If you are like many people, you have to squeeze lawn mowing into an already busy schedule. One week, you might do it on a sunny Saturday morning, and the next week, you might find yourself cutting the grass at sunset on a weekday. Your eyes might also turn to the sky before you mow your lawn, checking to see if it is raining or windy outside. Before you don your safety goggles and get ready to mow the lawn, here is what you need to know about the best time of the day to cut the grass.

Early Morning

The best time of the day to mow your lawn is between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. By this time, any dew has dried. Moisture from overnight irrigation should be absorbed into the soil. In the early morning, the sun's heat and intensity are not overpowering, so you will be less likely to overheat by mowing the lawn during these hours. Your lawn mower's motor is also less likely to overheat during the cooler part of the day. If you have a large lawn that takes more than two hours to mow, consider cutting half of it one morning and the other half the next morning.

Late Afternoon

If you cannot mow your lawn during the early morning hours, the second-best time of the day to do it is in the late afternoon around 6:00 p.m. The sun is lower in the sky at this time, and the air is beginning to cool. The grass should be dry, too. Mosquitoes are less likely to bother you at this time of the day. Sunset is usually after 7:30 p.m. in the late spring to early autumn, so you should have enough time to finish cutting the lawn before the dusk mosquitoes come out and before the nighttime condensation develops.

Avoid the Crack of Dawn

Even if you are an early bird, it is unwise to mow your lawn before 8:00 a.m. The grass is likely to be wet from overnight rain or condensation until about this time. If the soil is saturated, your mower could dig into the soil and leave tracks. This looks bad and is bad for the health of your lawn. The wet grass could clog the mower and cause the bag to weigh too much.

Avoid Mowing in Early Afternoon

It is also unwise to mow the lawn between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. This is the hottest time of the day, and the sun is at its peak intensity. On ozone alert days, running the lawnmower at this time could contribute to air pollution. Cutting the grass at the hottest point of the day could cause excess stress on the turf. Your lawn mower's motor is also more likely to overheat if you choose this time to mow.

Have you ever wondered why professional landscapers use patterns when mowing estates and golf courses? While the techniques do create a stunning result, there are actually some practical benefits to mowing in a pattern.

Benefits of Lawn-Mowing Patterns

Mowing your grass in a pattern makes the grass healthier. When you create patterns, you cut the grass a little taller than normal. This leaves more of the grass blades to capture the sunlight that is needed for a gorgeous green lawn. Grass that is cut too short is more likely to wither, develop diseases, and succumb to insects. Mowing patterns are also effective ways to hide weeds in your lawn. The pattern attracts your eye more, so you, and your neighbors, overlook these pesky intruders. Lawn patterns promote a healthy root system, too. Taller grass thrives better, so the plant branches out to find more nutrients and water.

Types of Lawn-Mowing Patterns

There are a few different types of lawn-mowing patterns, and each has its own distinct purpose.

• Stripes are the simplest lawn-mowing pattern, and they are used in most residential applications.
• Checkerboard, the most challenging mowing pattern, requires perfectly even lines that form a boxed pattern.
• Criss-cross or diamond is similar to a checkerboard, except that it forms diamond shapes instead of boxes.
• Wave is a striped pattern that follows the terrain to create soft curves.
• The circle pattern is formed with a push mower.

How to Mow a Striped Pattern in Your Lawn

A striped lawn pattern is the easiest to achieve. It may be somewhat challenging with a push mower, but it can be done with some patience. Here are the steps for creating a striped pattern in your lawn:

1. Mow around the perimeter of the lawn to create a clean edge for the stripes.
2. Follow a straight line from one edge of the perimeter to the opposite end along the inner edge of the perimeter.
3. Use a “Y” pattern when turning the mower at the end of each row to reduce damage to the grass.
4. As you slowly move across the grass, keep your wheels lined up to the edge of the row that you just mowed.
5. After you do all of the rows, go over the perimeter again to clean up any irregularities.

Tips for Making a Clean Striped Pattern in Your Lawn

Part of the aesthetic of a striped lawn pattern is that the grass is bent slightly to reflect sunlight. In order to achieve this, you should perform the mowing pattern when your grass is taller than normal. The type of grass also makes a difference, and the best is one that is cool seasoned. If you have pathways or sidewalks in your landscape design, consider how the striping should be laid out to complement or highlight these features.