Grass cutting in Horne

Big rural lawns on Wealden Clay, cut when the ground is ready and striped as we go.

Grass cutting in Horne usually means more grass than most. With so many detached houses on roomy plots, a lawn here can run down to a paddock fence or wrap right round the house. We cut it with rear-roller Hayter mowers, edge along the beds and paths, strim round trees and posts, and take every clipping away.

The catch is the clay. Most of the parish sits on Wealden Clay, and early in the year it stays soft for days after rain. Run a mower over it then and you leave ruts that show all summer. So the first cut is decided by the ground, not the calendar, and if we’re holding off we’ll tell you why.

Lawn mowing services when the clay won’t play ball

Spring is the awkward bit. Grass starts growing in late March or April, but a Horne lawn can still be sodden underneath, especially in the low corners where water collects. We start high, just taking the tips off, and only drop the height once the surface firms up. Cutting wet grass tears it and squashes the soil, and on clay that compaction sticks around.

Summer brings the opposite problem. In a dry spell the clay shrinks and opens cracks, and the grass goes straw-coloured. We raise the blades and leave it longer. It will green up again once the rain comes back, so there’s no need to stand out with a hose.

How often should grass cutting happen on a big Horne lawn?

Fortnightly suits most Horne lawns for most of the season. In May and June, when the clay is still moist and warming up, growth can be quick enough that weekly is better, and if you want proper stripes all summer, weekly is the way to get them. By October we’re easing off again. Skipping a cut in late spring on ground this rich means taking off far too much at the next one.

If part of the garden is rough grass under fruit trees or by a field boundary, it doesn’t all have to be cut short. We can mow the main lawn tight, keep a path through the longer bit, and leave the rest to grow.

Lawn Mowing in Horne: your questions

Anything else, just ring. You’ll speak to the people who do the work.

I’m out past Newchapel. Is there a grass cutting service near me that will come this far?

Yes, we will. Newchapel, Whitewood and the houses along the A22 are all well inside the 15 miles we cover around Horley. Distance isn’t a reason for us to say no in Horne.

How much does it cost to cut a big lawn in Horne?

It depends on the size, how much edging and strimming there is, and how often we come. Regular cuts work out cheaper per visit than one-offs. We’ll walk it and give you a fixed price.

Can you cut while we’re away?

Of course. As long as the gate’s open or you’ve left a way in, we’ll get on with it. You don’t need to be in.

Will the mower mark a soft lawn?

Not if we wait, which is why we do. If the ground is too wet to take the weight, we’ll come back on the next dry day instead.