If you’re thinking about mowing wet grass, you probably shouldn’t. It can come from heavy rains or even light to moderate rain showers, which creates the same conditions for your lawn.
Also, you might think mowing early in the day might be excellent for your schedule, but you have to contend with the formation of dew on your lawn, which creates a hindrance for landscaping purposes.
In addition, after activating your sprinkler system and amply watering the yard, your next step should NOT be to mow your very wet lawn immediately.
All of these circumstances are detrimental to you, your lawnmower, and especially your turfgrass.
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Mowing wet grass is harmful to your lawn
If you want to cut your grass the right way, the blades should be off the soil, standing up. Wet turf is heavier than drier ones and tends to hug the surface. Thus making it especially difficult for cutting.
As the wet lawn becomes dry after the passage of rain, some of the grass blades will come back right up and can be trimmed by a regular grass cutter. But the remaining grass will still be close to the ground, and the mower will pass right through instead of cutting them.
When they do stand up, your yard will look like cowlicks with conspicuous tufts sprouting randomly. It will look unappealing, but if you still insist on cutting when the grass is wet, the outcome will be a tear instead of a mowed appearance.
The torn grass will be an opening for fungus to enter, and moisture will let it spread. Mowing when wet is a good (or bad) way for fungal infestation.
Fungal disease can build up on your lawn that has been mowed after hard rains through grass cuttings. These will likely form in large bundles in these situations.
The cuttings are plastered down, which hinders air from flowing through. A surplus of clippings can result in a fungal disease called the brown spot.
In the meantime, the wet grass trimmings that got stuck under the mower deck, if you allow for it to stay there, can attract the growth of mold. Then it will spread to your lawn, thus creating more problems.
Even passing back and forth with your lawnmower on wet turf can inflict damage to it. Its wheels can descend into the muddy soil, which could not be done when it still was dry.
The worse thing that could happen is that the wheels will create grooves on the soil, thus destroying the turf. It can also enable the ground to become compressed that will eventually damage the lawn as time passes.
Mowing wet turf is bad for your lawn mower
Moisture creates a problem for any piece of machinery, especially a lawnmower, which is exposed to wet surfaces all the time. It can get through the gasoline in the tank, its engine, and its many metal components.
If you did not include a fuel stabilizer, along with the gasoline, the moisture can cause the formation of corrosion.
Lawn trimmings and mud will create a cake-like substance and get stuck on the underside of the mower, which will also form rust. Even if left there for a short while, its muddy presence will cause strain to the engine. It will obstruct the movement of the mower blades, and your engine will operate to its maximum capacity to compensate for this hindrance.
Mowing slippery grass is not safe for you
What happens when you mow wet grass? It will create dangerous situations that can affect your safety, which should always be the priority.
Two ways can intensify the risk involved:
If you use an electric mower, there is a risk of getting electrocuted due to the wet surroundings.
There is a danger in mowing on inclined surfaces. It would not matter with the kind of mower you have or the type of terrain in your lawn. There is a risk of slipping on slippery sod.
A lot of dangerous situations will likely occur. The least of which is falling off and straining your muscles. Or maybe overturning the mower and crushing your whole body, thereby breaking all your bones.
Or worse, due to slippage, you will directly fall into the path of the revolving mower blade and either cut or sever your limbs or cause even death.
Mowing a wet yard is more work
Mowing damp grass will take a lot more effort and time. It is because it will look haphazard and incomplete and won’t look appealing at all. So you will have no choice but to do it all over again.
Also, wet sod will stain your clothing, shoes, and everything it comes into contact with, which makes subsequent cleaning more difficult.
If you must mow the grass when it’s wet
If you have to mow the wet yard despite everything you have learned about its many dangerous outcomes, here is how you can make adjustments and might even overcome this sticky situation:
Always mix fuel stabilizer to your gasoline.
Always keep your mower blades sharp.
Do not attempt to bag or mulch the cuttings. Mulching does not function well with wet grass, and the bag will get soiled inside. Just let out the clippings via the side chute.
If mowing the lawn when the grass is wet, only cut half the strip you normally would lessen the strain it causes to the engine.
Make it a habit to always clean the mower deck’s undersurface and the discharge port whenever you use it. This way, only minimal muddy cuttings will get stuck. You can also spray silicone on the deck before using it to make cleaning easier later.
Rake all the clippings in a pile to transfer to the compost heap.
You can also be proactive and watch for weather forecasts on TV or listen to the radio incoming storms. If you hear that an approaching rainstorm is coming, immediately mow the grass before it has a chance to get wet.
Conclusion
To be on the safe side, avoid mowing the lawn when wet. It will damage your lawnmower, cause potential harm to you, and be an overall nuisance for everyone involved. Wait for the sun to shine to dry up the moisture in your lawn, then you can mow in peace.
