Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
When Is the Last Time to Cut Grass Before Winter?
When Is the Last Time to Cut Grass Before Winter?. Fall may be the time when gardening slows down, but lawn maintenance continues as long as your grass keeps growing. Mowing the lawn before winter arrives is imperative to prevent fungal diseases, such as snow molds, from developing on the yard. Snow molds occur when tall grass becomes matted down...
Fall may be the time when gardening slows down, but lawn maintenance continues as long as your grass keeps growing. Mowing the lawn before winter arrives is imperative to prevent fungal diseases, such as snow molds, from developing on the yard. Snow molds occur when tall grass becomes matted down after a snow fall. Sending your lawn into winter well groomed can help keep it healthy and strong.
Timing the Last Cut
There is no set date to stop mowing your lawn. Cool-season grass types grow steadily into the fall season as temperatures dip. Typically, cool-season grass varieties go dormant between October to mid-November, but growth trends vary from year to year, depending on the weather. Meanwhile, warm-season grass stops growing when temperatures dip in early fall. When growth stops, mow one last time while your grass is still green. Your grass' preferred height also influences when you should take your final mow.
Getting Height Right
All grass types should be maintained at the specific height where they do best. For example, keep cool-season grass such as Kentucky bluegrass (Poa protensis), hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 7, at 2 to 2 1/2 inches. Maintain warm-season grass such as bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), hardy in USDA zones 7 through 10, at 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches. Never remove more than 1/3 of the grass blade at one time. Mow the grass when it grows one-third of the way higher than its recommended height.
Balancing Other Factors
Never mow your lawn when the grass is wet. Wet grass clippings clump up and prevent air and sunlight from reaching grass blades. Mowing wet lawns also encourages fungal diseases. If applying herbicide to kill weeds that have emerged in the lawn, mowing right before your application can decrease its effectiveness. Taller weeds have a greater leaf surface for post-emergent herbicide to work. Mow your lawn a few days after applying the herbicide instead.
Promoting Lawn Health
Mower blades quickly dull throughout the mowing season. Make sure that your mower has sharp blades before mowing the last time of the year. Mowing with dull blades wounds the grass and creates an entryway for fungal diseases. Leave short grass clippings on the lawn. Grass clippings contribute nitrogen, which helps provide nutrients to grass roots even when blades stop growing for the season. Use a mulching mower or evenly distribute grass clippings over the yard, so they do not clump or pile up.
