4 Tips for Mowing Wet Grass with a Zero Turn Mower

If April showers bring May flowers, what do June showers bring? The answer is headaches, at least when we’ve had as much rain as we’ve had. Its good for the crops and the gardens, but it makes it next to impossible to stay up on mowing your yard. But we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do, so here are our 4 tips for trying to mow in wet grass.

Slow Down:

I’m talking about how hard you’re pushing the sticks on your zero turn here. Mowing on wet grass is not conducive to setting a new land speed record, or even breaking your personal record. That ground is soft and it’s easy to pull the grass out without any real effort. Take your time sit back and relax and think about how you’re saving your yard!

Pull That Throttle Back:

When you’re mowing on wet grass you need to slow down (see above). Sometimes the easiest way to do this is to literally turn your engine speed down. This is done, on most zero turns, by the throttle lever. You’ll want to run about ¾ throttle. This actually helps more than not pushing the sticks as far forward because this will actually make the hydros less responsive and thus less likely to tear up your yard.
Pulling back on your throttle will also decrease your blade tip speed. You’ll have to go slower to cut the grass well. This is just another fail safe way to get you to mow slower.

Reduce Square Turns:

Normally we would be all about the square turns (stopping pivoting and turning), but in wet conditions, the more round your turns are the better. Any pivot motion you make will increase the chances of tearing up your grass. Take your corners as round as possible, it may not look as nice as it usually does, but your grass will thank you for it in the long run.

Try to Mow Hills Up and Down:

Obviously don’t do this on terribly steep hills, but you should try to do this on gradual slopes. Mowing across a hill can cause stress on your grass in soft ground leading to it being ripped out. It’s also a lot easier to slide down the hill when it’s wet which is never a good thing.

It should be noted that it is never advisable to mow in wet conditions. If you know it’s going to be dry soon, it might be better to wait. But if you absolutely have to mow, hopefully following these four tips will help save your yard. If you have any questions or tips about when or how to mow, stop in, give us a call or leave a comment!