Proper mowing is by far the most important thing a homeowner can do to maintain a healthy lawn. Poor mowing can easily lead to a lawn of lower quality, which can lead to even worse mowing habits and become a downward spiral of lawn maintenance.
Wet soil compacts easier,
By mowing the lawn on wet soil, your footprints are actually compacting the soil beneath you which leads to poor turf growth, especially if you’re not applying organic fertilizers or soil amendments.
Lawn disease spreads more easily,
Although you may not know it, fungal, bacterial, and even viral pathogens are present on every lawn. What keeps these diseases from becoming out of control is proper mowing, watering, and fertilization. Cutting a wet lawn not only spreads disease particles more easily but these pathogens will remain active much longer in a moist environment.
More tearing & fewer clean cuts.
When cutting a wet lawn, the blade will end up ripping and tearing instead of slicing clean. Pair this with a dull mowing blade and you have a double whammy. Not only will this make a larger area for disease to infiltrate but it will also cause significant stress to the grass, slowing growth and development while the plant heals.
Poor clipping dispersal, more clumping,
One more easy-to-identify problem is your lawnmower leaving large clumps of grass on the lawn. Wet clippings clump together in the mower and when these large chunks are left on the lawn, they will choke out existing grass.
Grass matting down from wheels and footprints,
Similar to grass clumps, wet lawns will mat down easier. This will leave lawn mowing tracks on the lawn and in some cases can develop into diseased areas or thinning areas.
Summing up
Mowing a wet lawn has no advantages and is not recommended. In some cases, you can really do damage to the health and appearance of your lawn. It is better to allow your grass to dry even if it means waiting another few days.