The question of when to cut the lawn is a big one for gardeners at this time of year as the rain has finally stopped for a few days and the grass looks a bit long
10:58, 24 Feb 2026Updated 13:02, 24 Feb 2026
Monty Don has explained when people should be cutting their lawn for the first time in a new year(Image: BBC)
This year has seen one of the wettest starts ever, with some parts of the UK having rain on every day for more than a month. However, for the first time it has slackened off and for many people their lawn is looking like it needs a good cut.
One of the most pressing questions for gardeners at this time of year is knowing when to get the lawnmower out. Many experts caution that mowing too early can cause more harm than good and doing it too early could harm it for the whole year..
Cutting the grass during the colder months can cause lasting damage, as it struggles to thrive in low temperatures. During early spring, grass concentrates its energy on developing a stronger root system rather than upward growth, meaning that mowing too soon risks hampering this vital process by diverting energy away from root development.
That said, the general consensus among experts is that by mid-March the temperature has sufficiently increased to make mowing safe. Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don has previously addressed this very issue on his blog, warning against cutting the lawn too soon.
He wrote: “Cutting too early during the colder months can damage your lawn, as grass doesn’t thrive in low temperatures. By mid-March, the weather in most parts of the UK has warmed enough to make mowing beneficial.”
Nevertheless, gardeners shouldn’t simply reach for the mower on its lowest setting, which Don stressed would be a grave error: “The grass will need mowing in March but do not cut it too short. Just give it a light trim for the rest of this month. This will encourage good root growth and as a result the grass will be a lot healthier and better able to resist summer drought.”
“To get a ‘good’ lawn you have to think positively. Put your efforts into healthy grass rather than fighting perceived ‘problems’ like daisies, moss, ants, worm-casts, moles, plantains, dandelions and fairy rings. Nine times out of ten if the grass is healthy then everything else will look after itself.
“The best grass likes very well drained soil. Moss, for example, is always a symptom of poor drainage, made worse by shade. Unfortunately even the best prepared soil becomes compacted by matted roots, rain and, especially, normal family use. The answer is to work on it at least once a year by sticking a fork in the ground and wiggling it about and repeating the process every 6 inches or so.”
Following the forking process, Monty recommended creating a mixture of equal parts sieved topsoil, sharp sand and sieved leaf mould or compost. He continued: “If you do not have these things to hand then just sharp or silver sand will do the job. Spread it across the area you have pricked and brush it in with a stiff broom, filling the holes with the mixture. This will help drainage and feed the grass.
“It is also worth giving the lawn a good scratch with a wire rake. This will get at all the overwintering thatch and moss, and let light and water get to the soil and to the roots of the grass. Put the debris on the compost and then mow. It will look a little bald for a week or so but will grow back thicker than ever.”
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