PL21, South Hams

PL21, South Hams50.3853, -3.9178from your postcode

Mowing

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

Best weekend slot

Nothing doing

Verdict: Not worth it

ground waterlogged.

Tomorrow afternoon is your first decent window.

Next mow

Tomorrow midday–7pm

Verdict: Touch and go, 45% chance it holds

ground firm — 6mm rain over the last week, medium (loam) soil

  • Worth watching: Ground still soft. 49mm 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 — 1.1mm of rain falling.
    Monday 19 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance————40%30%25%20%20%25%35%35%40%45%——
    VerdictAlready goneAlready goneAlready goneAlready goneTouch and goPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itTouch and goTouch and godarkdark
    Rainchance····27%38%46%49%50%36%30%47%27%25%20%4%
    Rainmm····0.10.40.30.50.40.30.30.40.10.20.1—
    Grass····wetwetwetsoakedsoakedwetwetwetwetwetwetwet
    Ground····firmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirm
    Temp····9°10°11°11°12°12°12°12°12°11°10°10°
    Windkm/h····181518232424232117989
    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 — 1.1mm of rain falling.

    45% touch and go. About half the runs found the grass too wet.

    Limiting factor:grass wetness

  2. Tuesday 20 October: 7 hours worth using. midday–7pm — ground firm — 6mm rain over the last week, medium (loam) soil
    Tuesday 20 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance———25%25%25%40%65%85%80%75%85%80%75%——
    VerdictdarkdarkdarkPushing itPushing itPushing itPushing itGood to goPrime timeGood to goGood to goPrime timeGood to goGood to godarkdark
    Rainchance6%9%11%15%11%12%15%9%7%14%17%8%12%16%27%35%
    Rainmm—0.1——0.10.10.10.10.1—0.1—0.10.10.20.4
    Grasswetwetwetwetwetwetwetdampdrydrydrydrydrydampdampdamp
    Groundfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirm
    Temp10°10°9°8°9°10°12°13°13°14°14°14°12°12°11°12°
    Windkm/h844104151615161614518910
    Daylight———✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓——

    Growth: barely growing (growth potential 0.19). 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 · midday–7pmLow confidence this far out

    midday–7pm — ground firm — 6mm rain over the last week, medium (loam) soil

    45% touch and go — the chance it holds right through, not the chance at any one hour. About half the runs hit rain.

    Limiting factor:ground firmness

  3. Wednesday 21 October: 1 hour worth using. 5pm–6pm — grass slightly damp — dry again 4 hours after a shower
    Wednesday 21 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance———<5%<5%<5%<5%20%35%40%40%55%65%55%——
    Verdictdarkdarkdarkground waterloggedForget itForget itForget itPushing itPushing itTouch and goTouch and goTouch and goGood to goTouch and godarkdark
    Rainchance36%38%38%28%40%20%33%32%25%24%32%21%17%25%23%36%
    Rainmm0.40.30.40.30.30.30.30.40.30.20.40.20.10.10.10.2
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedwetwetwetdampdampdampwetwet
    Groundbogbogbogbogsoftsoftsoftsoftsoftsoftsoftsoftsoftsoftsoftsoft
    Temp9°9°9°8°8°8°8°9°10°11°11°11°11°10°10°10°
    Windkm/h27404045454646413635343227211718
    Daylight———✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓——

    Growth: barely growing (growth potential 0.14). 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–6pmLow confidence this far out

    5pm–6pm — grass slightly damp — dry again 4 hours after a shower

    65% good to go. About 1 run in 3 hit rain.

    Limiting factor:grass wetness

  4. Thursday 22 October: no hours worth using. No — 3.2mm of rain falling.
    Thursday 22 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance———<5%<5%5%<5%5%25%25%20%<5%<5%<5%——
    VerdictdarkdarkdarkForget itForget itForget itForget itForget itPushing itPushing itPushing itForget itForget itground waterloggeddarkdark
    Rainchance38%34%35%24%25%25%42%37%36%46%56%77%67%64%62%58%
    Rainmm0.20.20.20.10.10.10.30.20.30.90.61.21.41.81.51.6
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedwetwetsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoaked
    Groundsoftsoftsoftsoftsoftsoftsoftsoftsoftsoftsoftsoftsoftbogbogbog
    Temp9°9°9°9°10°11°11°12°13°13°13°13°13°12°12°13°
    Windkm/h1918171411910121517202327313437
    Daylight———✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓——

    Growth: barely growing (growth potential 0.20). 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 OctoberReasonably confident

    No — 3.2mm of rain falling.

    25% pushing it. About 2 runs in 3 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 0.09).
    Friday 23 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance———<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%——
    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
    Rainchance62%57%61%42%52%50%52%45%31%24%42%36%33%35%42%32%
    Rainmm0.80.70.70.40.60.50.70.50.30.30.60.50.40.40.40.4
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoaked
    Groundbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbog
    Temp9°9°9°9°9°9°10°11°11°11°9°8°8°8°8°8°
    Windkm/h52545451474442414036312727272726
    Daylight———✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓——

    Growth: barely growing (growth potential 0.09). 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 0.09).

    <5% nothing to cut. Almost every run 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 — ground waterlogged.
    Saturday 24 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance———<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%——
    Verdictdarkdarkdarkground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedForget itForget itground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggeddarkdark
    Rainchance14%16%19%11%26%22%27%20%27%27%22%27%31%27%25%31%
    Rainmm—0.10.20.10.70.311.31.01.71.61.81.81.61.30.6
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoaked
    Groundbogbogbogbogbogbogsoddensoddenbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbog
    Temp8°8°8°9°10°10°10°10°10°10°11°11°12°14°15°15°
    Windkm/h18161414141515171924303436373635
    Daylight———✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓——

    Growth: barely growing (growth potential 0.17). 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 — ground waterlogged.

    <5% forget it. Almost every run found the grass too wet.

    Limiting factor:grass wetness

  7. Sunday 25 October: no hours worth using. No — 0.9mm of rain falling.
    Sunday 25 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance——<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%———
    Verdictdarkdarkground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedForget itForget itForget itForget itForget itdarkdarkdark
    Rainchance29%33%29%25%20%29%29%16%24%14%37%25%25%24%14%25%
    Rainmm0.50.60.50.40.20.40.40.40.30.10.50.40.30.20.30.4
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedwetwetwetwetwetwet
    Groundbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogsoddensoddensoddensoddensoddensoddensoddensodden
    Temp16°16°16°16°15°15°15°15°14°14°14°13°13°12°12°12°
    Windkm/h35373941434546464644424038363533
    Daylight——✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓———

    Growth: growing slowly (growth potential 0.35). 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 OctoberReasonably confident

    No — 0.9mm of rain falling.

    <5% forget it. Almost every run found the grass too wet.

    Limiting factor:grass wetness

  8. Monday 26 October: no hours worth using. No — 0.2mm of rain falling.
    Monday 26 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance——<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%———
    Verdictdarkdarkground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedForget itForget itForget itForget itdarkdarkdark
    Rainchance22%22%35%18%14%22%25%20%37%18%24%25%33%20%33%22%
    Rainmm0.30.50.80.20.40.20.70.60.70.60.40.60.70.60.40.9
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoaked
    Groundsoddenbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogsoddensoddensoddensoddensoddensoddensodden
    Temp11°11°11°12°13°13°14°14°14°14°14°13°13°13°13°13°
    Windkm/h16161413131720222116116571014
    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.

    Monday 26 OctoberReasonably confident

    No — 0.2mm of rain falling.

    <5% forget it. Almost every run found the grass too wet.

    Limiting factor:grass wetness

  9. Tuesday 27 October: no hours worth using. No — 0.5mm of rain falling.
    Tuesday 27 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance——<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%———
    Verdictdarkdarkground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggeddarkdarkdark
    Rainchance35%20%31%24%24%27%22%29%20%27%29%39%16%22%14%12%
    Rainmm0.60.60.40.50.60.40.30.80.20.30.50.50.40.10.10.1
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoaked
    Groundbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbog
    Temp15°15°15°15°15°15°14°14°14°14°14°13°13°13°13°12°
    Windkm/h32323131313232333231292826252423
    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 — 0.5mm of rain falling.

    <5% forget it. Almost every run found the grass too wet.

    Limiting factor:grass wetness

  10. Wednesday 28 October: no hours worth using. No — 0.7mm of rain falling.
    Wednesday 28 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance——<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%<5%————
    Verdictdarkdarkground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterloggeddarkdarkdarkdark
    Rainchance27%8%24%12%16%16%18%18%16%22%20%20%12%25%12%10%
    Rainmm0.2—0.10.10.10.10.10.10.10.10.10.10.10.20.10.1
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedwetwetwetwetwetwetsoakedsoakedsoaked
    Groundbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbog
    Temp12°12°12°12°13°13°14°14°14°14°14°13°13°13°13°13°
    Windkm/h22222324252628293032343536373634
    Daylight——✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓————

    Growth: growing slowly (growth potential 0.25). 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 — 0.7mm of rain falling.

    <5% forget it. Almost every run 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 PL21, South Hams

9.1°C48°F

at 6cm — germination depth

Seeding conditions are open — soil is 9.1°C at 6cm and holding above 9°C.

Warming over the next 10 days.

Cross-checks against an independent estimate from air temperature (10.8°C), which agrees to within 0.8°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

PL21, South Hams in detail

Soil temperature in PL21, South Hams is currently 9.1°C at 6cm, and rising about 2.2°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 9.1°C at 6cm and holding above 9°C.

4 of the next 10 days look workable. The other 6 are held back by wet grass or soft ground. As for the weekend: nothing doing. ground waterlogged.

The next recommended window in PL21 opens at midday on Tuesday 20 October, and holds while conditions stay put. Underfoot, the ground reads as firm after 11mm 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.