If you have a house and a lawn, chances are very high that you live with neighbors. It’s best to get along well with them to improve multi-general activities. One of the best ways to build a good relationship with them is to be considerate when using noisy machines like lawnmowers.
Understandably, there are healthy and unhealthy times to mow your lawn. When you mow, endeavor to do it appropriately for your neighbors. However, you should be fine if you mow at the time recommended in most city ordinances.
This article will educate you on the right lawn mowing etiquette time. You’ll learn when and how to cut your grass so that you can be a good neighbor.
When’s the Right Time to Mow Your Lawn?
As mentioned earlier, there are healthy and unhealthy times to mow your lawn. When you mow during these healthy times, your blades will cut perfectly through the grass, giving you a clean-shaven yard. If you mow during unhealthy hours, you risk a poor cut or exposing the poor grasses to diseases.
Mid-morning between 8 and 10 am is the best time to cut your grasses. The grass would’ve dried from morning dew but not too dry enough to cause issues.
If you can’t cut your grass in the morning, late afternoon is the next best time. By this time, the sun’s hotness would’ve subsided, and the grass will be in good condition for the mower’s blade. Also, it’ll have time to recover before nightfall.
When’s the Worst Time to Mow Your Lawn?
Early morning (6-8 am) is one of the worst times to mow your lawn. The morning dews are still on the grass, and you’ll get every single disadvantage of mowing wet grasses when you cut at this time.
The afternoon isn’t the best time to bore your grass with your mower. Your grasses tend to perform photosynthesis during this time, and you’ll hinder when you mow. They’ll lose a lot of moisture, which they can’t regain in time.
It’s not okay to cut your grass at night for all the wrong reasons. Firstly, visibility is an issue that you’ll encounter. Also, the dew is just getting ready for work, and you can trust that it won’t stop until the following day, which isn’t good news for your plants.
Those are the worst and best times to mow your grasses. The subsequent sections will educate you on the best lawn mowing etiquette time and how to balance it with the best mowing periods for your grass.
When is a Good Lawn Mowing Etiquette Time?
Avoid mowing your lawns in the very early hours of the day. Most of your neighbors are still in bed, and the loud noise of your mower will do no good to them. Plus, remember what we talked about mowing your lawns in the morning?
Just like mowing too early isn’t advised, cutting your grasses too late is another habit you should avoid if you fancy a good relationship with your neighbor. No lawn care enthusiast will pray to be disturbed in their sleep by the loud noise of your lawn mower.
Summarily, avoid mowing your grasses before 9 am and after 6 pm during weekdays and before 10 am and after 6 pm on weekends. These periods aren’t even about being considerate; it’s the time that most city ordinances in the US permit.
Therefore, if you mow during illegal periods, your neighbor may report you, and you’ll face the wrath of the law.
To some extent, it’s all about having a good rapport with your neighbor. If you understand their on and off time, you can mow at a time that won’t disturb them. When you respect their privacy, don’t forget they’ll try their best to respect yours.
What if I Have an Electric Mower?
The noise factor is the main reason most city ordinances have set periods for you to mow your lawn. Nobody cares about when and how you use your sprinkler system or fertilize your lawns because they don’t emit a 90 dB noise. To combat this issue, you can switch to a battery-powered lawn mower.
Battery-powered mowers make less noise than their gasoline counterparts, and your neighbor will barely notice you’re even cutting your grasses out. Even at that, it’s still advisable that you at the correct time under your city ordinances.
What are Other Lawn Mowing Etiquettes?
You’re observing one of the many unwritten lawn care rules when you cut your grasses at a time that won’t disturb your neighbors. There are other essential lawns mowing etiquettes you should follow, and this section will look at some of them.
1. Mow Your Lawn Regularly
While cutting your grasses regularly might look like it’s more of a “you” thing, a neighborhood with well-cut lawns will look generally attractive. When grasses grow too tall, they look like weeds.
There is also the issue of rodents getting into your property. Living in an area with a very close layout could also invite rodents to your neighbor’s property. No one makes friends will a person who causes trouble for them.
If caring for your lawn yourself is proving too hard to handle because of your schedule, you can employ lawn care professionals to do it for you.
2. Don’t Leave Wild Clippings
Clippings can be good or bad news, depending on how you handle them. You can decide to mulch or bag your clippings. When you mulch your clippings, you return them to the lawn as nutrients.
When you bag it, you either want to store it or dispose of it after the mowing session. What you should avoid is the clippings getting flung around the street. It will only mess up the looks and might get you in trouble if your neighbors take action.
Also, avoid leaving big lumps of clippings on the grass. Rather than benefit your lawn, it’ll only cause more problems which is what you don’t want. If you notice any unnatural-looking clippings, run your mower over them again, and they should return to normal.
3. Don’t Encroach Your Neighbor’s Lawn
Respect your neighbor’s space if you have a lawn close to theirs. Only mow your lawns and don’t infringe on their property, even if their grass is overgrown. You could talk to them carefully, and they’ll take the hint and do the needful.
If the situation is unbearable, you can inform the appropriate authorities. Aside from cutting their grasses, you should also avoid spraying your neighbor’s grasses with chemicals as much as possible.
How Often Is It Okay to Mow My Grasses?
You can mow your grasses as often as possible as long as it’s not disturbing your neighbors or harming the grasses. Once every week is okay doing the growing season, while you could adjust the frequency to match the growth rate any other time. If you mow at the right time, no one should be able to complain about cutting the grass once a week.
Also, understand that you have rights as well. If you have a neighbor fond of complaining even when you mow within the legal time in your vicinity, make them understand that you aren’t breaking the law. Most city ordinances carefully study the timing to ensure it’s okay for humans and plants.
Conclusion
That concludes everything you may need to know about lawn mowing etiquette time. You should ensure that you always mow in the period stipulated by your city ordinances so as not to be in the bad books of your neighbor and the law. Understand that a good rapport between you and your neighbors is crucial when caring for your property.
Your neighbors aren’t only those with buildings close to you. It entails everyone that is in your locality. Therefore, you should stay off activities that might make the area look unattractive.
Remember, if caring for your lawns is something you’ll struggle with, let professionals handle it. These people understand your city ordinances more than you do and will cut your grass without hassle. Lastly, remember you have rights just like your neighbors, and you should demand the respect you give.
