last mow, low or high?

[LBrown59]

I set my BXs at 4" for the whole mowing season .

 

[EagleTDL]

I set my BXs at 4" for the whole mowing season .

I upgraded from a 50" Toro to a 72" one late this summer... You would think that the same brand would be equivalent in cut heights. Wait for it.... Yep, you guessed it, they weren't! A deck setting of 3 on the 50" is 3.5 on 72". Unless you get under the deck and measure the blades on a level surface, you don't know what height you are cutting at.

Not saying that your 4 really isn't a 4 there LB, but I'd be shocked if your 4 matched my 4! :laughing:

 

[sld]

I prefer short for the last mow. As long as it is shorter than my neighbors, all the leaves will blow into their yards.:laughing:

 

[jimmyj]

I can't find the backup for this but we took courses on this years ago and I am pretty sure it was

1st mow short
Long all summer
Last mow short

Sorry, I wish I had facts to back it up.

 

[EagleTDL]

1st mow short
Long all summer
Last mow short

It would be interesting to see why the course wanted the last mow short? I'd be willing to give some thought about cutting short on the last mow if there were some good reasoning behind it...

And of course, there will always be conflicting opinions... See here for cutting short and here for cutting long (last statement on the page).

 

[SandburRanch]

In my hay fields ( Giant Bermuda) I would let go through winter cut about 6" tall, so in the spring, I could burn it off with the first growth of weeds, usually sometime in March.

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:thumbsup::thumbsup:

This method will also be a discourage the promotion of the invasive Cheat Grass germinating in the fall if that is a problem in your area. Believe me, you don't want it.

cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum (Cyperales: Poaceae)

 

[LBrown59]

I upgraded from a 50" Toro to a 72" one late this summer... You would think that the same brand would be equivalent in cut heights. Wait for it.... Yep, you guessed it, they weren't! A deck setting of 3 on the 50" is 3.5 on 72". Unless you get under the deck and measure the blades on a level surface, you don't know what height you are cutting at.

Not saying that your 4 really isn't a 4 there LB, but
* I'd be shocked if your 4 matched my 4! :laughing:

*You are probably right about that
but

I have a BX23 with a 60''MMM and a BX1500 with a48'' inch MMM.
I mow with both tractors set on #4 and see no difference in cutting hight .
.

 

[workinallthetime]

i guess the big debate came from what happened last year, we had some areas that game back like a plush carpet and some area's that well never came back. we have always "scalped" it the first few mows in the spring to help prevent the weeds and that has proved very effective. i think this year i will leave it up a notch or 2 for the last cut and see what kind of results we get.
thanks for your help fellas, and it it weighs in on the subject at all im cutting with a kubota ZD326 60" deck.

 

[Bird]

I've never been able to get my current lawn looking like I want it to look, primarily because of the shade; too little sunshine and perhaps too little water. I've got mostly bermuda in the front, st. augustine in the back, but with some bermuda. I always scalp the lawn, with bagger, first thing in the Spring, then fertilize and water it in. Then each mowing after that I raise the mower one notch; used to only go to 2.5", but this year 3.5" if my Toro ZTR is right. I don't think I ever heard of mowing short in the Fall, but doubt that it hurts anything.

But in spite of what all the "experts" say about letting the grass get taller, I have my doubts. It just seems to me the yard does better if kept mowed to 2" or even less.

Down in the country, I didn't have any cattle, but let a neighbor run his cows in my little 7 acre pasture. The first Summer after I bought the place, the grass (and weeds) were probably knee high. I mowed it just as short as a Bush Hog Squealer would go. The neighbor told me he thought I'd ruined it as far as grazing for his cattle. Well, it turned out that his cattle liked my place better than his own pasture; easier for them to graze on the fresh new shoots of grass.

 

[bobmisi]

I've researched this several times and last mow of the season should be short. Less chance of developing diseases, fungus, etc. as well as not getting matted over the winter. Also will start growing quicker in the spring. If you leave it long it will not start new growth until after you mow it in the spring. Basically quicker green-up in the spring. All in all diseases and fungus should be the main reason though. I mow lawns for a living and it works far better for me. You should always fertilize in fall also. That is the most important application you can do, as it will get to the roots and stimulate growth without making the grass grow above ground that much.