Do the last cut when the grass stops growing, which for most lawns round here is late October or November, on a dry day with the mower set a bit higher than in summer. The RHS says grass keeps growing above about 7°C, so in a mild spell an occasional high cut is fine. Never mow wet or frosty grass.
How to tell it's time for the last cut
There's no set date, because it's the weather that decides it. The RHS says lawns generally need cutting weekly or fortnightly between March and October, and that grass carries on growing when the temperature is above about 7°C. Once it's properly cold and the grass has stopped growing, there's nothing to cut.
- If you've gone two weeks and the lawn barely looks any different, growth has slowed right down.
- If the ground is soft and squelchy, it's too wet to mow anyway.
- If there are frosts most mornings, that's a good sign the season's over.
How to do the last cut properly
- Raise the mower. The RHS says up to 40mm in autumn for an ordinary lawn, and in November and December about 5mm higher than your summer height.
- Clear the leaves first. The RHS says to rake fallen leaves off the lawn so they don't smother the grass and block out light and moisture. Our autumn leaf clearance guide covers why.
- Pick a dry day. Never mow wet or frosty grass, and don't mow when the ground is very soft or frozen.
- Stick to the one third rule. Don't take off more than a third of the height, even on the last cut.
- Stay off a frosty lawn. The RHS says walking on frosted grass damages the blades and can leave brown footprints for weeks.
Does a lawn need cutting in winter?
Usually not. The RHS says mowing isn't normally needed in winter, unless the weather is mild and the grass is still growing, and then you should mow occasionally on a high setting. So if we get a mild spell and the lawn starts looking shaggy, a quick high cut on a dry day won't hurt it.
What we do with our lawn rounds over winter
Most lawns don't need cutting between late November and late February, so we pause our regular visits over winter and start again in March. If a mild spell keeps the grass growing, we'll do an occasional tidy cut on request. Lawns are from £30 a cut, most are £35, on fortnightly rounds.
If you put your clippings in the council garden bin, it's worth knowing that Carmarthenshire County Council's garden waste collections for 2026 end on 27 November. After that date you'll need to compost them or keep them until collections start again.
Autumn is also when lawn repair work like scarifying and aeration is most effective, and the RHS says the mild, damp conditions of early autumn are ideal for simple lawn maintenance. If your lawn's tired, mossy or patchy, have a look at our lawn care treatments.
Sources: RHS, lawn mowing guide; RHS, November lawn advice; RHS, December lawn advice; RHS, autumn lawn care; Carmarthenshire County Council, garden waste collections. Prices are our own current prices.
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