How Should You Mow Your Lawn for the First Time After Winter?

“Today, I’m mowing my lawn for the first time of the year,” wrote a RepairClinic.com customer this week. “It’s taller than I’d usually let it grow between mowings during the season so I’m wondering if I should handle this differently. If I mow without bagging it, there will be too many clippings and I fear it will smother the lawn. If I mow using the clippings bag, the lawn will miss out on important nutrients that would come from mulching. What should I do?”

My suggestion:

When mowing your lawn for the first time after winter, start by setting your mower’s cutting height to the highest setting and bag the clippings, then lower the height a few days later and mulch instead. This approach prevents your grass from being shocked by an aggressive first cut while still allowing nutrients from future clippings to recycle back into the soil. Early-season mowing sets the tone for your lawn’s health all summer long, so paying attention to blade sharpness, mowing height, and timing helps you achieve a cleaner cut, faster recovery, and a greener, more resilient yard.

As this customer highlights, it’s important to pay close attention to your lawn’s appearance and make adjustments as needed to how you care for it.

Check out our recent post about repairing a yard after winter.

Remember that a sharp lawn mower blade that will cleanly cut; dull blades tear the lawn, rather than cut, resulting in a yellow hue over the lawn.

Happy mowing and happy summer!