ZE1, Shetland Islands

Mowing

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

Best weekend slot

Nothing doing

Verdict: Not worth it

Nothing to cut — the grass is barely growing (growth potential 0.02).

Tomorrow morning is your first decent window.

Next mow

Tomorrow 8am–6pm

Verdict: Prime time

ground firm — 18mm rain over the last week, organic (peat) soil

  • Worth watching: Ground still soft. 35mm rain over the last week, organic (peat) 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 — ground firm, 23mm rain over the last week, organic (peat) soil.
    Monday 19 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance————————————————
    VerdictAlready goneAlready goneAlready goneAlready goneAlready goneAlready goneAlready goneAlready goneAlready goneAlready goneAlready goneAlready goneAlready gonedarkdarkdark
    Rainchance·············———
    Rainmm·············———
    Grass·············drydrydry
    Ground·············firmfirmfirm
    Temp·············11°11°11°
    Windkm/h·············303336
    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.

    Monday 19 OctoberConfident

    No — ground firm, 23mm rain over the last week, organic (peat) soil.

    Limiting factor:ground firmness

  2. Tuesday 20 October: 10 hours worth using. 8am–6pm — ground firm — 18mm rain over the last week, organic (peat) soil
    Tuesday 20 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance————————————————
    VerdictdarkdarkdarkPrime timePrime timePrime timePrime timePrime timePrime timePrime timePrime timePrime timePrime timedarkdarkdark
    Rainchance————————————————
    Rainmm——0.1——————————0.20.1—
    Grassdrydrydrydrydrydrydrydrydrydrydrydrydrydrydrydry
    Groundfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirm
    Temp11°11°11°11°11°11°11°11°11°11°11°11°11°11°11°11°
    Windkm/h41383940424341434243424142454644
    Daylight———✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓———

    Growth: barely growing (growth potential 0.16). 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.

    Tuesday 20 October · 8am–6pmConfident

    8am–6pm — ground firm — 18mm rain over the last week, organic (peat) soil

    Limiting factor:ground firmness

  3. Wednesday 21 October: no hours worth using. No — 0.1mm of rain falling.
    Wednesday 21 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance————————————————
    VerdictdarkdarkdarkForget itForget it0.1mm of rain falling0.9mm of rain falling0.2mm of rain falling0.1mm of rain fallingground waterloggedground waterloggedground waterlogged0.2mm of rain fallingdarkdarkdark
    Rainchance————————————————
    Rainmm0.10.1———0.10.90.20.1———0.20.21.71.1
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoaked
    Groundfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmfirmbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbog
    Temp11°11°11°11°11°11°11°11°11°11°11°11°11°11°10°11°
    Windkm/h41414240393940363535373632333545
    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.

    Wednesday 21 OctoberConfident

    No — 0.1mm of rain falling.

    Limiting factor:grass wetness

  4. Thursday 22 October: nothing to cut. Nothing to cut — the grass is barely growing (growth potential 0.09).
    Thursday 22 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance————————————————
    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
    Rainchance————————————————
    Rainmm——0.10.30.81.21.61.41.10.60.40.61.23.42.82
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoaked
    Groundbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbog
    Temp10°10°10°10°10°10°10°10°10°10°10°10°10°10°9°9°
    Windkm/h13106304810131617171511811
    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.

    Thursday 22 OctoberConfident

    Nothing to cut — the grass is barely growing (growth potential 0.09).

    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

  5. Friday 23 October: nothing to cut. Nothing to cut — the grass is barely growing (growth potential 0.06).
    Friday 23 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance————————————————
    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
    Rainchance————————————————
    Rainmm——————0.10.10.1——————0.2
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoaked
    Groundbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbog
    Temp8°8°8°8°9°10°10°10°10°10°10°9°9°8°8°7°
    Windkm/h25211816141314151514131110876
    Daylight————✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓———

    Growth: barely growing (growth potential 0.06). Not enough to be worth cutting, which is why no hour is recommended today whatever the weather does.

    Friday 23 OctoberReasonably confident

    Nothing to cut — the grass is barely growing (growth potential 0.06).

    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: nothing to cut. Nothing to cut — the grass is barely growing (growth potential 0.02).
    Saturday 24 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance————————————————
    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
    Rainchance————————————————
    Rainmm0.20.20.20.90.90.91.21.21.21.11.11.10.40.40.4—
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoaked
    Groundbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbog
    Temp7°7°7°7°7°7°7°7°7°6°6°6°6°6°6°6°
    Windkm/h98876414912161817151311
    Daylight————✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓———

    Growth: barely growing (growth potential 0.02). Not enough to be worth cutting, which is why no hour is recommended today whatever the weather does.

    Saturday 24 OctoberReasonably confident

    Nothing to cut — the grass is barely growing (growth potential 0.02).

    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

  7. Sunday 25 October: nothing to cut. Nothing to cut — the grass is barely growing (growth potential 0.03).
    Sunday 25 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance————————————————
    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
    Rainchance————————————————
    Rainmm——0.10.10.10.10.10.1————————
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoaked
    Groundbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbog
    Temp4°4°7°7°8°8°8°9°9°9°8°8°8°8°8°8°
    Windkm/h431110101010111112131415161717
    Daylight———✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓————

    Growth: barely growing (growth potential 0.03). Not enough to be worth cutting, which is why no hour is recommended today whatever the weather does.

    Sunday 25 OctoberReasonably confident

    Nothing to cut — the grass is barely growing (growth potential 0.03).

    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

  8. Monday 26 October: nothing to cut. Nothing to cut — the grass is barely growing (growth potential 0.06).
    Monday 26 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance————————————————
    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
    Rainchance————————————————
    Rainmm——————————————0.10.1
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakeddampdampdampdampdrydrydampwet
    Groundbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogsoddensoddensoddensoddensoddensoddensodden
    Temp8°8°8°9°9°10°10°10°10°10°10°9°9°9°9°9°
    Windkm/h16161718202223242321191715151516
    Daylight———✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓————

    Growth: barely growing (growth potential 0.06). Not enough to be worth cutting, which is why no hour is recommended today whatever the weather does.

    Monday 26 OctoberReasonably confident

    Nothing to cut — the grass is barely growing (growth potential 0.06).

    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

  9. Tuesday 27 October: nothing to cut. Nothing to cut — the grass is barely growing (growth potential 0.07).
    Tuesday 27 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance————————————————
    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
    Rainchance————————————————
    Rainmm0.60.60.30.30.30.30.30.30.10.10.10.10.10.10.30.3
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoaked
    Groundbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbog
    Temp9°9°10°10°10°10°10°10°10°10°9°9°9°9°8°8°
    Windkm/h26262422201715131211111112141619
    Daylight———✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓————

    Growth: barely growing (growth potential 0.07). Not enough to be worth cutting, which is why no hour is recommended today whatever the weather does.

    Tuesday 27 OctoberLow confidence this far out

    Nothing to cut — the grass is barely growing (growth potential 0.07).

    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

  10. Wednesday 28 October: nothing to cut. Nothing to cut — the grass is barely growing (growth potential 0.07).
    Wednesday 28 October, hour by hour
    5am6am7am8am9am10am11ammidday1pm2pm3pm4pm5pm6pm7pm8pm
    Chance————————————————
    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
    Rainchance————————————————
    Rainmm0.30.30.40.40.40.40.40.40.20.20.20.20.20.20.30.3
    Grasssoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoakedsoaked
    Groundbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbogbog
    Temp8°8°8°9°9°10°10°10°10°10°10°10°10°10°9°9°
    Windkm/h37383838373736353330282624242527
    Daylight———✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓————

    Growth: barely growing (growth potential 0.07). Not enough to be worth cutting, which is why no hour is recommended today whatever the weather does.

    Wednesday 28 OctoberLow confidence this far out

    Nothing to cut — the grass is barely growing (growth potential 0.07).

    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

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 — 9.8 hours of daylight at 11°C.

Over the next 10 days
about 3mm 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 ZE1, Shetland Islands

10.0°C50°F

at 6cm — germination depth

Too cold to seed — 10.0°C at 6cm and not warming.

Cooling over the next 10 days.

Cross-checks against an independent estimate from air temperature (9.4°C), which agrees to within 0.2°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

ZE1, Shetland Islands in detail

Soil temperature in ZE1, Shetland Islands is currently 10.0°C at 6cm, and falling about 1.2°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. Too cold to seed — 10.0°C at 6cm and not warming.

1 of the next 10 days look workable. As for the weekend: nothing doing. Nothing to cut — the grass is barely growing (growth potential 0.02).

The next recommended window in ZE1 opens at 8am on Tuesday 20 October, because the rain clears by then. Underfoot, the ground reads as firm after 23mm rain over the last week, organic (peat) soil.

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Single-model forecast here — no ensemble covers this location, so there are no odds to show. Forecast from Open-Meteo, refreshed through the day. Soil temperature is modelled, not measured — how that works and where the thresholds come from.