When to stop cutting your grass before winter – or risk ruining it for good

WITH autumn just around the corner, you may be wondering when you should stop cutting your grass before the colder weather hits.

For those of us wanting to keep our lawns looking lush through those colder months, it’s important to know when to give it the last mow of the year.

Experts have weighed in on when to give your lawn the last trim of the season[/caption]

Your grass growth will start to slow down at this time of the year, but gardeners shouldn’t put away their lawn mower too soon.

Cutting your lawn to late can damage the grass, but doing it too early can leave your once lush lawn looking old and neglected over the winter months.

So it’s important to hit that sweet spot so your garden is in the best possible shape for when spring arrives again.

But when is the ideal time to give your grass the last trim of the season?

The last mow of the season

According to experts, you shouldn’t pack up your lawn mower as soon as autumn hits.

Nick Ee, gardening expert at Black & Decker, told Ideal Home: “Many Brits neglect their lawn as soon as the temperatures start to drop, but it’s those last few weeks before the colder months that are crucial to keeping the lawn healthy throughout autumn and winter.”

Mowing less frequently and raising the length of the grass in this period can avoid moss and weed growth damaging your lawn.

But when it comes to the last cut before winter, gardeners should opt to mow their grass around early November.

“Cutting the lawn nice and short at this point in the year will help to keep the grass healthy throughout the winter, and will encourage better growth next spring,” added Chris Bonnett, founder of Gardening Express.

However, it’s not an exact science and can depend on the weather conditions in any given year so November should be seen as a general cut-off point.

Cut it short

It’s important to cut your grass short before it stops growing for multiple reasons, one of which is the possibility of snow.

If snow falls on top of long grass, the grass could bend or become matted down, which creates an environment for mold and disease.

If your lawn is suffocated, your grass might not recover from the winter.

Whereas shorter grass is more stiff and makes your lawn more resistant to damage from the cold weather.

But be careful not to cut it too short as it could place additional stress on your lawn making it more difficult to maintain when spring comes back around.

According to experts, you should be aiming to cut it around 2-3 inches high.

Gardeners should also avoid leaving leaves, twigs and branches strewn over their lawn before the winter hits.

Instead, they should be mulched or removed as it could suffocate your grass.

Surviving the winter

So don’t pack up your mower just yet, especially as we’re currently in a “false autumn”.

Many of us may have picked up on a noticeable change in atmosphere over the last few weeks, but autumn doesn’t officially begin until later this month.

And if you’re worried about your carefully tended garden surviving a winter cold snap, a simple step can help.

You can shield your plants from any harsh winter frost with a 88p buy that’s probably knocking around your closet.

Shoppers are being urged to check out a B&M bargain that can keep your plants and vegetables thriving until next summer.

The handy item has been slashed in price ahead of winter.