Dear Todd,

Thanks for contacting us about lawn mowing. At this time of year, lawn growth slows due to short days and cooler temperatures making it much less necessary to mow. The important thing in any season is to avoid walking on lawns and gardens when the soil is wet so as to avoid compacting the soil.

Some people continue to mow as a means of mulching fallen leaves. This idea has a lot of merit since mulched leaves will provide most of the nutrients that are generally needed making fertilizing unnecessary. If you do fertilize, it should be done only when the lawn is actively growing. Nitrogen is very mobile and will not stay in the soil waiting for the turf to absorb it. Instead, it washes out with the rain and ends up degrading rivers and streams. 

Unless there is a specific reason, there should be no need to mow (and certainly not to fertilize) at this time of year.

I hope this is helpful. Please write again any time you have garden questions. Happy New Year!