What Time Can I Mow My Lawn (6 Things You Should Consider)

Lawn mowing is just one of those chores you can lose yourself doing. For some people, it’s an opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. However, while lawn mowing can be therapeutic, it may also be a nuisance to your neighbors. So, what’s the ideal time to mow your lawn? What’s the time when you can minimize the annoyance to your neighbors and have your lawn looking excellent?

A lawnmower is a powerful mechanical tool, and as with all other automated devices, it makes a lot of noise when used. An average lawnmower can emit sound up to 90 decibels. Prolonged exposure to such noise can be harmful to both you and your neighbors’ hearing. Therefore, it is always essential to keep such facts in mind to act sensibly in your yard activities.

What Time Can I Mow My Lawn?

What Time Can I Mow My Lawn

While there isn’t any existing etiquette for lawn mowing, it doesn’t hurt to mind your neighbor. After all, nobody wants to be at odds with the people residing in their neighborhood. So before you fire up your lawnmower, here are a few things to consider to keep your lawn and neighbors happy.

Local Ordinances

Ordinances are rules that are specific to every state. Therefore, it’s always good to be acquainted with the local laws in your area to avoid rubbing shoulders with the law. These by-laws are put in place to ensure harmony among local communities. For example, some states have laws that restrict the use of noisy equipment to specific times during the day.

Do your due diligence and find out what the local laws say about power tools. Also, talk to your neighbors about it. Most people will be happy to share any such laws with you. You don’t want to be that person that has their neighbors calling the authorities on them.

HOA (Home Owners Association)

If you happen to live in a developed area, you’re likely to come across a Home Owners Association. They often come up with their own rules for the community. And just like local ordinances, you want to find out what your HOA says about using lawnmowers.

Participate in your local HOA meetings to find out about their rules regarding lawn activity. Remember that you’re part of a community and what you do on your property can also affect somebody else.

Grass Health

The quality of your lawn depends on the health of your grass. If your yard isn’t looking as lush, it is possible that you or your lawn care service are making some mistakes. To maintain your grass’s peak appearance and health, you need to pay attention to when and how you’re mowing your lawn.

For this purpose, you want to pay attention to how frequently you cut your grass. Ideally, you want to keep it short. You need to keep it at 3-4 inches depending on the weather and your preference; that’s the recommended stature of lawn grass. At this height, the grass has quite some vigor and can quickly grow back.

In addition, do not mow wet grass. When the grass is soggy, your mower isn’t going to work effectively. Instead, it will rip the grass, giving it an uneven trim and exposing it to bacteria and fungi. Not to mention how you could potentially damage your lawnmower. To avoid all these challenges, make sure the grass is dry before you cut it.

Heat

Just like your body, the grass is also sensitive to heat. Too much heat will give the grass stress as it struggles to retain moisture.

That said, you don’t want to cut your grass when it’s boiling outside. The heat might cause damage to the grass blades in addition to stressing your grass.

Now with all this in mind, you’re still probably wondering what the best time to cut your grass is. Here is a breakdown of what happens when you trim your grass at different times during the day.

What Is The Best Time To Mow My Lawn?

It’s entirely up to you to decide on the best time to cut your grass. We’re just here to tell you what would happen if you chose to cut your grass at a specific time.

Early Morning (6 am – 8 am)

The morning hours are perhaps the worst time to choose to cut your grass. Firstly, your neighbors aren’t up yet, and their kids will most likely get cranky because of the noise. As a result, starting your lawnmower at these hours can cause a bit of disturbance in your neighborhood.

Also, at that time, the grass is probably still wet from dew. That means that your mower is likely going to rip the grass, thereby bruising it. In addition, the injury will make the grass take longer than necessary to heal and grow back. The wetness may also leave tracks and make clumps in the grass, and don’t forget how clogged your mower will be afterward.

All these issues may render your lawn susceptible to mold and fungus growth. In addition, the damage can jeopardize the health of your property.

Mid-Morning (8 am – 10 am)

Now, this is an ideal time to mow your lawn. Most of the dew is gone from the grass, and the temperature isn’t as hot. Also, at this time, the grass is likely to be standing tall, which will help you get a nice, even cut.

Another upside is that your neighbors are likely to be awake or even at work around this time of the day. Hence, any disturbances that may result from mowing will be more tolerable.

Late Morning – Mid-Day (11 am -12 pm)

At around noon, the heat starts to settle in. The sun is at its hottest and probably taking a toll on both you and the grass. The grass is working extra hard to maintain its water supply and keep making food via photosynthesis.

This is an inappropriate time to cut your grass. You risk causing severe damage to the health of your grass.

Early Afternoon (1pm – 4pm)                       

At this point in the day, the temperature drops below the peak, but it’s still rather hot. So, again, you want to think about your grass blades. How does the heat affect them? The grass blades are left exposed to the extreme heat that may cause heat stress, which results in your lawn growing slower.

Ultimately, early afternoon isn’t the best time to mow your lawn. It’s still hot, and the heat may stress the grass on your property.

Late Afternoon (4pm – 6pm)

This is easily the second-best time to mow your lawn. The mid-day heat has subsided, and the glare of the sun is significantly less. If you cut your grass during this time, it will have enough time to heal without suffering any heat stress.

Most likely, your neighborhood is bustling with activities as people get back from work and school. As a result, you’re probably not going to bother anyone at this time.

Early Evening (6 pm – 8 pm)

The sun is slowly setting, and all your neighbors are settling into their homes. Outside, the grass on your lawn is also getting ready for the night. If you fire up your mower at this time, you may cause some disturbances to your neighbors.

Not to mention how you would leave your grass susceptible to mold and fungi. These often come about since there isn’t any sun to heal the cut on your grass blades, thus leaving them exposed.

Once your grass is nice and short, make sure to give it a bit of extra care. Some more water after trimming can do wonders for your lawn. Also, keep low traffic on your property to avoid further damage to the grass.

Lawn Care Professionals

If you’re the kind of person that’s always too busy to take care of their lawn, you need not worry. Many professional lawn care services offer lawn maintenance services. The good thing about working with the pros is that most have extensive experience cutting grass and keeping it healthy.

You can also make arrangements for the most preferred time for them to mow your lawn. Just make sure to look around for a good company that has a reputation for getting it right.

Final Thoughts

You can mow your lawn whenever you please. But it would be courteous of you to consider your community. So, at what time can I mow my lawn? Usually, you don’t want to make your neighbors angry unnecessarily, but more importantly, you want to maintain a lovely and lush yard.

Always try to get done with the lawn during mid-morning, or if you can’t, late afternoon is also acceptable. These periods will cause the least stress on your grass and your neighbors. You want to keep the grass on your lawn happy and your neighbors at peace.