Most of us find mowing the lawn a burden.  For many, it brings back memories of the Sisyphean chores of youth where the job was begrudgingly done in the hopes of a bit of pocket money.  Any excuse to avoid or put off the task would be employed, much to the elders’ chagrin.  If still to this day, you’re constantly looking for justification to dodge mowing the lawn, you might be happy to know that you shouldn’t do it when the grass is wet.  And when taken to task about your lack of initiative, you can use these reasons to answer the question, “Why is mowing wet grass a bad idea?”

An Uneven Cut

If you want your lawn to look terrible, go ahead and mow it when it’s wet.  But the fact is, neither you nor your overseer wants your lawn to look bad.  Mowing wet grass results in an uneven cut that will look even worse once it dries out.  For the best cut, only mow the lawn when it’s dry.

Fungal Attack

Mowing your lawn when it’s wet can lead to fungal diseases.  Rather than the grass tips being cut cleanly, mowing when wet leads to tearing and other damage to the grass blades that make them vulnerable to fungal attack.  Fungus and mold growth will also become more prevalent in wet grass clippings and on the underside of a wet lawnmower.

Lawnmower Damage

Not only can cutting wet grass damage your lawn, but it can also cause damage to your lawnmower.  Cutting wet grass causes your mower to work much harder than normal.  It puts excess stress on the engine that will reduce its lifespan.  Moisture is also generally bad for metal parts and internal combustion engines.

Extra Effort

The reason you didn’t want to mow the lawn in the first place is likely because you didn’t want to put in the effort.  Mowing the grass when it’s wet will certainly require more brute force.  Even more so if you’re the one providing the energy to propel the mower forward.  Save yourself the effort and put off cutting the grass until it’s drier.

Looking for more tips? Visit our blog!