- Uneven cuts damage your lawn<\/a><\/li>
- Increases risk of lawn disease<\/a><\/li>
- Damages mower<\/a><\/li>
- Presents safety hazards<\/a><\/li>
- Clumping creates thatch problems<\/a><\/li>
- The weight of the mower compacts soil and creates ruts<\/a><\/li>
- Grass doesn\u2019t mulch or bag well<\/a><\/li>
- FAQ<\/a><\/li><\/ul> \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div><\/div>
Uneven cuts damage your lawn<\/span><\/h2>
To get a good cut, grass blades should stand upright. But wet grass blades clump and bend over, so your mower tears them, misses some patches, or pulls out grass. So, instead of a manicured lawn, you get a messy one. <\/p>
Increases risk of lawn disease<\/span><\/h2>
![\"red](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/red_thread.jpg\")
Kris Lord<\/a> | Flickr | CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> When grass blades are torn, the combination of damage and wet conditions can allow fungal diseases to take hold. A few common ones are:<\/p>
- Dollar spot: Creates small, silver-dollar-sized spots of straw-colored grass.<\/li>
- Rust disease: Causes orange or yellowish spots.<\/li>
- Brown Patch:<\/a> Causes irregular circles of brown grass<\/li>
- Anthracnose:<\/a> Causes reddish-brown patches<\/li>
- Leaf spot: Causes small brown spots with darker brown or purplish-red borders <\/li>
- Red Thread<\/a>: Causes reddish threads of fungus on the tips of grass blades<\/li> <\/ul>
If your lawn has signs of disease, don\u2019t mow when the grass is wet, says Dr. Aaron J. Patton, Professor of Horticulture and Turfgrass Extension Specialist at Purdue University.<\/p>
\u201cA few plant diseases can be spread by equipment when the turf is wet, such as Pythium blight that occurs during hot, humid mornings in the summer,\u201d he says. \u201cIf you see active disease in the morning, wait until the turf dries and mow your grass in the afternoon.\u201d <\/p>
Damages mower<\/span><\/h2>
![\"Electric](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/damaged-mower-wet-grass.jpg\")
tab62<\/a> | Adobe Stock<\/figcaption><\/figure> You wouldn\u2019t think so, but cutting wet grass can be hard on your mower. Wet grass clumps and the clumps lodge in the mower deck, restricting airflow and jamming the blades. Either can strain the engine, causing it to overheat or stall. <\/p>
Mowing sticky, wet grass can also dull your mower blades. This means you\u2019ll need to replace or sharpen the blades<\/a> more often.<\/p>
And while it\u2019s tempting to let that built-up grass in your mower deck dry before cleaning, that moisture will seep into the components, eventually rusting them. <\/p>
Presents safety hazards<\/span><\/h2>
Lawn mowing is a common chore, but it carries some risk. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that every year, 80,000 people end up in the ER with a lawn mower-related injury<\/a>. But mowing on wet grass carries its own risks:<\/p>
- Wet grass is slippery. It can be hard to control the mower and keep your footing, especially on slopes and uneven ground. A fall can send you to the ER with a sprain, a cut, or a devastating injury should you land too close to the mower blade.<\/li> <\/ul>
- Riding mowers can lose traction on wet grass. A slip or skid could throw you off the mower.<\/li> <\/ul>
- It can be hard to see things in wet grass, especially if it\u2019s high. So, you could hit \u2014 and create a projectile from \u2014 a dog toy, a sprinkler head, or the blade that broke when you hit something. <\/li>
- Corded electric mowers come with safety features, but using one to cut wet grass puts you at risk of being burned or shocked if water gets into the electrical connections or a frayed cord touches wet grass.<\/li> <\/ul>
Clumping creates thatch problems<\/span><\/h2>
It\u2019s hard for a mower to properly cut wet, clumpy grass, so it tends to leave those clumps out on the lawn. If they aren\u2019t removed, they\u2019ll decompose, killing the grass underneath. <\/p>
The decomposing clippings and grass will create thatch<\/a> \u2014 a layer of material that builds up on the soil and prevents water and nutrients from coming through. <\/p>
- Riding mowers can lose traction on wet grass. A slip or skid could throw you off the mower.<\/li> <\/ul>
- Anthracnose:<\/a> Causes reddish-brown patches<\/li>
- Increases risk of lawn disease<\/a><\/li>
![\"illustration](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/rsz_lawnlove-compacted-soil-illustration.jpg\")