Should a Lawn Be Watered Before or After Mowing?

Ideally, lawns should be watered during the early morning hours–preferably before 11am on hot summer days.

Homeowners who strive to keep a healthy, beautiful lawn often wonder what is best for their grass: watering after mowing, or before. The final verdict is that it’s okay to water the lawn afterwards, but avoid watering right before mowing. As long as the lawn is being watered and mowed regularly, there isn’t an exact science to lawn health. However, there are still a few important factors to consider when trying to achieve the perfect lawn.

Mow, then water

While it's fine to water after mowing, it’s best to avoid watering right before it’s time to mow. Damp grass tends to clump up as it’s cut, which can clog the mower and make for a difficult job overall. Similarly, it is not recommended to mow the lawn right after a rainstorm. Instead, it;s best to wait until the lawn is completely dry for a smoother, easier mowing experience.

Water in the early morning

Ideally, lawns should be watered during the early morning hours–preferably before 11am on hot summer days. As it gets warmer and more sunny, water evaporates into the air more quickly, not having the chance to soak into the lawn. To avoid this issue, mow early in the morning (before 9am) or the day before watering is planned. Mowing early ensures there is time for both mowing dry grass and watering, before the peak heat and sunshine impact water absorption.

Avoid watering at night

Watering the lawn too late in the evening or at night can also be problematic. While it’s true that watering at night eliminates the issue of evaporation, it also means the lawn will stay wet for much longer. When moisture is allowed to remain on the lawn overnight or for many hours, it becomes ideal for growth of fungus, mold, mildew, and other issues.

Only water as needed

Of course, there's no need to water the lawn after mowing if the grass already has sufficient moisture. An easy way to check the current moisture level is to do a quick footprint test. After walking across the lawn, if footprints remain visible in the grass, that's a clear sign that the lawn is dry and in need of watering. However, if no footprints show up, the lawn likely has enough moisture already and watering can wait a day or two.

Create a consistent mowing and watering schedule

An effective way to remove all guesswork is to establish a consistent mowing and watering schedule. For example, plan to water the lawn every 3 days, and mow the lawn once a week on one of the off days. Sticking to this type of schedule ensures that mowing and watering never happen on the same day, and eliminates ever having to wonder whether there is enough time to complete both.

With over 10 years of experience in the Peoria, Arizona, area, HS Irrigation and Landscape Lighting offers sprinkler design and installation, irrigation repair and maintenance, drip irrigation, and landscape lighting design and installation. Feel free to call us at 623 292 5478.