The mowing season in New England typically runs from the spring to the mid fall season. Knowing when to perform the last mow of the season is important for setting your lawn up for success as it enters winter dormancy.
In this article, we’ll talk about when to stop mowing the lawn along with other helpful advice as you finish out your mowing season.
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How Does Temperature and Frost Affect Mowing Schedules
When Does Grass Stop Growing in New England?
When Does the Mowing Season End?
Do You Leave Grass Long or Short for Winter?
Choosing Lawn Care in Southern NH, Northeastern Massachusetts, And Southern Maine
How Does Temperature and Frost Affect Mowing Schedules
As temperatures cool and frost settles in, mowing can actually start to harm the lawn. That is why it’s important to know when to stop cutting grass.
Cold temperatures can turn grass blades brittle and make them more prone to tearing. The same thing is true when there is frost on the ground. Grass blades can tear instead of being cut cleanly, much like when you use a dull blade on your mower.
When Does Grass Stop Growing in New England?
The specific timing of when to stop mowing your lawn shifts around from year to year. Luckily, you can use when the grass growing cycle ends as an indicator that you’ve reached the end of the mowing season. Grass stops growing when temperatures consistently stay below 50 degrees. This is going to be what triggers your grass to begin to enter a state of dormancy, and signals it’s time for you to stash the mower away for the season.
Lawns in New England enter a state of dormancy during the winter as a mode of protection. During this time, grass blade growth will pause and your lawn will conserve nutrients, water, and energy. For this reason, mowing becomes unnecessary and continuing to do so could cause more harm than good.
When Does the Mowing Season End?
The last mow of the season should be when the grass has stopped growing. As we mentioned above, that is when temperatures consistently stay below 50 degrees.
Typically, that is no later than Thanksgiving - but in general, it’s likely to happen some time in November for areas such as Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.
You’ll want to avoid mowing when there is frost on the ground, as this can be damaging. In certain situations, if we have unseasonable warm spells, you may need to perform one extra mow. But this is not typical. Usually the lawn will enter dormancy and remain in that state until the spring.
Do You Leave Grass Long or Short for Winter?
While we’re often speaking to the importance of not cutting the lawn too short, this is actually a time when you do want to go a little shorter than usual (but not so short that it’s harmful). If you cut too short, you could leave your lawn more prone to problems from cold damage.
We recommend mowing no lower than 2.5 inches for the final mow of the season.
This height will help to prevent the grass from getting matted underneath snow fall, which can lead to snow mold, a common winter problem here in New England.
Snow mold is a type of fungus that grows underneath the snow. It commonly goes unnoticed while there is snow on the ground. It’s often not identified until the early spring, as the snow clears. As snow melts, you might notice patches of pink, gray, or white growth on the lawn. Pink snow mold tends to be the most damaging type and can cause whole areas of the grass to die.
Picking leaves up off of the grass is also beneficial in preventing snow mold from forming on your lawn.
Choosing Lawn Care in Southern NH, Northeastern Massachusetts, And Southern Maine
Setting your lawn up for success as you head into the winter months is important. For that reason, we advise partnering with a lawn care professional who will help ensure your lawn is as healthy as it can be.
Mowing is ultimately just one piece of the puzzle that you’ll handle. But there are other important services that can be performed by a pro to help you grow healthy grass.
When you partner with a pro, your lawn will get everything it needs to thrive. There are many important lawn care services your grass requires. Weed control, pest control, disease management, and lawn aeration are just some of the additional lawn care services that your lawn may need.
At Seacoast Turf Care, we can help you with all of your lawn care needs. It’s our goal to not only help you get the best results but to help take away your worries in the process. That’s why we’re also available to answer your questions about things like mowing and other tasks you may be handling yourself.
We believe you deserve to enjoy your lawn to the fullest!
Want to get a beautiful, green lawn? At Seacoast Turf Care, we service NH towns near Stratham, North Hampton, Exeter and many more. Get lawn care pricing for your Southern NH, Southern Maine, or Northeastern Massachusetts property.
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