Mowing the lawn is one of those necessary tasks to keep your home looking neat and tidy. But, if you’re new to lawn care, you may be wondering when the best time is to mow your newly seeded or planted grass.
The answer isn’t always clear cut, as it depends on a few factors such as the type of grass and the current weather conditions. However, we can give you some general guidelines to help you get started. Here’s what you need to know to keep your lawn looking its best.
How Long Does Grass Seed Take To Grow?
The first thing you need to know is how long it takes for a grass seed to germinate, and particularly the germination rate for the specific type of grass your lawn has. Typically, the average seed won’t take longer than one to two weeks to germinate.
For you to see little seedlings starting to poke their heads out of the soil, it could be anywhere from 7 to 21 days.
Timing
After the seedlings have germinated and start to sprout, from there it will take about 3 to 4 weeks to grow to a height that is long enough to mow and to walk on properly. Thus, all in all the process will take anywhere from 4 to 7 weeks, and is typically between 5 and 6 weeks on average.
During this time you want to be watering it every day. Once it gets long enough to mow, you only have to water it the normal rate for your grass and climate, which is usually once a week for an hour or two.
Height
The main indicator that your newly planted grass will be ready to mow is the height. When the blades of grass reach a height of 3 to 3.5 inches, it is generally safe to mow. If the blades are any lower than that, you run the risk of damaging them and stunting their growth.
If your grass does not reach 3 inches in height during the 6 weeks, just be patient. You won’t damage the grass by letting it get a bit higher before cutting it, and some grasses take longer than others to fully grow. It is better to err on the side of caution than to jump the gun and mow exactly when you first want to.
As mentioned above, you want to water your grass every day for the first 6 weeks when it is newly seeded. However, when you are ready to mow, make sure you don’t water it for 48 hours beforehand. Also, you want to ensure that there is no rain in that time as well, so if rain does occur just wait another 48 hours with no precipitation before mowing.
Sod Lawns
In contrast to spreading grass seed, sod that you roll out in layers takes the shortest time to grow. In most cases, you can mow it after only two weeks. However, walking and mowing on such new sod can compact and harm it, as it is still developing. We recommend that you wait four weeks from laying sod before mowing it, because it will be more firmly entrenched in the soil.
Mowing Tips and Techniques
When you mow your new grass for the first time, set the blades to only remove one-third of the grass blade length. If it is three inches high, this means keep your blades to 1 inch, or even lower.
Removing one-third of the grass height at a time lowers stress and enables the grass to still photosynthesize, even after it is cut. If you remove over 1/3 of the grass length, especially when you first mow it after seeding, it could irreparably damage the cellular structure and growing ability of the plant.
Once you’ve mowed it once, follow your regular mowing routine from then on. However, one thing we would suggest is that you mow your new lawn in different directions each time you do so. If the first time you do it North-South in parallel rows, then the next time walk East-West with the mower, and then do it diagonally.
After about a season or two of rotating the direction of mowing, then you can just mow in your preferred direction; the grass will be durable and resilient enough at this point that it won’t matter.
Summary
Lawns can be a point of pride for homeowners, and proper care and maintenance will ensure that your lawn looks its best. Knowing when to mow newly seeded and planted grass is essential for keeping your lawn healthy. Mowing too early can damage the new seedlings, while waiting too long can lead to an unruly lawn that is difficult to mow.
We’ve provided some tips on how long it takes grass seed to grow and how to time your mowing properly. If you have any questions about caring for your lawn, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. By following these tips, you can ensure a beautiful and healthy lawn that will be the envy of your neighborhood! Thanks for reading!
