Late Mowing Season in Oklahoma Could Stretch to Winter

Unbelievably, Oklahoma is still soaking up rain as if it were spring. The grass is loving it, but us? Not so much.

All of this rain means the mowing season is even remotely close to an end. And even though I actually really enjoy yard work, I'm ready to see it die out for the year.

When Bermuda Grass Usually Quits

Normally, by July 4th, Bermuda grass does us a favor and checks out for the summer. The dry heat rolls in, the blades go dull, and we get to mow generally every other week (or not at all). That is always acceptable.

That didn't happen this year. The rains just kept on coming. Southwest Oklahoma was the greenest area of the state for a while too. Now it's a bit dry after a few weeks of scarce, little rains, but the rest of Oklahoma is mostly green... because it won't stop raining.

When will it end?

Nobody knows.

In past years, we haven’t had to mow much at all between July and the final seasonal scalp around Halloween. But in other years, I can remember at least once firing up the mower to get the yard into shape before leaving for home on Christmas Eve.

Oklahoma always keeps you guessing.

So where are we headed in 2025?

We've had a fairly dry September, which felt like a break. But now the rains are back in the forecast, and it’s déjà vu from past years where mowing stretched deep into fall.

Bermuda is going dormant just yet like it should. The warm, temperate weather and just enough moisture has it looking strong and prime, ready to linger well into the season. With more rain in the forecast, even if the grass goes out, the weeds are going to move in fast.

That’s the real kicker.

Fall weeds love these conditions, and while you can technically treat them, herbicides aren’t nearly as effective when the nights are so cool in the 60s. That magic spray that clears your yard overnight in July might take two or three weeks now, perhaps not even at all. Meanwhile, your Saturdays disappear into mowing instead of wings, football, and couch time.

So we wait. Either the skies will dry out and we’ll get our lazy lawns back, or Oklahoma will pull another 2020 and throw us an October ice storm just to mix things up.

With our luck, we’ll probably get both.