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Will you mow when the grass is wet from rain--even slightly?? How about if it's a little wet from dew??

a. YES
b. NO

And I have a question: DOES IT PROMOTE DISEASE WHEN YOU CUT THE GRASS WHEN IT'S WET?

i mow when it is dry it gives it a better cut

I agree, it does make a better cut when its dry. but if you need to like if you have a bunch of jobs and you need to start early then its better to go slow if the grass is wet. sometimes if its really soaked ill blow some of it with my leafblower and that makes it a little easier to work with.

metz12 said:

I agree, it does make a better cut when its dry. but if you need to like if you have a bunch of jobs and you need to start early then its better to go slow if the grass is wet. sometimes if its really soaked ill blow some of it with my leafblower and that makes it a little easier to work with.

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yes i would agree if you have to mow it you have no choice but to. that is a good idea to leafblow it first it will get the rain/dew off the grass

Thanks for the opinions! In the summer, when I start at 7:30, I usually just deal with the wet grass. I would rather deal with wet grass than the heat of the day if I wait till it dries! This past season I used my older mower when it was the most wet, and then started using my new mower once it dried a little bit. That is a good idea about the blower! :thumbsup:

lawn mower fanatic said:

Will you mow when the grass is wet from rain--even slightly?? How about if it's a little wet from dew??

a. YES
b. NO

And I have a question: DOES IT PROMOTE DISEASE WHEN YOU CUT THE GRASS WHEN IT'S WET?

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In a perfect would, No you shouldn't mow a wet lawn but unfortunately for most we don't live in a perfect world. We start at 7:30am and the grass is wet from dew 98% of the time. As long as the lawn is healthy and you remove no more than 1/3 of the height you shouldn't create any problems, just don't try mowing backwards because you can end up with clumping grass and a plugged deck.

Ric said:

In a perfect would, No you shouldn't mow a wet lawn but unfortunately for most we don't live in a perfect world. We start at 7:30am and the grass is wet from dew 98% of the time. As long as the lawn is healthy and you remove no more than 1/3 of the height you shouldn't create any problems, just don't try mowing backwards because you can end up with clumping grass and a plugged deck.

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Yeah I have experienced that a few times (where it clumps when you go backwards). :thumbdown:

I know that is what you are supposed to do (cut 1/3 off), but a lot of the time the grass grows so fast in the spring but the customers only wanted it mowed every 7 days, so it would be impossible to cut only 1/3 off, because my mower was at the max height--3 inches (my new HRX goes up to 4 inches--luckily!). But I still will probably have to cut more than 1/3 off a lot of the time because a lawn doesn't look that good cut at 4 inches! So you would not recommend mowing wet grass if you remove more than 1/3 of the grass height?

And I have 2 more questions: :confused2:

• SO MOWING WET GRASS DOESN'T CAUSE DISEASES??
• DOES KEEPING YOUR GRASS TOO LONG OVER WINTER CAUSE DISEASE WHEN IT SNOWS??

Thanks for all your help! :smile:

lawn mower fanatic said:

I know that is what you are supposed to do (cut 1/3 off), but a lot of the time the grass grows so fast in the spring but the customers only wanted it mowed every 7 days, so it would be impossible to cut only 1/3 off, because my mower was at the max height--3 inches (my new HRX goes up to 4 inches--luckily!). But I still will probably have to cut more than 1/3 off a lot of the time because a lawn doesn't look that good cut at 4 inches! So you would not recommend mowing wet grass if you remove more than 1/3 of the grass height?

And I have 2 more questions: :confused2:

• SO MOWING WET GRASS DOESN'T CAUSE DISEASES??
• DOES KEEPING YOUR GRASS TOO LONG OVER WINTER CAUSE DISEASE WHEN IT SNOWS??

Thanks for all your help! :smile:

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If you're mowing anymore than 1/3 of the height of the grass when it's wet the clippings are more likely to mat together which intern can cause disease that can spread quickly when the grass is wet. Fungi and bacteria love nothing more than water for moving around in.
Number two your mower will most likely not give you an even cut and you may run into the problem of your wheels flattening grass blades, and you may even end up compacting the soil if it's too wet which can effect new grass growth.
One of the Keys to mowing wet grass is having a mower that can cut high (5") so you can adjust for height of the grass and blade tip speed of at least 18k and don't mulch. Yes long grass over the winter can cause I believe what the call snow mold so I wouldn't leave it to high 2 3/4" I would think but that's only a guess. All I have to worry about here is frost so I generally try for 3" to 3 1/2" to protect the root system.

See where you live you cut it long to prepare for a frost but where I live we cut it short to stun the grass when the frost hits. It's amazing how things vary in different parts of the country. And thanks for the tips!

Flintmotorsports said:

i mow when it is dry it gives it a better cut

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I agree when you cut it when its wet it doesnt slice the grass it just wacks it down

mowerman1999 said:

I agree when you cut it when its wet it doesnt slice the grass it just wacks it down

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I agree it cuts better when dry, but when you don't have the choice and you have to cut wet doing it the right way can save you a lot of time and problems.

I try and avoid cutting wet grass with a push mower. You have to worry about sure footing- the same as mowing around fruit bearing trees- a slip in the wrong direction and no matter if you are wearing the best boots available, if you come in contact with the blade, end up with a broken foot, or amputated foot parts.

I have seen people- women and children especially, go out in flip flops or barefoot- and boy are they asking for it! Guess hey are not conscious about what's flying around underneath the deck (out of sight, out of mind).

Elias40 said:

I try and avoid cutting wet grass with a push mower. You have to worry about sure footing- the same as mowing around fruit bearing trees- a slip in the wrong direction and no matter if you are wearing the best boots available, if you come in contact with the blade, end up with a broken foot, or amputated foot parts.

I have seen people- women and children especially, go out in flip flops or barefoot- and boy are they asking for it! Guess hey are not conscious about what's flying around underneath the deck (out of sight, out of mind).

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Yes, I am very careful under this walnut tree in one of my customers yards. It drops tons of walnuts on the ground and I almost fall sometimes! See this thread about it: http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/lawn-care-landscaping/12065-i-like-most-trees.html.

metz12 said:

I agree, it does make a better cut when its dry. but if you need to like if you have a bunch of jobs and you need to start early then its better to go slow if the grass is wet. sometimes if its really soaked ill blow some of it with my leafblower and that makes it a little easier to work with.

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Spring here is wet with rain almost daily until June which is frustrating as the grass gets longer and longer. I wait until it starts to droop with weight. Usually I must cut at least once while grass is wet. The 3 bagger clogs bad so I resort to side discharge with winrows laying all about and killing the grass. Finally the warm day appears that dries the winrows and the grass. The loads bagged on that day are not fun . I estimate at 1500 lbs - 1-1/2 acres. I feel pretty good about the much maligned Craftsman Intek after such a day. The next door neighbor has pro's do his lawn and they winrow a lot. Don't know what rigs they're running.

motoman said:

Spring here is wet with rain almost daily until June which is frustrating as the grass gets longer and longer. I wait until it starts to droop with weight. Usually I must cut at least once while grass is wet. The 3 bagger clogs bad so I resort to side discharge with winrows laying all about and killing the grass. Finally the warm day appears that dries the winrows and the grass. The loads bagged on that day are not fun . I estimate at 1500 lbs - 1-1/2 acres. I feel pretty good about the much maligned Craftsman Intek after such a day. The next door neighbor has pro's do his lawn and they winrow a lot. Don't know what rigs they're running.

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I had a Billy Goat HomePro 34 mower for a couple weeks and I REALLY didn't like it because it would clump REALLY bad (which is I guess what you are calling winrows).

lawn mower fanatic said:

I had a Billy Goat HomePro 34 mower for a couple weeks and I REALLY didn't like it because it would clump REALLY bad (which is I guess what you are calling winrows).

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I had to reach way back for the word "winrow" and very surprised it's not in my dictionary . Maybe i'm spelling wrong. As a kid visiting relatives in Kansas that is what they called the long rows of alf-alfa cut on the ground ready for bailing.

motoman said:

I had to reach way back for the word "winrow" and very surprised it's not in my dictionary . Maybe i'm spelling wrong. As a kid visiting relatives in Kansas that is what they called the long rows of alf-alfa cut on the ground ready for bailing.

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I think it has a "D" in it--WINDROW. Because when I search WINDROW pics of what you are talking about come up, but nothing when I search WINROW.

lawn mower fanatic said:

I think it has a "D" in it--WINDROW. Because when I search WINDROW pics of what you are talking about come up, but nothing when I search WINROW.

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Thanks Mr Fanatic. I found it in Webster's like you said. Anyway the "windrows" of grass kill their kin 'til they are bagged. When mowing this mess with new long grass it's really two mowings. PS , the windrows are deposits kicked out the side chute as you mow.

motoman said:

Thanks Mr Fanatic I found it in Webster's like you said. Anyway the "windrows" of grass kill their kin 'til they are bagged. When mowing this mess with new long grass it's really two mowings.

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Yeah, there are 2 ways to deal with windrows. One is to do what you do and go over the lawn a second time bagging the grass. Or what I do is the second time I go over the lawn I do a wheelie with my front mower tires off the ground. The air from the spinning blades acts as a blower and blows all the grass clippings away. :thumbsup: Of course, I use walk-behinds that you can do wheelies with. If you use lawn tractors I would not recommend trying that!

I raise my deck up and cut again as fast as the mower will go

Sent from my iPhone using LMF

lawn mower fanatic said:

Yeah, there are 2 ways to deal with windrows. One is to do what you do and go over the lawn a second time bagging the grass. Or what I do is the second time I go over the lawn I do a wheelie with my front mower tires off the ground. The air from the spinning blades acts as a blower and blows all the grass clippings away. :thumbsup: Of course, I use walk-behinds that you can do wheelies with. If you use lawn tractors I would not recommend trying that!

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Not trying to be sarcastic but why deal with windrows? If you're creating windrows on a lawn you're mowing you're not mowing on an appropriate time schedule and If you're using the right blades you can minimize your grass clippings.
I certainly wouldn't recommend lifting the front wheels of any mower off the ground, that's an accident looking to happen. Kinda defeats the purpose of a discharge chute don't you think? If the mower you're using doesn't cut the grass sufficiently, you need a different type mower.

Ric said:

Not trying to be sarcastic but why deal with windrows? If you're creating windrows on a lawn you're mowing you're not mowing on an appropriate time schedule and If you're using the right blades you can minimize your grass clippings.
I certainly wouldn't recommend lifting the front wheels of any mower off the ground, that's an accident looking to happen. Kinda defeats the purpose of a discharge chute don't you think? If the mower you're using doesn't cut the grass sufficiently, you need a different type mower.

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Well I don't use discharge shoots, I use mulching mowers. And sometimes I have no choice but to cut when the grass is really high. Some people only want it done every 7 days--IN THE SPRING. But Hondas are the best mulching mowers.

Ric said:

Not trying to be sarcastic but why deal with windrows? If you're creating windrows on a lawn you're mowing you're not mowing on an appropriate time schedule and If you're using the right blades you can minimize your grass clippings.
I certainly wouldn't recommend lifting the front wheels of any mower off the ground, that's an accident looking to happen. Kinda defeats the purpose of a discharge chute don't you think? If the mower you're using doesn't cut the grass sufficiently, you need a different type mower.

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Ric, "appropriate schedule" ?? I'd love one here in the rainy springtime. Don't you have periods there when it rains daily for weeks? Here we look for a "bonus" day mixed with the rainy ones so most of the wet is evaporated. Remember , in my case I'm working with a Craftsman DYT 4000 and a 3 bagger. I wait until the grass is bending over . If I don't cut into windrows I will not be able to cut with my setup.

motoman said:

Ric, "appropriate schedule" ?? I'd love one here in the rainy springtime. Don't you have periods there when it rains daily for weeks? Here we look for a "bonus" day mixed with the rainy ones so most of the wet is evaporated. Remember , in my case I'm working with a Craftsman DYT 4000 and a 3 bagger. I wait until the grass is bending over . If I don't cut into windrows I will not be able to cut with my setup.

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I'd like to have a regular schedule also but here it rains most everyday or at least it seems that way, and you just load up and go anyway. Believe me I know how hard it is to have and stay on a schedule. As far as a mower goes, it's like I said a lot depends on what type of mower you're using and sometimes it's better to discharge instead of mulching if the grass is higher and harder to cut.

lawn mower fanatic said:

Well I don't use discharge shoots, I use mulching mowers. And sometimes I have no choice but to cut when the grass is really high. Some people only want it done every 7 days--IN THE SPRING. But Hondas are the best mulching mowers.

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A general rule of thumb is not to remove more than one-third of the total leaf or height of the grass when mowing your lawn. If you're removing more than that your mowing cycle or schedule should be every four to five days. Removing more than one-third of total leaf or height can severely injure the grass plant by decreasing its ability to support its root system. So you need to let your clients know the possibility of damage if you continue to mow the way you are, or find a mower that will cut the height you need to cut.

Ric said:

A general rule of thumb is not to remove more than one-third of the total leaf or height of the grass when mowing your lawn. If you're removing more than that your mowing cycle or schedule should be every four to five days. Removing more than one-third of total leaf or height can severely injure the grass plant by decreasing its ability to support its root system. So you need to let your clients know the possibility of damage if you continue to mow the way you are, or find a mower that will cut the height you need to cut.

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Yeah, my HRX goes up to 4 inches, but if I kept on only cutting 1/3 of the height off, the grass height would get taller and taller. But next year I will definitely tell them that 7 days is too long! Some people mow twice in 7 days!

lawn mower fanatic said:

Yeah, my HRX goes up to 4 inches, but if I kept on only cutting 1/3 of the height off, the grass height would get taller and taller. But next year I will definitely tell them that 7 days is too long! Some people mow twice in 7 days!

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What you do is take off 1/3 at a time and mow ever 4 days taking off 1/3 until you get the grass down to the correct height. That way you are not hurting the grass because it has time to acclimate every time you cut, if you try to do it all at once you're just decreasing its ability to support its root system and it will eventually die. The thing is if you have too cut twice in a week do it you accomplish to things, your client will have a healthier lawn and you'll make more money. :smile:

Ric said:

What you do is take off 1/3 at a time and mow ever 4 days taking off 1/3 until you get the grass down to the correct height. That way you are not hurting the grass because it has time to acclimate every time you cut, if you try to do it all at once you're just decreasing its ability to support its root system and it will eventually die. The thing is if you have too cut twice in a week do it you accomplish to things, your client will have a healthier lawn and you'll make more money. :smile:

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Yeah, that's what I will tell them next year (well, not the "and I'll make more money" part), but I will tell them it will be healthier for their lawn.

lawn mower fanatic said:

See where you live you cut it long to prepare for a frost but where I live we cut it short to stun the grass when the frost hits. It's amazing how things vary in different parts of the country. And thanks for the tips!

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We normally mow our from like 2 to 2 1/2 inches unless they have a thick yard then we cut a little higher and we cut ours sort to stun it as we'll but it always grows back :laughing::thumbsup:

If it's slightly wet it shouldn't hurt it. However cleaning up the equipment afterward is a bitch! Guess that makes it a yes...

I mow when the grass is wet but only if I get behind, and have too.

At times in South Alabama if you cut much grass and stay caught up you will have to cut not only wet grass but at times even in the rain. Some times in July and August it rains every day. If you have many yards you either cut it wet or you don't cut it at all. Leaving it alone till it is dry is not an option cause it could be kneed deep or higher before it stops raining long enough to cut it dry.

jekjr said:

At times in South Alabama if you cut much grass and stay caught up you will have to cut not only wet grass but at times even in the rain. Some times in July and August it rains every day. If you have many yards you either cut it wet or you don't cut it at all. Leaving it alone till it is dry is not an option cause it could be kneed deep or higher before it stops raining long enough to cut it dry.

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And the longer you wait, the longer it will take the grass to dry, since it will be so tall and thick! :ashamed: Sometimes after a full sunny/hot day the grass might still be damp!

lawn mower fanatic said:

And the longer you wait, the longer it will take the grass to dry, since it will be so tall and thick! :ashamed: Sometimes after a full sunny/hot day the grass might still be damp!

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Exactly and you run at what ever speed that the mower will cut it. My Kubota is a side discharge and I cut in the rain several times last year. As for getting the grass out I have run it through standing water with the blades in gear. Also one more thing is when you shut it down get the grass off before it has time to dry if that is an option.

jekjr said:

Exactly and you run at what ever speed that the mower will cut it. My Kubota is a side discharge and I cut in the rain several times last year. As for getting the grass out I have run it through standing water with the blades in gear. Also one more thing is when you shut it down get the grass off before it has time to dry if that is an option.

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Yes, for my mowers I use a putty knife (since the underside of the deck is a lot smaller than your Kutoba) to get the grass out from under the deck. I try to do it when it's still moist, but it works well when it's dry, also. I used to use the one on the left (see picture), but I bought the one on the right when I bought my Honda HRX and found it works a lot better due to the curved edges.

lawn mower fanatic said:

Yes, for my mowers I use a putty knife (since the underside of the deck is a lot smaller than your Kutoba) to get the grass out from under the deck. I try to do it when it's still moist, but it works well when it's dry, also. I used to use the one on the left (see picture), but I bought the one on the right when I bought my Honda HRX and found it works a lot better due to the curved edges.
View attachment 12468

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If you have it really wet on the Kubota anyway I normally can take a water hose and wash it out pretty easy. Ir it starts off wet in the morning and dries off rapidly during the day then it is harder to get off late in the afternoon or evening with just water pressure.

lawn mower fanatic said:

Yes, for my mowers I use a putty knife (since the underside of the deck is a lot smaller than your Kutoba) to get the grass out from under the deck. I try to do it when it's still moist, but it works well when it's dry, also. I used to use the one on the left (see picture), but I bought the one on the right when I bought my Honda HRX and found it works a lot better due to the curved edges.
View attachment 12468

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Ere are not any rounded surfaces under the Kubota. It is all welded or bolted from flat metal except for the air baffles and they are only rolled not rounded like a stamped deck. I don't believe that a stamped deck would live long for me.

jekjr said:

If you have it really wet on the Kubota anyway I normally can take a water hose and wash it out pretty easy. Ir it starts off wet in the morning and dries off rapidly during the day then it is harder to get off late in the afternoon or evening with just water pressure.

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Yeah....I am hesitant to use water, because if you get it in the wrong places it can mess stuff up!

lawn mower fanatic said:

Yeah....I am hesitant to use water, because if you get it in the wrong places it can mess stuff up!

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After I wash it out I just grease the fittings and letter rip. using a mower under those kind of conditions is brutal but if you don't a lot of years you won't cut much grass cause sometimes it rains everyday for days on end especially during Dog Days.

jekjr said:

After I wash it out I just grease the fittings and letter rip. using a mower under those kind of conditions is brutal but if you don't a lot of years you won't cut much grass cause sometimes it rains everyday for days on end especially during Dog Days.

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Yeah I agree.....it will be harder to cut since the grass will get really tall and since you won't do it as often you won't make as much money! :thumbdown:

With the spring and fall we had last year, I had no choice to mow wet! Late in October I mowed frost! Didn't go so well haha!

BHLC said:

Late in October I mowed frost! Didn't go so well haha!

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Yeah I wouldn't think it would work well! :tongue:

Ohh well learned something new! Haha!

I will mow wet anytime unless my wheels leave tracks and bring mud to the surface. Then stop. As for grass clumps coming out of the chute. That's what my stihl br600 are for. We blow any grass rows and side walk and drive off when were done. The biggest problem is the grass on drives from the tires. Stay out of drives when really wet.

jeffery9076 said:

I will mow wet anytime unless my wheels leave tracks and bring mud to the surface. Then stop. As for grass clumps coming out of the chute. That's what my stihl br600 are for. We blow any grass rows and side walk and drive off when were done. The biggest problem is the grass on drives from the tires. Stay out of drives when really wet.

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Amen to that!

jeffery9076 said:

I will mow wet anytime unless my wheels leave tracks and bring mud to the surface. Then stop. As for grass clumps coming out of the chute. That's what my stihl br600 are for. We blow any grass rows and side walk and drive off when were done. The biggest problem is the grass on drives from the tires. Stay out of drives when really wet.

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We have even mowed when mud came to the surface. If you shut down and wait for it to dry off it won't get cut sometimes.

Some times of the year you have to be more concerned with being able to manage it than make it look that good. Of course we want it to look good but if it gets knee deep it becomes a bigger more unsightly mess.....

Yes and the mud comes off in the next mow anyhow. Most people that complain are just complainers anyhow. But I do get ask wether I mow in the rain. I say depends on rain or sprinkling and if in the middle of doing it I always finish. I have never had any problems. Like you said it gets high if you don't mow. :thumbsup:

jekjr said:

We have even mowed when mud came to the surface. If you shut down and wait for it to dry off it won't get cut sometimes.

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Yeah I have had to do that before, too! http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/commercial-residential-lawn-mowing/12213-muddy-mowing.html

Yep I have had to finish a few with the rain coming down hard but with just a few passes left to go I didnt want to leave, and have to go back to finish. To get to these lawns it was a 60 mile drive going back is not an option atleast until it is ready to be cut again.