Long grass... mow once or twice???

[Gary_in_Indiana]

With all of the rain we've had this spring mowing on any kind of a schedule has been tough at best. More than a couple times I've had my grass get way taller than I'd like before I was able to get a mower to it.

Here's my question for those situations and times. If I normally mow to, say, a 3" height and the grass has gotten to be 7"-8" tall, am I better off trying to mow it one time down to the 3" height, however slowly I'll have to go to do that or should I do it in two passes, cutting a couple inches or so each time?

What are the pros and cons of doing it either way and is there a preferred or obviously superior method and why? Thanks. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Gatorboy]

I would mow it twice. When cutting grass, it is recommended only to cut about 1/3 of the blade of grass at a time. Cut it at about 4.5" and then about 3 or 4 days later, cut it again at 3"

 

[Bird]

What Dave (Gatorboy) said is what the experts and professionals say to do. You'd probably get it mulched better that way. And of course there's no way I'd do that; I'm too lazy for that. I just mow it to the length I wanted it to be. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[theonlybull]

the only thing that i find with mowning twice in heavey grass is, your tires will flatten it down twice as bad, and you won't get it mowed very well.

 

[sweettractors]

<font color="blue">cut about 1/3 of the blade of grass at a time. </font>

This is the common practice for the best performance from mower and best appearance of the lawn.--Ken Sweet
Sweet Farm Equipment LLC *New Hay Tedders, Hay Rakes and Disc Mowers for Your Hay Crop*

 

[Ledgemere Farm]

Twice. Mow once, then again perpendicularly. It will look like a checkerboard.

 

[arthurb]

Gary in Indiana,

I cut my grass at the height of 2.5" every 4-5 days. Your grass will grow thicker when you cut it more frequently at a higher height. Also, when you cut it higher it will not burn out and dry up as quick during a drought period. Cut your grass east to west one week, then north to south the next. This way your grass doesn't lay in the same direction all of the time. Fertilize your grass every 6-8 weeks. Follow a yearly schedule of crabgrass preventer/fertilizer, weed&feed/fertilizer, insect guard/fertilizer and a general fertilizer for the fall season. If possible, water your lawn once a week with about 1" of water.

arthurb

 

[Gatorboy]

<font color="blue"> I cut my grass at the height of 2.5" every 4-5 days. Your grass will grow thicker when you cut it more frequently at a higher height </font>

Do you consider 2.5" high? I think that would be thought of as being short. What type of grass do you have?

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

I was using those heights as an example. I'll check tomorrow to see how high I really do mow it. All I can tell you for sure right now is that I have a Woods finish mower with two large spacers below the support and one large and one small spacer above along with the spring. I'd guess from just looking today that I'd be taking at least half if not 2/3 or more of the total height off if I mow with that set up tomorrow.

I'm not even sure what I'm mowing is "grass" at this point. Three years ago it was a field that hadn't seen a mower in probably a decade or more. I started out brush hogginig it high then lowered that while looking for rocks, etc., and then went to a finish mower and was trying to do the same thing.

The weather this year hasn't been allowing me to do much on my schedule, however. It's been a situation of waiting for a dry day or two for the ground to dry enough to get my tractor out there and mowing it then. I started this season with the mower at the highest setting then lowered it. Maybe I'll raise it back up tomorrow and just leave it there. I've been mowing it shorter just because there's no telling when I'll be able to get to it again. Ii think I'll just mow it high once tomorrow and hope I can get back to it in a few days. This rain has to end sometime.

 

[KiotiJohn]

Gary, Gatorboy is right on. By cutting a little now and waiting, you will allow the grass to recover a little and also stand back up from tire compression before you cut it the second time. If you continue to cut the grass very high, eventually, the grass will choke out a lot of the weeds, it will develop deeper roots, making it more drought resistant, will shade the roots so they don't dry out so fast. High and often if you can is the way to a much better lawn. I only wish I had learned all of this last year as my yard became a weed bed from cutting too short. John