Should You Be Watering Your Lawn After Mowing?

Mowing and watering your lawn are logically the two most consequential activities you perform regarding the lawn's health. Some of us may ask ourselves if we should water the lawn right after it's mowed. Will it harm the lawn? Would it be uniquely beneficial for my grass to do it? According to experts, it is neither harmful nor particularly beneficial to water right after mowing. The exception to this general rule is that if you are mowing and notice that your soil is exceedingly dry or that your lawn is showing signs of distress from lack of water, then go ahead and water as soon as you are done mowing. Which is a perfect example of how you should consider your watering and mowing schedule.

The "generic lawn" needs about 1 inch of water per week. Many of us don't have a generic lawn — we have a lawn with specific circumstances. Is your soil sandy? Then you'll likely need about 1 ½ inches of water per week. Is there a lot of clay in your soil? Avoid putting too much water on the lawn too quickly so that the roots don't soak in water for extended periods of time. It's also important to remember that it is a cumulative measurement of both rain and water from your sprinklers that matters. So, when is the best time to mow, or water?  Watering in the morning to avoid the heat of the day is usually best. For mowing, afternoon or evening is better as the lawn has time to dry out, making mowing easier all around. You can also change your mowing pattern to keep grass healthier.

Watering and mowing when it is most effective is a great starting point for lowering the stress on your grass. Another thing to consider is to leave your grass long, at least 3 inches tall, as that will promote deeper root growth and help prevent germination of unwanted weeds in your yard. But don't cut too much off the top of your grass. Cut away no more than about one-third of the length of your grass, again avoiding mowing it too short.

One anecdotal tip to test if your lawn is sufficiently watered is to walk across it and see if the grass in your footprints pop back up quickly. If not, then you need to water. There's another simple trick to see how much water you're actually getting on your grass. Take a clean tuna can or cat food can and place it on your lawn in the area you are watering with a sprinkler. When it fills up, you are done — it's about 1 to 1 ½ inches tall, the amount of water most lawns need. If you measure how much time it takes to fill the can, you can use that as a metric as you water other parts of your yard. If it takes one hour for 1 inch of water, then 30 minutes for ½ an inch.

Finally, if you are pressed for time and it just makes sense for you to water right after you mow, go ahead and do it. No great harm will occur, but it might not be as effective. But it's probably best not to make it a regular practice.