How High? Mowing Field grass

   / How High? Mowing Field grass #1  

hazmat

Elite Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2002
Messages
4,051
Location
West Newbury, MA & Harrison, ME
Tractor
Kubota L5460HSTC
Parents bought a "farm" in maine. 30 acres total: 8-10 well maintained fields. Picked up a trailer on friday & have rotary cutter on order. wooo hoooo - my tractoritis is advancing to the next stage. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Found this link U Maine This old Hayfield which recommends mowing 3X per year. The field is a mix of grass & clover - don't know the varieties, but according to U Maine it is "perennial sods consisting of clovers (red and white) and grasses (bluegrass, orchard grass, quackgrass and timothy)"

Question is at what height - 3" 4" 5"?? Also when? - Let it grow knee high, then cut? Last cutting of the season is ???

I searched a couple other extension schools & found nothing, tried google but was overwhelmed. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Edit here:

Note: FWIW Were not harvesting hay or letting animals graze.
 
   / How High? Mowing Field grass #3  
I'm cutting mine about 8" -- I'm not sure if that would be considered low or high, but it is what I prefer.

I don't think 3" sounds like a good idea, heck I don't even cut my lawn that low! You should cut your lawn at about 3.5"-4".
 
   / How High? Mowing Field grass
  • Thread Starter
#4  
I cut my lawn between 3 & 4" depending on the season. 3" in the spring to slow it down. 3.5 -4" in the summer when it dries out.

The woods Brush Bull 48 (what I've got on order) specs say it cuts from 1 - 9". Don't know why you'd cut at 1"? /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
   / How High? Mowing Field grass #5  
Stephen,

One of our pastures sounds just like what you've described, i.e., a mixture of clover and grasses. This past Sunday, I cut this 3 acre field for the second time this year. Due to all the rain we've had this spring, it was a long time between the first and second mowings. I didn't measure how tall the grass was, but my guess it was between 18" and 24" tall. The clover was pretty thick as well. The pasture is roughly a regtangle with only one lone pear tree to avoid. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif So, there wasn't much backing up, raising the deck, etc., just driving around in circles. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Actual tractor hours using my TC25D and a Woods BrushBull60 rotary cutter were 4.2 hours, which included hooking up the cutter, mowing the pasture, greasing the cutter afterwards, then unhooking the cutter. So, there was probably about 3.5 hours of seat time resulting in about .8 of an acre per hour. When I cut the pasture in early May, the grass wasn't nearly as tall and it took a little less than 3 hours. So, I've averaged .8 to 1.2 acres per hour.

When the grass is tall, the speed limiting factor is how much the cutter can swallow. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif When the grass is short, the speed limiting factor is how much bouncing around me and the tractor can stand. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif In each case I mowed in II range. Short grass, the pedal was about 3/4 of the way down. Tall grass, about 1/3 of the way down, except when I hit a thick patch of clover or a particularly bouncy section of the field.

The angle of attack also affects mowing speed. With the front of the cutter low, the small skids on each side of the front of the BB60 would catch the cut grass (when it was tall-didn't happen when the grass was shorter) and begin to drag it along, building up as I traveled forward, eventually buiding up to a point that it would work its way under the deck. Once I noticed this, I raised the front of the deck a little and there were no more problems.

I plan on cutting the field about once a month, depending upon the amount of rain we get.

The reason I cut the field in May was the mustard plants were about ready to go to seed and I didn't want that to happen. Note: I'm not a farmer or a gardener, I had heard someone mention this and I didn't want this to happen, so I cut the field.
 
   / How High? Mowing Field grass
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Mike thanks for the info. Just missing one bit of info - what is the height of the grass after you cut it?

Based on my reading here, I figured my productivity with the 4' cutter will be 1acre/hour MAX (depending on "conditions"). I'm fully expecting it to take a full day if not 2 to get the fields cut. Hopefully the wife or my dad will want to take a turn so I can eat lunch /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Thanks.
 
   / How High? Mowing Field grass #7  
<font color="blue"> what is the height of the grass after you cut it? </font>
4" - 5"

<font color="blue"> I figured my productivity with the 4' cutter will be 1acre/hour MAX (depending on "conditions"). </font>
Given that our fields look similar and your cutter is 20% smaller, I'd plan on .8 acre/hour max.

Get plenty of sunscreen, get a Peltor Worktunes hearing protector, batteries for the Worktunes, and a cooler with plenty of non-alcoholic beverages and food you're going to be spending a lot of time in the seat. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
   / How High? Mowing Field grass #8  
<font color="blue"> 3" in the spring to slow it down. </font>

The grass will grow at the same speed regardless of the height you cut it. The reason for cutting higher is to get a deeper root growth. The root will grow as deep as it is high -- so if you cut at 4", your roots should be about 4". If someone cuts at 2", then all they can expect is their root system to be 2" deep. This is why many people who cut short loose their lawns in the hot dry summers.

If you don't plan on playing sports in the pasture, their really isn't much reason to cut it any shorter than 6" or so. The longer, the thicker and healthier it will be.
 
   / How High? Mowing Field grass
  • Thread Starter
#9  
<font color="blue"> The grass will grow at the same speed regardless of the height you cut it. </font>

While I have no quantitative proof, after years of mowing, I'm convinced that the growth rate is dependent on height. Here's my semi-scientific theory, feel free to shoot holes in it.

Lets say I cut my lawn at 3" regularly - the grass plant varies between 3 & 4.5" in length (assuming I follow the 1/3 rule of cutting). The roots are appoximately = 3". I've got 3-4.5" of grass to absorb energy from the sun for photosynthesis & 3" of roots to absorb water & nutrients from the soil.

If I cut higher - say 4" I've got 4-6" of grass plant & 4" of roots.

Assuming that the plant needs a certain base amount of energy to survive that varies minimally with plant height & root depth - ie it takes X calories per square foot per day to keep the plant alive whether it is cut at 3" or 4".

If the above assumption is correct (don't know) If you cut the grass higher - you've got 33% more enegry available for the grass to grow.

I came to this theory by observing that neighbors who cut their grass at 2" cut it less frequently than I do when I cut mine at 3". Could just be that the overall health of my lawn is better? Also observed this when I mowed 40+ lawns a week professionally in high school & college.

Anyhow - Obviously this is a subject that interests me - If you've got any references (University ext, biology text book etc) that growth rate isn't linked to mowing height, I'd love to read them.
 
   / How High? Mowing Field grass #10  
What makes the grass grow? Sun.. Water.. Temp... Fertilizer.. Soil depth & makeup.

Too much.. too little.. effect the rate of growth.

Grass height.. the height of the grass is related to the depth of the root system.. and if properly maintained will help promote a healthier root system.. but I don't believe it's a 1 to 1 relationship. A person who is cutting their grass 2" high.. is effecting the growing in several ways. The grass at normal level helps maintain the moisture content of the ground.. and helps maintain a lower soil temp.. which also helps maintain the moisture level. The other effect is as Hazmat stated.. shorter grass has less area to promote photosythesis. Depending on the type of grass.. cutting at 2" only leaves you w/ stems.. and new leaves have to grow.

Can a farmer obtain more & better quality.. (the older the hay matures.. the less protein is available for livestock) hay from his fields by cutting at more frequent intervals at a given set height.. instead of cutting waist high hay 3 or 4 times per season to ground level? More cuttings.. less hay per cutting.. but more & better quality hay per season overall....

So yes.. grass height effects growth rate(to a point).. my 2 cents.. my brother's the horticulturalist! He could ramble off some biological lymbo that would leave all of us even more confused.. but at 6'6".. 275lbs.. he sure makes hooking up those 3 point implements a breeze!
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

2022 GMC Acadia SUV (A48082)
2022 GMC Acadia...
2012 Ford F-550 Dump Truck, VIN # 1FDUF5GT0CEC13112 (A48836)
2012 Ford F-550...
7055 (A48836)
7055 (A48836)
2022 Club Car Tempo Golf Cart (A48082)
2022 Club Car...
13'6" X 7'8" SERVICE TRUCK BODY (A50460)
13'6" X 7'8"...
2002 International 9200i Truck (A50397)
2002 International...
 
Top