Top Lawn Mowing Tips For Early Spring

When & How To Mow Your Lawn This Spring

Early spring mowing requires a specific approach to encourage healthy grass growth and prevent long-term damage. Mowing too early, too short, or with poor technique can weaken your lawn, making it more susceptible to weeds, disease, and other factors of stress later in the season. 

Come read our top lawn mowing tips to get your grass growing the right way early in the season. Be sure to check out Holmes Lawn & Pest for other lawn care services that are crucial to your lawn’s health in early spring! 

Wait For Optimal Conditions

Many homeowners make the mistake of mowing as soon as they see green shoots appearing, but mowing too early can cause more harm than good. If the soil is still too cold, the roots remain in a dormant state, meaning they are not yet actively absorbing nutrients. Mowing before the grass has fully resumed growth can also tear delicate blades, creating an entry point for diseases and pests. 

Spring brings frequent rainfall, and cutting wet grass can lead to soil compaction, uneven mowing, and clumping, which blocks sunlight from reaching the grass underneath. Waiting for the right conditions before mowing ensures your lawn can handle the stress and bounce back stronger.

How to Determine When to Start Mowing:

• Wait until soil temperatures reach 50–55°F, which is when grass begins actively growing. Use a soil thermometer or check local reports.
• Begin mowing only when the grass reaches about 3–4 inches tall, ensuring the roots are strong enough to support new growth.
• Ensure that no snow mold or other winter diseases are present. Wait for them to clear up or treat them with a fungicide before mowing. 
• Mow only when the grass is dry to prevent soil compaction, disease spread, and an uneven cut.

Adjust Mower Height

Mowing at the correct height is crucial for maintaining a strong, resilient lawn. Cutting grass too short, often referred to as “scalping,” exposes the soil to excessive sunlight, which can dry it out and encourage weed growth. A properly mowed lawn, on the other hand, develops deeper roots, making it more drought-tolerant and resistant to disease. 

Each grass type has an optimal mowing height, and keeping your mower set correctly helps your lawn thrive throughout the growing season. Taller grass in early spring helps shade the soil, reducing water evaporation and preventing weed seeds from germinating.

Best Practices for Adjusting Mower Height:

• Never remove more than one-third of the grass blade in a single mowing session to avoid stressing the lawn.
• Mow cool-season grasses (fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass) at 2.5 to 3.5 inches.
• Mow warm-season grasses (Bermudagrass, Zoysiagrass, St. Augustine) at 1.5 to 2.5 inches.
• If the grass is too tall, don’t cut it all at once. Reduce it gradually over multiple mowing sessions.

Avoid Removing Too Much At Once

Scalping your lawn in early spring is one of the quickest ways to weaken it. When you remove too much grass at once, the plants struggle to photosynthesize efficiently, which slows growth and recovery. Exposing the soil too abruptly can lead to moisture loss and create ideal conditions for weeds like crabgrass to take hold. 

Cutting too aggressively early in the season can also leave your lawn looking patchy and yellow as the grass blades struggle to recover from excessive stress. Instead, maintaining a gradual approach to mowing allows your lawn to build strength and resilience as it enters the peak growing season.

How to Avoid Scalping Your Lawn:

• Set your mower to a higher setting for the first mow of the season.
• Follow the one-third rule to avoid shocking the grass.
• Mow more frequently rather than making drastic cuts. It’s better to mow twice a week at a higher setting than to remove too much in one go.
• Observe how your lawn responds after mowing; if it looks stressed or yellowed, allow extra time before the next mow.

Sharpen & Clean Blades

The quality of your mower blade can significantly impact the health of your grass. Dull blades tear the grass instead of making a clean cut, leaving ragged edges that turn brown and make the lawn more susceptible to disease. A sharp blade, on the other hand, slices through grass cleanly, promoting quicker healing and healthier regrowth.

It is also important to remember that dirty mower blades and decks can harbor fungal spores and bacteria, which can spread disease across your lawn. Keeping your mower in top condition is a simple but essential (but often forgotten) step in promoting a thick, green lawn.

How to Maintain Sharp and Clean Blades:

• Sharpen your mower blade before the first mow of the season and check its sharpness regularly throughout spring.
• Inspect the blade for nicks, rust, or excessive wear and replace it if necessary.
• Clean the mower deck after each use to prevent disease and debris buildup.
• If you notice grass blades looking torn or frayed after mowing, resharpen the blade to ensure a clean cut next time.

Alternate Mowing Patterns

Mowing in the same direction every time might seem like an efficient habit, but it can actually cause long-term problems. Repeatedly mowing in the same direction compacts the soil in those areas, making it harder for grass roots to spread and absorb nutrients. Alternating direction is an underutilized strategy that improves moth grass growth and soil health. 

Believe it or not, grass blades begin naturally to lean in the direction they are repeatedly cut, leading to an uneven, less attractive lawn. Alternating mowing patterns encourages upright growth, reduces wear on specific areas, and helps prevent soil compaction.

How to Implement Better Mowing Patterns:

• Change mowing direction with each mow. Alternate between horizontal, vertical, and diagonal paths.
• Avoid using the same wheel tracks every time to prevent soil compaction.
• If your lawn has high foot traffic, aerate compacted areas in early spring to improve root growth.
• Mow more slowly on the first few cuts of the season to ensure a smooth and even result.

Leave Grass Clippings

Many homeowners bag their clippings out of habit, but doing so removes valuable nutrients from the lawn. Grass clippings are rich in nitrogen, an essential nutrient that helps promote lush, green growth. When left on the lawn, they decompose quickly and act as a natural fertilizer, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. 

Contrary to popular belief, leaving clippings on the lawn does not contribute to thatch buildup, which forms from roots and stems, not from short clippings that decompose naturally. By mulching your clippings, you actually improve soil health while also cutting down on waste and maintenance time.

How to Mulch Grass Clippings:

• Use a mulching mower to finely chop clippings so they break down more quickly.
• Avoid leaving large clumps of clippings, If necessary, rake or spread them out for even decomposition.
• Do not mulch wet grass clippings, as they can clump and suffocate patches of your lawn.
• If the grass is excessively long, bagging might be necessary. For regular maintenance, leave clippings to return nutrients to the soil.

Professional Lawn Care For Salt Lake City

Lawn mowing is just one part of a complete lawn care plan. Early spring is the perfect time to treat your lawn with a slow-release fertilizer that can sustain your lawn and feed it nutrients gradually as it awakens from dormancy. Feeding your lawn properly at this crucial early stage in the growing season will make your grass stronger and more resilient to foot traffic and stress from mowing the lawn, as well as protect it from pests and weeds. 

Call Holmes Lawn & Pest today to find out more about what our spring lawn care plans can do for your lawn in Salt Lake City!