EVERY year gardeners risk having their hard work ruined by taking action too early to too late and suffering from a surprise weather change.
While it is tricky to know what crops and flowers to plant and when, there is a good rule and date to keep in mind when it comes to keeping your lawn looking pristine.
Gardeners should prepare ahead before cutting their grass for the final time this season (stock)
Soil temperature is vital to knowing when to mow your lawn to protect it over the winter and keep it lush for spring (stock)
Mowing the grass in the summer months can feel like an endless task with it seemingly doubling in height over just a few days.
So, as temperatures start to drop for fall, many gardeners will be heaving a sigh of relief as grass growth begins to slow.
But, knowing when to complete this final cut of the season is crucial to saving yourself hard work and making sure you get perfect grass in time for spring.
There is even a rule about the height of the grass that plays a bigger impact that you might imagine.
As temperatures fall, the growth of your grass will slow and eventually stop in the winter months.
The key to a good winter lawn and having a lush garden in the spring is timing the final mow to perfection.
Rather than being a specific date, as weather conditions fluctuate each year, you are looking for a certain temperature.
You may think it’s the temperature of the air, but it is actually that of the soil.
Gardeners want to wait for their soil temperature to consistently go below 40F for grass that still grows even in cooler locations – this is known as cool-season grass, according to Southern Living .
For those living in areas with hot summers and mild winters who have warm-season grass that stops growing in the cold, they want to wait for soil temperatures to go below 55F.
“When leaves begin to fall, that’s a sign that cooler weather has arrived and the lawn is nearing dormancy for the winter,” the team at Southern Living reported.
“For your final cut of the year, aim to mow the grass one last time a week before the first hard frost of the season.“
To determine the temperature of your soil, some gardeners took to Reddit to say that they use two main tools: either a thermometer or Greencast, a website giving average soil temperatures for your area.
Those using a thermometer should only push the probe in about two inches.
But as well as paying attention to soil temperature, you also want to look at height.
As you start doing your final cuts, you should slowly start to decrease the height of the mower blades to end up with a cut about half an inch shorter than you usually do.
This “encourages airflow and keeps the grass from bending and becoming matted over winter”, the lifestyle outlet reports.
This prevents it from damage in the cold winter months and makes it look perfect for spring.
“If you mow your grass to a height of 2 1/2 to 3 inches during the year, keeping it at that height is fine.
“If you typically leave your grass longer at more than 3 inches, then reduce the height to 3 inches before winter arrives.”
Meanwhile, it may be good to know that there is a little known mowing law completely banning landowners from cutting their own grass before a certain date.
Adjusting the height of your mower blades will keep the grass nice for the spring preventing it from damage over the winter (stock) 
