well personally i dont think it will hurt leaving it a bit longer over the winter it all depends on you really if you like to keep it short we still might get a spell where you can give it a haircut. if it is fine where we are i have one to cut tomorrow.but if you. do lift the bed up so you dont cut it to short.good luck.

I agree, if we get a mild dry spell its OK but use a high cut.

The most important thing I can say about "grass cutting," is to keep your cutting blades sharp and in pristine condition. This will eliminate many problems later on. Also, consider hiring a high school student who would appreciate a little extra pocket money to cut your grass for you when you are too busy.

My grass needs to be cut too, I just like to try and keep it cut so that its not such hard work next year.

I've just managed to cut my two small lawns, then the next day the rain came, looks like I got them done just in time.
"Bathgate" came up with a good idea of asking a student to do in for some pocket money :o))

Well, if any student can cut our grass without sinking to the ankles I would definitely pay them good money to watch. The ground is so wet that when you walk on it, it squeaks!. You can actually hear the water being pushed out of the soil by your wellies. I think the grass may be allowed to grow.

Thanks for your suggestions but I shall not be paying a student to cut my grass- I have two teenage sons who can help me out over the Christmas holidays!!

If you can't get it done before Christmas, there's usually a 'window' of weather, often around 6th January, when it'll be mild and not wet for a couple of days - tackle it then, try not to leave it till March, it'll be well long by then, specially if this mildness keeps up. If work won't let you take a sudden half day off, I'd throw a sickie at lunchtime just to get home and get it done if the weather does allow it! You haven't said what type of mower you have, but a hover does the job much better in winter - no stripes, admittedly, but it cuts wet, longer grass better than anything else.

Thanks Bamboo. We've got an electric mower which does a pretty good job. Like the idea of throwing a sickie but that won't be necessary as I will be off for two weeks over Christmas so should be able to find a dry day then.

A word of caution though- don't cut it when there's a cold easterly or northerly wind blowing - it won't harm it, but you'll have brown tips all over until you cut it again...

I don't understand the point of your post. Mow the grass?

What is it exactly that you don't understand, Bathgate? Not clear what you're confused about....

the question

What Amsterdam is saying is she doesn't have an opportunity to mow the lawns - at work all day, and its dark by 4 pm or earlier, then we've had lots of wet weather at weekends, meaning it also cannot be cut during the 7 hours of daylight available per day at this time of year. She's merely wondering whether it will be okay to leave it all winter or not, if an opportunity to do it (when its light and dry) doesn't arise. Does that make it clearer?

Thanks Bamboo. I really appreciate you trying to unravel this riddle for me. I really do and want to say the right thing.

I thought that too at first. Then she said she has a really good electric lawn mower and likes throwing down the sickle, 2 teenage sons with no need to hire a student & 2 weeks off in December. She wants to cut the grass, but then again, should she leave it til spring. My short answer is - mow the grass!

Ah, well at least one thing's been lost in translation - I originally suggested she should 'throw a sickie' to get it done, not 'throwing down the sickle'. 'Throwing a sickie' is when you tell work you're not well, or sick, and have to stay at home, and its got nothing to do with a sickle with an l! Not to mention that its not recommended to use electric mowers on wet grass, but this time of year, if its got any length at all, it'll be wet even if the weather's dry. But sneaking a morning off on a dry day would solve the problem. At this time of year, the days we get which are dry yet not frozen are rare - its either dull dark and wet or bright, freezing and frozen... so even with two teenagers at home for two weeks, the weather might not be open enough to actually do it. You have to take your chance the minute the weather is right here, its a narrow window of opportunity at this time of year.

As for having two teenage sons to help, Amsterdam, if you can get yours to cut the grass without feeling like you're pushing a boulder up a hill with the emotional effort and nagging it requires to get them to do it, not to mention being able to tolerate the annoyingly unsatisfactory job they did IF you got them going, you're a better woman than I ever was....

Bamboo-Thank you for the translation and paraphrasing my question to Bathgate. Didn't intend to cause confusion.... Your sympathy with regards to asking teenage boys to do anything is gratefully received!! I will probably get round to cutting the grass over Christmas and let's leave it at that!!

Bathgate-apologies for causing confusion! Sometimes things get list in translation!

I couldn't tell if you wanted your grass mowed or not.

Amsterdam - you know, I stopped bothering to ask them to do anything practical in the end, by the time I'd gone on and on about it and used all that energy up doing so, I decided it was easier to just do it myself in the first place. Now they're grown, stick 'em in front of a keyboard and they're absolute whizzes, they both work in the tech industry - but ask 'em to put up a shelf or change a plug and they react as if you've asked them something in Swahili. I'm the only practical one in my family - thus giving credence to the statement 'never ask a man to do a job a woman can do better'. Which unfortunately, in my experience, often translates into 'don't ask them to do anything at all....' Sigh... luck of the draw regarding skills I guess.

Bamboo- I sympathize as my husband is useless at DIY despite being an accomplished pilot. Have discovered he CAN multi- task and do some stuff when he chooses to do but like most men they will do it if they either FEEL like doing it or WANT to do it, not when they are asked to do it! I'm like you - I do the practical things around the house and like you said the groaning and sputtering when asking them to do is so not worth it that I just get on with it myself. Like your phrase 'never ask a man to do a job a woman can do better'!

;-)
I just want to add, for Bathgate's benefit (and any other Americans on the site) that its absolutely NOT true there are no-go areas in London because of moslem radicalisation, not for the police or anyone else. Where does that man get it from, I mean I know politicians will say anything to get elected, but really, what's he been reading?!!

Bamboo - for my benefit? I have no idea what you are talking about. "That man"? What man? don't bother.. LOL! please don't make presumptions about me. You don't know me and I don't discuss politics on here. You ought to know better.

Not you, I don't mean you - I just wanted to dispel the myth being promulgated by Mr. Trump in case Americans believe it (without any political discussion of any description) since I live in London, its my home town. I'm not at all interested in discussing politics anywhere, any time.

Then don't

bathgate I don't think that you are a very nice person to be quite honest and also I think reading between the lines sometimes with some of you answers you seem to me a very obnoxious. self opinionated person and very patronising to some people on this site shame because all the Americans I have met over there all seemed very nice people. but there is good and bad in every country.

Hey! Hey! Hey! Please, Please stop all this squabbling, it's not worth it. :o(( ;o( It makes me sad & upset :o(

Thank you Ladyessex1. I hope people with common sense would take your advice.

LMAO....

Come on now folks, let it drop. Peace on earth, goodwill to all men (and women)

Thanks Stera. I hope the fog clears.

And all I wanted to know is whether to leave the grass or cut it before spring.....

LOL I'm really sorry Amsterdam. This is what I was trying to avoid - being diverted to another topic. If getting somebody to help you isn't an option, there's no real harm in waiting for spring. Since you already have a really good lawn mower, it shouldn't be difficult to cut the grass then. You sound like a real busy woman with a lot on your hands. Grass cutting should be way down on your list of priorities. Don't risk electrocution by cutting wet grass now. The sky won't fall if you waited for spring.

I'm sorry about all this other nonsense.

Just wanted to let you all know that today, the last day of 2015, I managed to cut my grass, front and back!! Was a bit of struggle as it was both wet and very long. I got there in the end and I'm extremely chuffed!! A big relief as I wanted to get it done before going back to work. I managed to fill one green bin, stuffed to the brim.

That's quite an achievement! Well done - you'll feel better about it now anyway. Ours is pretty desperate for a trim too especially at the bottom end, but its far too wet and soggy to risk it

If the weather stays mild like this & the ground being wet I will have to get a goat or sheep to keep it short LOL, Ha! They would eat all my plants as well, one way of starting from scratch after they have churned the garden up as well, better wait & use my lawn mower LOL xx