Should You Cut Weeds Before Spraying Them?

There’s been a long debate about whether you should cut the grass before or after spraying it for weeds. If you want to eliminate the weeds once and for all, the method and order are crucial. After all, mowing too soon after you spray will force the herbicide throughout the yard.

You shouldn’t cut weeds before spraying them because most herbicides are applied to the leaves and stems. If you cut the weeds, the spray won’t be able to reach the weeds’ roots. Instead, spray the weeds, wait for up to 48 hours, then pull them out by hand.

In this article, we’ll show you what happens if you cut the grass after spraying for weeds, how long you need to wait between mowing and spraying, and everything you should know about cutting the grass while spraying. Enjoy!

Can I Spray the Weeds After Mowing?

You can spray the weeds after mowing, but it’s better to mow before you spray them. Cutting the grass with a lawnmower will shred the weeds, making the herbicide less effective. It’s also much harder to pull out the weeds by their roots if they’re cut by a mower.

Here’s why you should mow before you spray weeds:

• Herbicides don’t work as well when the weeds don’t have stems and leaves. When you want to treat weeds, you have to spray their tips. The liquid drips down the leaves into the stems and roots. It’s a slow process that typically takes a couple of days to dry out the weeds.
• There needs to be enough left on the plant to pull the roots out, preventing them from growing and spreading. You don’t want to have to pull tiny two-inch weeds from the grass. Once they get about three inches tall, you can grab them as low as possible and pull them out. Don’t be afraid to move the soil.
• Mowing weeds usually sends their seeds throughout the immediate vicinity. This is a huge issue for people dealing with dandelions since their feathery seeds launch around the lawn. Mowing into the dandelion’s pod-like flowers will puff them in all directions, making them much harder to maintain.
• Cutting weeds doesn’t kill them, so it’s a waste of time. It takes care of the immediate problem by making the plants much less visible, but they’ll come back as the grass grows. If you didn’t send the seeds around, the roots can still grow and ruin the surrounding grass.
• Getting weeds in the lawnmower’s mulch bag can spread the seeds when you use the mulch. This is one of the primary ways crabgrass spreads. You can use crabgrass preventer and other lawn treatments to manage them, but leaving the mower aside until the chemicals work is the top course of action.

As you can see, spraying weeds before mowing is typically the optimal route to go. While some people do it the other way around, you’ll reap many more benefits by following this mowing routine.

If you’re wondering when you can cut the grass after spraying for weeds, read on.

How Soon After Spraying Weeds Can I Mow?

You can mow after 48 hours of spraying weeds, but it’s recommended to remove the weeds by hand rather than cutting them with a lawnmower. When you cut the weeds and their roots are still intact, they can grow back. You might not notice the problem for a few weeks, but these weeds will continue to spread.

So, what should you do after spraying the weeds on your lawn?

Wait for a Couple of Days to Treat the Weeds

According to Iowa State University, weed spray takes a while to settle into the plants. Apply the herbicide before or after the midday sun to prevent it from drying the liquid. You can use dry herbicides at any time of the day unless otherwise directed by the manufacturer. Liquid herbicides are more effective because they soak into the soil.

Pull the Weeds Manually

You can mow the weeds after the herbicide did its job, but the only way to be sure they won’t come back is to remove them by hand. Put on a pair of garden gloves, move the soil around the weeds, and pull out the roots. This tried and true method is and will likely always be the most reliable solution for weeds in the yard.

Review Ace Hardware’s guide of when you should spray or pull out weeds:

Mow the Lawn and Maintain Its Height

Keeping your lawn trimmed and fed will prevent the weeds from coming back. Well-established roots from the grass don’t allow extra seeds to settle. Many lawn care services overseed the grass during winter to keep the soil saturated with grass roots all year long.

Do You Have to Cut the Grass When Spraying the Weeds?

You don’t have to cut the grass when spraying the weeds, but maintaining a 2.5-inch height will prevent weeds, fungus, and pests from showing up. Mowing the lawn too soon before or after spraying the weeds makes the herbicide significantly less effective.

Dealing with bugs is quite the opposite of cutting the lawn with weeds. The order is flipped; You should mow the grass before spraying for bugs if you want it to be as effective as possible. If you have weeds and bugs, handle the weeds and deal with the bugs after the plants are gone.

There’s no point in cutting the weeds right after you spray them. Doing this will remove the spray, which means the only thing you did was mow the lawn. The weeds will come back, so the aforementioned 48-hour block of time is essential. Some herbicides state you can mow the grass about 24 hours later, but make sure you read the label.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know when you should cut your weeds when it comes to spraying herbicide, you can keep your lawn looking as good as new. Your lawn might be covered in dandelion, clover, and crabgrass, but that doesn’t mean a quick spray and mow won’t get the job done. Good luck!