Exeter, England

Exeter, England50.7236, -3.5275

Mowing

When you can next cut it, and the best slot this weekend.

Best weekend slot

Nothing doing

Verdict: Not worth it

0.8mm of rain falling.

Tomorrow afternoon is your first decent window.

Next mow

Tomorrow 3pm–7pm

Verdict: Touch and go, 65% chance it holds

grass slightly damp — wet underfoot, rain earlier that day

  • Worth watching: Ground still soft. 12mm rain over the last week, medium (loam) soil. A mower will mark it, and a ride-on will rut it. More

The next 10 days

Each row is a day, morning on the left. The more solid a block, the more of the forecast runs agree you can mow. Open a day for the hour-by-hour forecast behind it.

  1. Monday 19 October: no hours worth using. No — 0.1mm of rain falling.
    Monday 19 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance———15%15%20%20%10%10%20%25%25%25%25%——
    VerdictAlready goneAlready goneAlready goneForget itForget itPushing itPushing itForget itForget itPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itdarkdark
    Rainchance···15%16%18%34%36%43%19%13%17%16%13%9%8%
    Rainmm···0.10.10.10.20.30.20.10.10.1——0.1—
    Grass···soakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedwetwetwetwetwet
    Ground···firmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirm
    Temp···9°9°10°11°11°12°13°12°11°11°11°10°10°
    Windkm/h···81116919181613612389
    Daylight···✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓——

    Growth: barely growing (growth potential 0.13). Enough to be worth cutting. Growth decides whether a cut is wanted, not how well it will go, so it is not one of the rows above and does not move the chances.Chance is the share of 94 forecast runs — the same weather models re-run from slightly different starting conditions — in which you could have mowed that hour. The rows below it are what those runs expect on average, which is why an hour can look reasonable line by line and still fall short: the chance only counts runs where everything came together at once. Hover any cell for what the runs that ruled it out actually hit.

    Monday 19 OctoberLow confidence this far out

    No — 0.1mm of rain falling.

    25% pushing it. About 2 runs in 3 found the grass too wet.

    Limiting factor:grass wetness

  2. Tuesday 20 October: 4 hours worth using. 3pm–7pm — grass slightly damp — wet underfoot, rain earlier that day
    Tuesday 20 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance———20%15%15%15%15%15%30%65%75%80%80%——
    VerdictdarkdarkdarkPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itGood to goGood to goGood to goGood to godarkdark
    Rainchance20%25%25%28%24%36%23%18%15%10%8%6%3%4%7%10%
    Rainmm0.20.30.20.30.30.20.10.10.1——————0.1
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedwetdampdampdampdampdampdamp
    Groundfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirm
    Temp8°8°8°9°9°9°10°10°12°14°14°14°14°13°11°11°
    Windkm/h6786889891010119885
    Daylight———✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓——

    Growth: barely growing (growth potential 0.15). Enough to be worth cutting. Growth decides whether a cut is wanted, not how well it will go, so it is not one of the rows above and does not move the chances.Chance is the share of 94 forecast runs — the same weather models re-run from slightly different starting conditions — in which you could have mowed that hour. The rows below it are what those runs expect on average, which is why an hour can look reasonable line by line and still fall short: the chance only counts runs where everything came together at once. Hover any cell for what the runs that ruled it out actually hit.

    Tuesday 20 October · 3pm–7pmLow confidence this far out

    3pm–7pm — grass slightly damp — wet underfoot, rain earlier that day

    65% touch and go — the chance it holds right through, not the chance at any one hour. About 1 run in 3 found the grass too wet.

    Limiting factor:grass wetness

  3. Wednesday 21 October: 2 hours worth using. 5pm–7pm — grass wet — wet underfoot, 4 hours after the rain
    Wednesday 21 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance———<5%<5%<5%5%15%30%50%55%55%75%70%——
    VerdictdarkdarkdarkForget itForget itForget itForget itPushing itPushing itTouch and goTouch and goTouch and goGood to goGood to godarkdark
    Rainchance26%31%47%25%34%17%16%24%23%14%28%24%16%18%18%23%
    Rainmm0.30.50.50.30.40.20.10.10.30.10.30.20.10.10.10.1
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedwetwetdampdampdampdampdampdamp
    Groundfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirm
    Temp12°11°9°9°8°8°7°8°8°9°10°11°11°10°9°9°
    Windkm/h21333636374649433836353327211512
    Daylight———✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓——

    Growth: barely growing (growth potential 0.11). Enough to be worth cutting. Growth decides whether a cut is wanted, not how well it will go, so it is not one of the rows above and does not move the chances.Chance is the share of 94 forecast runs — the same weather models re-run from slightly different starting conditions — in which you could have mowed that hour. The rows below it are what those runs expect on average, which is why an hour can look reasonable line by line and still fall short: the chance only counts runs where everything came together at once. Hover any cell for what the runs that ruled it out actually hit.

    Wednesday 21 October · 5pm–7pmLow confidence this far out

    5pm–7pm — grass wet — wet underfoot, 4 hours after the rain

    65% touch and go — the chance it holds right through, not the chance at any one hour. About 1 run in 3 hit rain.

    Limiting factor:grass wetness

  4. Thursday 22 October: no hours worth using. No — 1.3mm of rain falling.
    Thursday 22 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance———20%20%20%25%35%55%50%50%25%30%25%——
    VerdictdarkdarkdarkPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itTouch and goTouch and goTouch and goPushing itPushing itPushing itdarkdark
    Rainchance17%16%18%6%9%8%19%17%9%41%36%57%49%52%50%58%
    Rainmm0.10.10.1———0.1——0.30.20.50.60.60.71.1
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedwetwetdampdampdampdampwetwetwetsoaked
    Groundsoftsoftsoftsoftsoftsoftfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmsoft
    Temp9°8°8°9°9°10°11°12°13°14°14°14°13°12°12°12°
    Windkm/h15151413111099911131619232732
    Daylight———✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓——

    Growth: barely growing (growth potential 0.18). Enough to be worth cutting. Growth decides whether a cut is wanted, not how well it will go, so it is not one of the rows above and does not move the chances.Chance is the share of 94 forecast runs — the same weather models re-run from slightly different starting conditions — in which you could have mowed that hour. The rows below it are what those runs expect on average, which is why an hour can look reasonable line by line and still fall short: the chance only counts runs where everything came together at once. Hover any cell for what the runs that ruled it out actually hit.

    Thursday 22 OctoberLow confidence this far out

    No — 1.3mm of rain falling.

    55% touch and go. About half the runs found the ground too soft.

    Limiting factor:ground firmness

  5. Friday 23 October: nothing to cut. Nothing to cut — the grass is barely growing (growth potential 0.08).
    Friday 23 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance———<5%<5%<5%10%15%15%20%30%30%35%30%——
    Verdictnothing to cut — the grass is barely growingnothing to cut — the grass is barely growingnothing to cut — the grass is barely growingnothing to cut — the grass is barely growingnothing to cut — the grass is barely growingnothing to cut — the grass is barely growingnothing to cut — the grass is barely growingnothing to cut — the grass is barely growingnothing to cut — the grass is barely growingnothing to cut — the grass is barely growingnothing to cut — the grass is barely growingnothing to cut — the grass is barely growingnothing to cut — the grass is barely growingnothing to cut — the grass is barely growingnothing to cut — the grass is barely growingnothing to cut — the grass is barely growing
    Rainchance60%55%60%38%40%45%57%41%20%36%32%35%30%34%39%29%
    Rainmm0.80.40.50.20.40.60.50.50.20.30.50.40.20.20.20.3
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedwetwetwetwetwetsoakedsoaked
    Groundsoftsoftsoftsoggybogbogsoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggybogbog
    Temp9°9°9°9°9°9°9°10°10°10°9°9°8°8°8°7°
    Windkm/h46545956504441393734312826242322
    Daylight———✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓——

    Growth: barely growing (growth potential 0.08). Not enough to be worth cutting, which is why no hour is recommended today whatever the weather does.Chance is the share of 94 forecast runs — the same weather models re-run from slightly different starting conditions — in which you could have mowed that hour. The rows below it are what those runs expect on average, which is why an hour can look reasonable line by line and still fall short: the chance only counts runs where everything came together at once. Hover any cell for what the runs that ruled it out actually hit.

    Friday 23 OctoberReasonably confident

    Nothing to cut — the grass is barely growing (growth potential 0.08).

    35% nothing to cut. About 2 runs in 3 found the grass barely growing.

    Nothing to cut. The odds below describe the weather only — growth decides whether a cut is wanted, and it is judged separately.

    Limiting factor:growth

  6. Saturday 24 October: no hours worth using. No — 0.8mm of rain falling.
    Saturday 24 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance———10%10%5%10%15%15%15%10%<5%<5%<5%——
    VerdictdarkdarkdarkForget itForget itForget itForget itPushing itPushing itPushing itForget itground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggeddarkdark
    Rainchance15%21%20%9%20%9%20%18%22%24%22%24%25%24%24%24%
    Rainmm0.10.20.10.10.40.10.40.60.40.70.60.70.80.60.60.3
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoaked
    Groundsoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggybogbogbogbogbog
    Temp7°7°7°8°9°9°10°10°10°10°10°11°11°12°13°14°
    Windkm/h15131212121212131417192224252524
    Daylight———✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓——

    Growth: barely growing (growth potential 0.13). Enough to be worth cutting. Growth decides whether a cut is wanted, not how well it will go, so it is not one of the rows above and does not move the chances.Chance is the share of 94 forecast runs — the same weather models re-run from slightly different starting conditions — in which you could have mowed that hour. The rows below it are what those runs expect on average, which is why an hour can look reasonable line by line and still fall short: the chance only counts runs where everything came together at once. Hover any cell for what the runs that ruled it out actually hit.

    Saturday 24 OctoberReasonably confident

    No — 0.8mm of rain falling.

    15% pushing it. About 2 runs in 3 found the grass too wet.

    Limiting factor:grass wetness

  7. Sunday 25 October: no hours worth using. No — 0.1mm of rain falling.
    Sunday 25 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance——<5%<5%<5%10%15%30%30%35%35%45%45%———
    Verdictdarkdarkground waterloggedForget itForget itForget itPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itTouch and goTouch and godarkdarkdark
    Rainchance25%29%25%25%14%25%24%16%18%12%31%22%20%20%8%20%
    Rainmm0.30.30.30.30.10.20.20.20.20.10.30.20.20.10.10.2
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedwetwetdampdampdampdampdampdampdamp
    Groundbogbogbogsoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggy
    Temp16°16°16°16°16°16°16°16°15°15°14°13°13°12°12°12°
    Windkm/h17182124283336383938363432313029
    Daylight——✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓———

    Growth: growing steadily (growth potential 0.37). Enough to be worth cutting. Growth decides whether a cut is wanted, not how well it will go, so it is not one of the rows above and does not move the chances.Chance is the share of 94 forecast runs — the same weather models re-run from slightly different starting conditions — in which you could have mowed that hour. The rows below it are what those runs expect on average, which is why an hour can look reasonable line by line and still fall short: the chance only counts runs where everything came together at once. Hover any cell for what the runs that ruled it out actually hit.

    Sunday 25 OctoberLow confidence this far out

    No — 0.1mm of rain falling.

    45% touch and go. About half the runs found the ground too soft.

    Limiting factor:ground firmness

  8. Monday 26 October: no hours worth using. No — 0.2mm of rain falling.
    Monday 26 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance——15%10%20%20%25%30%30%30%35%35%30%———
    VerdictdarkdarkForget itForget itPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itdarkdarkdark
    Rainchance16%22%31%16%10%18%20%20%20%14%14%20%18%10%16%22%
    Rainmm0.20.40.40.10.10.10.20.30.30.20.20.20.30.20.20.4
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedwetwetwetwetwetwetwetwetwetwet
    Groundsoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggy
    Temp10°10°11°12°13°13°14°14°14°14°14°13°13°13°13°13°
    Windkm/h1717151211141820181483591113
    Daylight——✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓———

    Growth: growing slowly (growth potential 0.22). Enough to be worth cutting. Growth decides whether a cut is wanted, not how well it will go, so it is not one of the rows above and does not move the chances.Chance is the share of 94 forecast runs — the same weather models re-run from slightly different starting conditions — in which you could have mowed that hour. The rows below it are what those runs expect on average, which is why an hour can look reasonable line by line and still fall short: the chance only counts runs where everything came together at once. Hover any cell for what the runs that ruled it out actually hit.

    Monday 26 OctoberLow confidence this far out

    No — 0.2mm of rain falling.

    35% pushing it. About 2 runs in 3 found the grass too wet.

    Limiting factor:grass wetness

  9. Tuesday 27 October: no hours worth using. No — 0.2mm of rain falling.
    Tuesday 27 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance——<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%40%35%35%————
    Verdictdarkdarkground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedPushing itPushing itPushing itdarkdarkdarkdark
    Rainchance22%20%22%22%14%22%14%22%16%18%20%25%12%16%12%6%
    Rainmm0.30.20.20.20.40.20.20.40.10.10.20.20.20.10.10.1
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedwetwetwetdampdampdampwetwetwetwet
    Groundbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogsoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggysoggy
    Temp15°15°15°15°15°15°15°15°15°14°14°13°13°13°12°12°
    Windkm/h15141416192326282725232018161514
    Daylight——✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓————

    Growth: growing slowly (growth potential 0.33). Enough to be worth cutting. Growth decides whether a cut is wanted, not how well it will go, so it is not one of the rows above and does not move the chances.Chance is the share of 94 forecast runs — the same weather models re-run from slightly different starting conditions — in which you could have mowed that hour. The rows below it are what those runs expect on average, which is why an hour can look reasonable line by line and still fall short: the chance only counts runs where everything came together at once. Hover any cell for what the runs that ruled it out actually hit.

    Tuesday 27 OctoberLow confidence this far out

    No — 0.2mm of rain falling.

    40% pushing it. About 2 runs in 3 found the grass too wet.

    Limiting factor:grass wetness

  10. Wednesday 28 October: no hours worth using. No — 0.8mm of rain falling.
    Wednesday 28 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance——35%30%30%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%————
    VerdictdarkdarkPushing itPushing itPushing itground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggeddarkdarkdarkdark
    Rainchance24%2%12%4%16%4%16%12%4%8%12%2%6%16%8%4%
    Rainmm0.2—0.1—0.1—0.10.10.1—0.1——0.1——
    Grasswetwetwetwetwetwetwetwetdampdampdampdampdampdampwetwet
    Groundsoggysoggysoggysoggysoggybogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbog
    Temp10°11°11°12°13°13°14°14°14°14°14°14°13°13°13°13°
    Windkm/h13131414151616171819202021212019
    Daylight——✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓————

    Growth: growing slowly (growth potential 0.23). Enough to be worth cutting. Growth decides whether a cut is wanted, not how well it will go, so it is not one of the rows above and does not move the chances.Chance is the share of 94 forecast runs — the same weather models re-run from slightly different starting conditions — in which you could have mowed that hour. The rows below it are what those runs expect on average, which is why an hour can look reasonable line by line and still fall short: the chance only counts runs where everything came together at once. Hover any cell for what the runs that ruled it out actually hit.

    Wednesday 28 OctoberLow confidence this far out

    No — 0.8mm of rain falling.

    35% pushing it. About 2 runs in 3 found the grass too wet.

    Limiting factor:grass wetness

good to go touch and go dark, frost or snow already goneFainter means fewer forecast runs agree.

How you feel about mowing

Sensible middle ground.

Petrol or battery. The baseline.

Growth

How fast it is growing, and when it will need cutting again.

13%Barely growing

Of the fastest this grass could grow. The turf-industry measure, from today's temperature and day length.

The lawn is barely growing, so it does not need cutting. Leave it — taking leaf off a sward that cannot replace it costs more than it gives.

Held back by both temperature and short days — 10.5 hours of daylight at 10°C.

Over the next 10 days
about 7mm of leaf
Next cut due
not within the next ten days

This only knows temperature and day length. Feeding, watering, shade and cutting height all move it, so treat it as a rough guide.

Worked out from the PACE Turf growth potential model and day length —how and why.

Seeding

Soil temperature at germination depth, and when the window opens.

Soil temperature in Exeter, England

8.8°C48°F

at 6cm — germination depth

Seeding conditions are open — soil is 8.8°C at 6cm and holding above 9°C.

Warming over the next 10 days.

Cross-checks against an independent estimate from air temperature (10.9°C), which agrees to within 0.5°C.

Almost every UK and Irish lawn is a ryegrass and fescue mix, whether it was sown or turfed. We assume that, and use 9°C as the seeding threshold.

Thresholds for every species

The differences are small. Ryegrass is the quickest off the mark; bluegrass is the slowest and wants the warmest soil. Everything else sits between.

Soil temperature at 6cm for reliable germination. Sources onthe method page.
SpeciesSoil neededDays to sprout
Perennial ryegrasslikely yours8°C5–10
Red / chewings fescuelikely yours8–10°C10–14
Tall fescue10–12°C10–14
Browntop bentColonial bentgrass10–12°C14–21
Smooth-stalked meadow grassKentucky bluegrass12–13°C14–28

Feeding

Why timing decides whether a feed does anything at all.

Coming in the app

Grass takes up nitrogen when it is growing. Feed a lawn that has stopped and most of it washes past the roots — which is why timing beats product choice.

Right now this lawn is not growing fast enough to make much use of a feed.

The app will work out the actual feeding windows for your lawn — along with weed control, scarifying and moss treatment — and tell you when they open without you having to check.

Why timing beats product choice

Exeter, England in detail

Soil temperature in Exeter, England is currently 8.8°C at 6cm, and rising about 1.7°C over the next 10 days. That depth matters because it is where grass seed sits and where roots start working, and it lags air temperature by days — which is why a warm afternoon here tells you very little on its own.

Lawns in this area are typically perennial ryegrass with fescue, which is what most lawns round here are sown with. That blend needs the soil to hold above 9°C before seed germinates reliably. Seeding conditions are open — soil is 8.8°C at 6cm and holding above 9°C.

1 of the next 10 days look workable. The other 9 are held back by wet grass or soft ground. As for the weekend: nothing doing. 0.8mm of rain falling.

The next recommended window in Exeter opens at 3pm on Tuesday 20 October, because that is when the dew has burnt off — earlier than that and you are cutting wet grass. Underfoot, the ground reads as firm after 5mm rain over the last week, medium (loam) soil.

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Chances counted across 94 forecast runs from MOGREPS-UK, 2km and ICON-EU-EPS, 7km and ECMWF IFS ensemble, 25km. Forecast from Open-Meteo, refreshed through the day. Soil temperature is modelled, not measured — how that works and where the thresholds come from.