When Is It Too Hot To Mow The Lawn?

Summers can get hot. It’s one of those key traits of summer that everyone loves … and hates. Why? Because sometimes it can get too hot. 

You know how it feels. The sun is beaming and humidity is raging, and the weather channel is talking about a heat wave. 

While you can trade jeans for shorts and long-sleeve shirts for tank tops, as well as grab an icy beverage to cool off or even go inside where the air conditioning is on full blast, your grass is kind of stuck in the heat. 

This might make you wonder, as you look at the forecast for the next few days, what temperature is it too hot to mow the lawn? 

Let’s look at some basic mowing principles and what’s too hot to mow the lawn.

When Is It Too Hot To Mow The Lawn? 

In case you were wondering, there are definitely right and wrong ways to mow your lawn. 

When you mow properly, your grass will respond by growing thicker and looking its best. If you mow poorly, you can stress out your grass and cause some hiccups. 

Whether it’s too hot to mow your lawn is a factor to consider in proper lawn mowing strategies. 

Here we’ll review some mowing practices, as well as discuss ideal mowing temperatures.

When is it Too Hot to Cut Grass?

The ideal temperatures to mow a lawn range between 50 degrees Fahrenheit and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Once temperatures near 90 degrees Fahrenheit, shoot growth will stop. Cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass, both of which you find in Northeast Ohio grass mixes, will particularly start to suffer in that 85 degree and up temperature range.  

Since your grass growth is already slowing down in the heat, mowing less tends to happen naturally along with those rising temperatures. 

You also don’t want to mow your grass when it’s wet. This can make it harder to get a sharp cut, easier for lawn diseases to strike, and those wet grass clippings can clog your mower.

Mow To the Correct Height

As you consider what temperature is too hot to mow the lawn, you also want to think about mowing to the proper height. This is because mowing too short can actually stress your grass in addition to the heat. 

The grass leaf creates food for your grass through photosynthesis, and through mowing, you actually remove a portion of that leaf. So if you take off too much, your lawn starves. This is why you never want to remove more than one-third of the grass blade at any one time. 

Mowing too short can also encourage weeds, which no one wants more of in their lawn. 

The ideal height to keep your lawn in Northeast Ohio is around 3 to 4 inches tall.

Keep Mower Blades Sharp and Patterns Varied

When it’s not too hot to mow the lawn, you want to make sure you’re doing the job with sharp mower blades. 

Dull blades can damage your grass, leaving a jagged edge that can bring in pests and even disease. Sharp blades, on the other hand, create nice, clean cuts that help the grass heal faster and retain a rich, green color.

Then when mowing, alternating the direction in which you mow can encourage straight growth and limit leaning.

Recycle Grass Clippings & Maintain Your Mower

When it isn’t too hot to mow your lawn, remember that instead of bagging your clippings, you should mulch them. This adds nutrients back to your grass. 

And while we’re talking about your mower, keeping up its care can ensure your lawn looks its best. This means ensuring you fill your tires with air and change your oil regularly. 

Lawn Care Tips To Help Your Lawn Thrive 

We hope these tips help you better understand when it is too hot to cut grass. 

Give these tips a try in Northeast Ohio and let us know if your lawn responds positively. 

If you find you’re still having issues with your lawn or don’t understand when it’s too hot to mow, give Turf Pride a call. We offer professional services based on years of lawn care experience and can help you address all of your lawn issues smoothly, so you can spend time enjoying your lawn instead of worrying about it. 

Need some help with lawn care or some lawn maintenance advice? We’d love to help. Get started today with a free quote. Together, we’ll prepare a customized plan for your Northeast Ohio lawn so you can make an educated decision.