OT: another Bermuda grass question

[BonzoGoesToCollege]

Have about an acre lot that is pretty hilly and have had issues with scalping. Typically cut at 2.75” but have noticed when I increase the cut height to 3.25”, I get a much better cut. and yes, leveled the deck (48”, 2 blades), sharpened the blades, checked tire pressure, etc...

Just wondering what height u guys cut your Bermuda and if you have any other recommendations?

And I have on of those **** John Deere’s, lx176

thanks.

 

[RocketDawg]

Have about an acre lot that is pretty hilly and have had issues with scalping. Typically cut at 2.75” but have noticed when I increase the cut height to 3.25”, I get a much better cut. and yes, leveled the deck (48”, 2 blades), sharpened the blades, checked tire pressure, etc...

Just wondering what height u guys cut your Bermuda and if you have any other recommendations?

And I have on of those **** John Deere’s, lx176

thanks.

I have Zorro Zoysia (similar to Bermuda but handles shade a bit better) and I cut at 2". I'd go lower if my mower would let me (the dirt is just not smooth enough for that). Would need a reel mower to cut shorter. Warm season grasses generally like to be cut short.

 

[TaleofTwoDogs]

I've been cutting at 3.5" and the lawn looked great but was having to mow weekly. Last week, I decided to cut to 2.5" to reduce the number of cuts, but unfortunately, the lower cut looks like **** so I will go back to the higher 3.5" cut. The higher cut also retains moisture better in the summer heat and is greener and healthier.

 

[Beretta.sixpack]

I leave mine tall

Have about an acre lot that is pretty hilly and have had issues with scalping. Typically cut at 2.75” but have noticed when I increase the cut height to 3.25”, I get a much better cut. and yes, leveled the deck (48”, 2 blades), sharpened the blades, checked tire pressure, etc...

Just wondering what height u guys cut your Bermuda and if you have any other recommendations?

And I have on of those **** John Deere’s, lx176

thanks.

I cut mine at 3.5.....i tried cutting it shorter earlier too and it looked like ****....i have two acres and use a CubCadet 52 inch deck and deck level is the highest it will go, which is a 3.5 cut

 

[aTotal360]

I cut my brumewduh at 2.5. But I also put a lot of nitrogen on it. It doesn't look great for about 24 hrs, but greens up really quickly.

 

[Dawgpile]

I've been cutting at 3.5" and the lawn looked great but was having to mow weekly. Last week, I decided to cut to 2.5" to reduce the number of cuts, but unfortunately, the lower cut looks like **** so I will go back to the higher 3.5" cut. The higher cut also retains moisture better in the summer heat and is greener and healthier.

I've had a Bermuda lawn for 20 years and this was my experience. I'd always cut it as high as the mower would go. It looks better, it's greener, less watering, and it keeps the weeds down too. Sucks having to mow every week, but I can usually mulch-cut which is always a plus.

 

[Supdawg2]

Cut it below the height that you want to maintain it. So if you're wanting to maintain it at 2.75 then drop it down to 2"-2.5" and cut then bring the HOC back up to 2.75 and keep cutting. It also depends on how often you're mowing. If you're only mowing every 7-10 days then it's going to be hard to keep it from scalping.

 

[Shamoan]

I keep mine pretty low. I have trained the grass to run wide rather than tall, or it feels that way anyway. The advantage is you have to mow a lot less as long as you keep taller weeds out, it stays looking good longer. The bad is that it takes a while to train your grass to take repeated mows like this. I’m obviously a novice, but this method has kept my yard looking fantastic. On a good day, from a distance, it looks like a putting green, but it’s obviously not that short. Two weeks after a mow, mine looks like it just got mowed compared to my neighbor who has just finished mowing. Just my .02....I’m sure some of our experts will say it’s not the best strategy, but it’s making my yard look incredible and I mow half as much. I wouldn’t advise this on a plush turf lawn. I started this when my sod went down. This would murder an otherwise healthy lawn not used to this.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

3.5". I live in Texas, so we live in fear of the drought...Taller grass does better in dry conditions.

Just checked my neighbors weather station. 7.5" of rain in April, 8.5" in May, and 5.65" in June... I could of used my Mach 3 and it would look good with that much rain. In July we have had 0.02" so far... It's still holding on with a light green, but it quit growing last week. We can only water once a week and it's not enough when it gets like this anyway.

 

[mcdawg22]

I go between 1.5 and 2. I have a very flat yard. When I’m on top of it I like to keep it 1.5 for the ability to chip around the front yard. Realistically I cut it to 2 most of the time to maintain the 1/3 rule of thumb.

 

[Tall Dawg]

I go between 1.5 and 2. I have a very flat yard. When I’m on top of it I like to keep it 1.5 for the ability to chip around the front yard. Realistically I cut it to 2 most of the time to maintain the 1/3 rule of thumb.

I cut mine at 3” but...I may get banded from posting here...as it appears no one else recommended cutting at 3”....

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I cut mine on 3 most of the time. It’s nothing but hill.

 

[GTAdawg]

I cut at 3". If I did what some of these guys are suggesting then I would have a scalped *** yard. I have a one year old Husqavarna.

 

[drturf]

Bermuda is a very versatile grass and can look good at many mowing heights. From athletic fields and fairways at 1/2 inch to lawns at 3 inches. One thing to follow is the 1/3 rule. Never remove more than 1/3 of the foliage you have or you will set the grass back, when you remove more than about 50% of the foliage the plant is so shocked that root growth stops for a period. This is why scalping takes a long time to recover from. A number of posters comment I dropped my mowing height and it looked bad. It will for a period but if you continue at that lower height for a few weeks it will start to look great and be more dense. But the lower you mow the more frequently you must mow. Golf course fairways are mowed 3 to 4 times a week. If you wanted to maintain a lawn at 1.5 inches you would have to mow at least 2 times a week. 3 inch bermuda works well with a little bit of N and once a week mowing. 3 inches also lets you have a rougher surface. To mow at 1.5 inches or less. you have to have a very smooth lawn. To get that smoothness you might have to resort to sand topdressing and dragging like a golf course does. About 1.25 inches is about as low as most commercial rotary mowers will mow. Give your bermudagrass about 1/2 a lb of N per 1000 sq ft May to September. and use a good PRE emergent herbicide in Feb 15 and Oct 1 and you should be in pretty good shape.

 

[turfdawg]

Have about an acre lot that is pretty hilly and have had issues with scalping. Typically cut at 2.75” but have noticed when I increase the cut height to 3.25”, I get a much better cut. and yes, leveled the deck (48”, 2 blades), sharpened the blades, checked tire pressure, etc...

Just wondering what height u guys cut your Bermuda and if you have any other recommendations?

And I have on of those **** John Deere’s, lx176

thanks.

I mow my Bermudagrass at 1/8” but I wouldn’t recommend that unless you are using it for golf course purposes !