When should you start and stop cutting grass?

Why a calendar date is not enough

The RHS mowing guidance allows for occasional winter mowing in mild conditions when grass is still growing, while warning against mowing on wet, frozen or very soft ground. Use those conditions to guide the decision, not a promised annual “last cut” date.

For a booked service, this means the end of the regular season and the final time the lawn needs attention are not necessarily the same thing. Ask how occasional work is arranged outside the usual routine.

Before the first visit of the year

Update the description of the garden. Has anything been moved onto the lawn? Have new beds, edging, pots or play equipment changed the area to be cut? Has access changed because a gate is locked, a path is obstructed or a shared entrance needs permission?

Take photographs and explain how the lawn has been left. A first visit after a long gap should not be priced or planned on the assumption that the grass is in the same condition as the previous autumn. Where growth is substantial, read our long-grass guide.

Before winding down regular visits

Review what you still need done. Grass cutting, edging and leaf collection are separate tasks, even when they usually happen together. Decide whether the garden needs another mowing visit, a different maintenance visit, or simply a later check once conditions change.

Make a note of areas you want left longer and any planting work planned for the next season. This is particularly useful if somebody else will be providing access or giving instructions when regular visits resume.

Keep a short seasonal handover

• Which grass areas are included, and which should be left alone?
• What was done at the last visit, and what remains outstanding?
• Who should be contacted to restart the routine?
• Have access, contact details or waste arrangements changed?
• Is there a date you hope to use the garden for a particular purpose?

You do not need a complicated log. A few photographs and a clear list prevent an old arrangement being mistaken for the current brief.

One seasonal decision, then a separate routine

Once regular growth and suitable conditions return, review how often to mow rather than carrying forward last year’s interval automatically. If a proposed visit falls after rain, see wet-grass cutting.

For help in Lewisham and nearby areas, ask PW Gardening Service about mowing. Tell us whether this is an occasional cut or the start of a regular service, so the next steps are clear.