UK DIY News

Flymo Expert Talks 'First Cut Sunday'

As green-fingered Brits finally dust off the mower, lawn and garden experts Flymo have revealed why Sunday, March 22 is the perfect time to show your lawn some love.

Announced as First Cut Sunday by the garden specialists, it’s a reminder of the importance of getting the timing of your first cut of the year just right to ensure your lawn remains beautiful and thriving all year round.

According to Michael Holden, lawn guru at Flymo, reaching for your mower any earlier than First Cut Sunday equals bad luck for your lawn. Gardeners risk causing excessive stress to the lawn, leaving freshly cut blades exposed and vulnerable to frost damage.

Any later, he says, and you run the risk of developing a patchy, uneven lawn, shading lower roots which can stunt growth.

But First Cut Sunday is about more than simply tidying up your lawn. According to Michael, timing the first cut with care and precision triggers an incredible wave of biology right underneath your feet, benefiting your entire garden.

“A surprising, little-known fact is that your lawn is actually a bit of a chatterbox, it’s always talking and even defending itself,” he says.

“Grass releases chemical signals when it’s cut. That beautiful smell of freshly cut grass, that’s your lawn sending out distress signals which can prompt nearby plants to boost their own defences.

“Enjoying the longer days, basking in warmer temperatures, all of nature’s subtle signs that spring has well and truly arrived. When this happens, the lawn naturally wakes up from its dormant state, and that’s the key to getting your first mow right.

“There’s nothing quite like the feeling of starting up the mower for the first time, but your lawn needs that vital sign from nature before we think about its first trim.

“Waiting until the grass is actively growing again means your first cut helps strengthen the lawn, rather than putting it under stress whilst it’s still recovering from winter.”

According to Michael, late frosts are still common in early spring, and cutting your lawn too soon can weaken grass just as it’s emerging from a well-earned rest throughout the cold winter months.

By the end of March, often aligning with the first Sunday of astronomical spring, conditions are typically milder, daylight hours are longer, and the grass is strong enough to respond positively to its first trim.

When soil temperatures consistently rise above 6-8°C, the point at which grass begins actively growing again after a period of rest during the cold winter months, it’s the perfect time to start as you mean to mow on.

“The key to your first mow of the year is balance, waiting for warmer, drier conditions, when the grass has come out of its dormant state. Get this right, and you’ll have that lush summer lawn that makes the neighbours green with lawn envy,” Michael adds.

Despite the excitement First Cut Sunday brings, Michael urges Brits to use the one-third rule to avoid ‘scalping’ their lawns, the biggest mistake people make that can attract disease and weeds.

“The most important thing is to wait until your grass is about five to eight centimetres high before its first cut of the year, and if you want to be super precise with a tape measure, well, that’s lawn dedication,” he says.

“The second most important thing to remember is during your first mow, you shouldn’t take more than a third off the grass blade in one go. So, if your lawn is around six centimetres tall, you should only be taking one or two centimetres off, with your mower at the highest cutting height.

“That’s why Flymo have made it so simple to adjust the cutting height on our mowers, on our newest cordless models, there’s a simple push and go button with a height indicator, taking the guesswork out of mowing.”