Question: Last Lawn Cut?

[Phred]

Hey all:

I live in New England, outside Boston.

What's the skinny on the last cut for the lawn? Thick or thin...

I'm starting to get some color in the trees, maples, aspens, sycamores also getting some leaves dropping now. We have not had a real frost yet.

I have not heard any neighbors out chomping the grass yet, so maybe I'm missing a clue. Grass is about 3" and very lush.

Here in N.E. you never know if you could get 80+ or -20 in October... I can remember hot days in fall when I was a kid, and I dinna want the lawn to burn if I drop it too short.

We have a water ban now, as only 2" in Sept...

Thanks in advance!

Phred

[trader4]

I cut mine at normal to maybe 1/2" lower near the end of the season. Keeping it a little shorter allows for some additional growth after you cut it the last time. And I let the weather determine when that is. Here in NJ I usually cut it the last time in mid Dec. Cutting it very close to end of the growing season leaves it looking better for the winter months. Some years when there has been a warm week in Jan, I've even cut it again then to trim it up and make it look nice and even again.

[EXT]

I have made the last lawn cut when the ground starts to freeze (a bumpy ride on a riding mower), if it wasn't already cut. One year there was a light snow flurry while I was cutting. The grass pick-up bags were partially full of snow mixed with the grass cuttings.

[willshak]

on 9/26/2009 9:22 AM (ET) Phred wrote the following:

You'll probably notice that the annual weeds are dying off in the fall when temps fall. The last lawn cut should be used with a bagging system to suck up the weed seeds so they aren't there when spring comes.