Short answer: in Guelph the last cut usually lands between late October and mid-November, and it goes a little shorter than the rest of the season, about 2.5 inches. Watch the lawn and the forecast, not the calendar.
Keep mowing while it grows
Grass keeps growing in the fall as long as daytime temperatures stay above roughly 10°C. In a mild Guelph fall that can run well into November. If the lawn is still growing, keep cutting it on your normal schedule, even if it's every second week.
Go a bit shorter on the last cut
All summer we cut at about 3 inches. For the final cut of the year, drop to about 2.5 inches. Long grass flops over and mats down under the snow, which is how you get grey, matted snow mould patches in April. Don't scalp it, though. Going very short in one cut stresses the lawn right before winter.
Get the leaves off first
The last cut should happen on a lawn that's clear of leaves. A thin layer of leaves can be mulched in with the mower. A thick mat of maple leaves has to come off, or it will smother the grass under the snow. See our guide to leaf and yard waste pickup in Guelph.
The fall feed
If you only fertilize once a year, make it the fall feed in September or October. The grass stores it over winter and greens up faster in spring. More on lawn fertilizer.
Put the mower away properly
Before the mower goes in the shed: run the gas out or add stabilizer, clean the grass off the deck, and get the blade sharpened now so it's ready for the first cut in late April. A dull blade on that first spring cut shreds the tips and the lawn looks white-edged for weeks.
Or let us do it
Our weekly customers get their last cut timed to the weather, usually with the fall cleanup done in the same visit or two. More on weekly mowing.
Last checked September 30, 2026.