Going Away? Keep Your Lawn Cut While You Are Gone

For lawn care while on vacation, keep the mowing going if you're away in spring or early summer. Grass grows fast then, and two weeks away can mean about three missed cuts. Mow at your normal height the day before you leave, not shorter. Have a crew or a neighbour cut it while you're gone. In a hot, dry spell, when the lawn has gone dormant, it's fine to pause.

What happens to your lawn while you're away?

It keeps growing. How fast depends on the time of year.

The City of Hamilton says to cut every four to five days in spring and early summer. In late summer and fall, growth slows and about once a week is enough. St. Albert gives the same advice: every 4 to 5 days in the growing season, and about once a week in the shoulder season.

So a two week trip in May or June means about three missed cuts. A two week trip in September means about two.

The trouble is the one-third rule. Ohio State University Extension says never to remove more than a third of the grass blade at once. If you keep your lawn at 7.5 cm (3 inches), it should be cut before it passes about 11.5 cm (4.5 inches). After three missed cuts in spring, it's well past that. Our guide to how often to mow in Canada shows how this plays out over a season.

Can long grass get you in trouble with the City?

It can. Many Canadian cities set a top height for grass. Here are a few examples from their own by-laws:

City	Grass can't go over
Airdrie, AB	10 cm (about 4 inches)
Sarnia, ON	6 inches (about 15 cm)
St. Albert, AB	15 cm (about 6 inches)
Saskatoon, SK	20 cm (about 8 inches)
Windsor, ON	31 cm (12 inches)

In a fast spring, a long trip can push a lawn toward the lower limits. St. Albert's by-law also says the City gives 2 business days notice to clean up. After that, the City may do the work and charge you for it. Two business days is not much when you're on a beach.

Every city is different. Our post on long grass by-laws in Canada lists more cities and their limits.

There's a simpler reason too. A shaggy lawn tells the whole street that nobody's home.

Should you cut the grass short before you leave?

No. It's tempting to drop the deck and buy yourself a few extra days. It backfires.

Ohio State says going past the one-third rule risks scalping. Scalping can badly damage or even kill grass, most of all in summer heat. You could come home to a brown, patchy lawn.

Instead, mow at your normal height the day before you go. Health Canada says grass cut at 6 to 8 cm (2.5 to 3 inches) grows deep roots and gets thicker. A fresh cut at that height gives you the most time before it gets long, without hurting the grass.

Trim the edges while you're at it. Long grass along the fence and the walk is often what makes a yard look empty. Our partner crews handle trimming and edging on every visit.

Who can mow your lawn while you're gone?

You have three choices:

• A neighbour or a local teen. This works for a short trip. Show them your mower, your normal height and where the gas is. Have a backup plan if it rains on their day.
• Your lawn crew. If you already have a crew, keep your visits going. You don't need to be home for them to mow.
• Pause and catch up later. This only makes sense when the grass isn't growing much, like in a dry, dormant stretch of summer.

Whoever mows, ask them to send a photo when they're done. Then you know it actually got cut.

Should you pause your lawn service or keep it going?

It depends on the season and the weather.

Keep it going in spring, early summer and fall

This is when grass grows fastest. Skipping two or three cuts means a long, clumpy lawn waiting for you. Hamilton says long grass should come down a little at a time, not all at once. That's more work when you get back.

Pausing can make sense in a dry, hot summer

Health Canada says that in long hot, dry spells, a lawn may wilt, turn brown and go dormant. A healthy lawn can survive several weeks that way. Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescues turn green again when rain returns.

Ohio State says to avoid mowing dormant and drought stressed lawns. Tire tracks from mowing can hurt them more. If your lawn is brown and not growing, a pause won't cost you much. Our post on brown, dormant lawns explains how to tell dormant from dead.

What about watering while you're away?

Pick one plan and stick with it. Iowa State University says not to let a lawn go in and out of dormancy all summer. Only wake it up if you can keep watering it.

So if your lawn is green and you water it, keep the water going while you're gone. A sprinkler timer helps. Set it to your city's watering days, since many cities limit when you can water. If the lawn is already brown and dormant, it's fine to let it rest until you're back.

What should you do before you leave?

• Mow at your normal height the day before you go.
• Text your crew or neighbour your dates.
• Leave the side gate unlocked, or share the code.
• Pick up toys, hoses and lawn chairs.
• Keep pets inside or with a sitter on mowing day.
• Set your sprinkler timer to your city's watering days.

How do you catch up on a long lawn when you get back?

Don't cut it all in one pass. Ohio State has a simple method for a lawn that got too tall:

1. Set the mower to its highest setting and mow once.
2. Let the clippings dry.
3. Lower the deck to your normal height.
4. Mow again in a different direction.

St. Albert calls this double cutting, and says the second cut should go across the first. If the lawn is very long, spread it over a few cuts. Our post on bringing back an overgrown lawn walks through it step by step.

How does vacation mowing work with Golden Oak?

Golden Oak Lawn Care matches you with a vetted, insured local partner crew. They do the work. We stand behind it with the Golden Oak Guarantee.

Your crew mows on its set day, whether you're home or not. You don't need to be home at any point. After every cut, your crew texts you a photo. You can check your lawn from the cottage or the airport. If your crew misses your scheduled window, that cut is free.

Want a break instead? With the Worry-Free Lawn Season, you pause by text. Send us "pause" with your dates, and your crew picks up again when you're back. Our FAQ on payment and pausing has the details.

The season is paid up front, and your first cut is free when you book the season. We price your lawn mowing by your lawn's size from satellite images, so no one needs to visit. Lawn size, how often you want a cut, slopes, gates and obstacles all change the price.

Want it handled? Get your price in 60 minutes, or call 1-866-904-LAWN.

Lawn Care on Vacation Questions

Rules change, so check with your City before you plan. Sources: City of Hamilton yard waste, St. Albert grasscycling, Ohio State University lawn mowing, Health Canada lawn maintenance, Ohio State lawns in drought, Iowa State summer dormancy, Airdrie unsightly yards, Sarnia By-law 75 of 2009, St. Albert Community Standards Bylaw, Saskatoon weed control, Windsor By-law 3-2006.