass as this may result in an uneven cut. When it rains, the blades of grass are weighed down with water and may lean forward, making it less likely that all of the blades will be cut if you attempt to mow your lawn in this state. Additionally, the blades that are getting cut by the mower may not be cut cleanly and could result in the grass ripping and tearing. By waiting for your grass to dry before mowing, you can help to avoid these issues!

Mowing After It Rains Can Spread Fungal Disease

Mowing your lawn after rainfall can potentially spread fungal diseases. If one section of your lawn is suffering from a fungal disease and you mow the lawn shortly after raining, then the disease can easily spread from one section of your lawn to another. Fungal diseases can be spread through lawn equipment and they thrive in high-humidity environments. For these reasons, waiting until the grass is dry before mowing is ideal as it will help prevent fungal diseases from spreading throughout your lawn.

Some common fungal diseases that can be spread by mowing wet grass in Oklahoma are spring dead spot and dollar spot.

Contact Us Today to Sign Up For Our Lawn Mowing Service

At LBR, we've been in business for 20 years and offer our professional lawn mowing service on a weekly basis during the growing season to ensure your lawn is well-maintained. Included with this service are string-trimming, edging, and blowing debris off of hard surfaces for a clean finish. We offer our lawn mowing service to commercial and residential properties, as well as HOAs, in Tulsa, OK, and other surrounding areas, such as Owasso, Broken Arrow, and Jenks. Contact us today at (918) 252-5296 to sign up!