The Galston District Garden Club committee has made the decision to postpone our February meeting due to the latest outbreak of Covid. We are taking it month by month but we are hopeful the March meeting will go ahead. BY GRETA WICKHAM
Is It Too Wet For Mowing?
Often after a long period of rain, the grass can become a bit too long for our liking. Although it can be tempting to go and give the lawn a mow as soon as the rain stops, it is never ideal for your lawn or your mower. It is best to wait until the lawn is dry. Not only will waiting an extra day or two make mowing an easier job but also your lawn will look better and healthier.
When the grass is wet, a mower will struggle to cleanly cut the lawn. Mowing when wet can cause the leaf of the grass to tear and become bruised. When the blade is torn rather than cut, it can cause stress to the grass. This results in a deterioration in the plants’ health.
Normally when the lawn is mowed, the grass clippings will be dry and can be scattered throughout the whole law. These clippings when left on the lawn can quickly break down and provide the lost nutrients back to the lawn.
However, when the grass is wet, these clippings will stick together forming clumps. These clumps will be damp and will sit on top of your lawn unless they are raked up. This can then restrict the airflow, sunlight, and other nutrients from getting to the lawn. These damp conditions beneath the clippings are perfect for fungal diseases such as a brown spot to develop.
These clumps can even be stuck underneath your mower creating a build-up of grass clippings and debris. This over time can interfere with your mowers blade movement and deterioration of parts. So, if you do happen to mow when there is moisture on the leaf, make sure you wipe out the lawn’s clippings from underneath the mower to help stop the clippings from building up over time.
After a lawn receives rainfall, the leaf blades of the grass tend to not stand as tall as they usually would. This is because the water droplets cause the grass to bend unevenly weigh down the leaf blade. Because of the bent leaf, not all leaf blades will be cut evenly when mowing.
When the lawn dries, the leaf blades, which were bent, will stand tall again. This will leave an uneven and patchy look to your lawn.
