When is the 1st time I shold mow each Spring?

Question

I cant tell if my lawn did well through the Winter. Its too soon to see the full potential of new grass blades, but mostly now I see thatch from last year. It was about 5 inches long last Fall but I could not cut it (was out of the country)
Will mowing now (March) cut off all that dead thatch to let me see the actual grass?

THX!

Answer 1

Make sure the grass is dry. Not only is wet grass heavy in the catch bag, the wet blades can stick to the mower blades instead of being sheared. What this will do is rip out the grass from the soft wet earth. you'll want to wait until your lawn is long and dry. If the thatch is so matted down that it's suffocating the soil, as new blades won't pop through, you can use a leaf rake to scratch open spaces. Try to wait until it's somewhat drier too, or you could pull out grass. NOTE: some old grass will come out, and that's okay.

Answer 2

depends on what part of the country you are in-- here in the south we have to mow 9 months out of the year. Raking is a good idea to remove the thatch, check down into the lawn- see if there is new growth if it looks like its grown well you can mow but I would recommend bagging this first time - it prevents weed seeds from being deposited back into you yard. Once you get a thick all grass yard you should be good. Make sure to keep you cutting high- the higher your blade the thicker your grass will be preventing weeds from growing.

Answer 3

Once all of the snow has melted and the ground has firmed up, I would recommend using a dethatching machine to remove the dead grass. First, remove all sticks and twigs that are immediately evident in your yard. Then, use the machine. I find that this machine does a better job than a standard lawn mower for clearing dead thatch, and you can then get a better look at your lawn. Plus, a better clearing job means that more green, healthy grass will grow in once the nice weather arrives.

Answer 4

If the ground is wet and your grass has definatly started growing underneath it is safe to give it a rake. This will loosen up all the dead stuff and the soil a bit, and you can just rake it away. You should wait until your grass is 3 inches for your first cut of the year. This is the same with new grass from seed, 3-5 inches. Hope this helps to answer your question. Happy raking!

Answer 5

My parents always said the old saying is you cannot mow your lawn until after Easter. You can tell when it needs mowed by standing in the grass. You need to give it a really good cut early so it can start fresh and be hardy by the summer time. I would say March is the perfect time.

Answer 6

Here in Texas we've already started. Most of us have mowed our grass and started putting down weed and feed fertilizers. Just don't scalp the yard.

Answer 7

i would say when it looks to long and dry enough so maybe middle of april beging of may

Answer 8

just cut your grass, then fertilize it.