How Low To Cut The Grass

[bt3]

I've never measured, but for the most part I set the deck only 1 notch down from the highest setting possible in the summer months.

I'd rather set it lower, but I don't water my grass (not with 1 1/2 acres to water) and the Texas summer heat with little rain means if I were to cut the lawn shorter would deprive it of much needed moisture.

Yep. I do the same thing. One notch below max height in the summer. I'm guessing this is about 3 inches in height, but like you, I have never actually "Measured" the actual height of the cut.

 

[Bob E]

I've never actually measure the grass, but when I check the deck for adjustment once a season I measure the height of the blade over the floor of my shed. The neighbors don't look at me as funny that way :laughing:

 

[bt3]

I've never actually measure the grass, but when I check the deck for adjustment once a season I measure the height of the blade over the floor of my shed. The neighbors don't look at me as funny that way :laughing:

Speaking of neighbors looking at you in a funny way;

Reminds me of a guy in our neighborhood when I was growing up. He was a lawn guru. He'd be out all weekend working on the lawn. He'd mow, then go out on his hands and knees preening the lawn looking for weeds and grooming it. When he was retired, if it was sunny, you were sure to see him out there preening the lawn on his hands and knees. OK, so the lots were only 1/4 acre, but still, on your hands and knees preening is a sight that most neighbors would comment and look at him in a funny way.

BUT, his lawn was amazing. Spotless. It looked spectacular. You can't fault him for that. It was his hobby. And he never mowed too short. Always cut to the proper height. I never saw him with a lawn spreader dropping anything on the lawn. No fertilizer and no weed killer. Just good ole fashioned hands and knees power with a bushel basket to drop the weeds and thatch into. Now that was a guy with dedication to his lawn. :smile:

 

[Shughes717]

Speaking of neighbors looking at you in a funny way;

Reminds me of a guy in our neighborhood when I was growing up. He was a lawn guru. He'd be out all weekend working on the lawn. He'd mow, then go out on his hands and knees preening the lawn looking for weeds and grooming it. When he was retired, if it was sunny, you were sure to see him out there preening the lawn on his hands and knees. OK, so the lots were only 1/4 acre, but still, on your hands and knees preening is a sight that most neighbors would comment and look at him in a funny way.

BUT, his lawn was amazing. Spotless. It looked spectacular. You can't fault him for that. It was his hobby. And he never mowed too short. Always cut to the proper height. I never saw him with a lawn spreader dropping anything on the lawn. No fertilizer and no weed killer. Just good ole fashioned hands and knees power with a bushel basket to drop the weeds and thatch into. Now that was a guy with dedication to his lawn. :smile:

I would love to have a lawn like that. I may be able to do a small portion in front of my house, but it is difficult just to keep 4.2 acres mowed and trimmed. I do plan on spraying it this fall and again in the spring for weed control. I may fertilize a few places, but not the whole lawn. When I retire ( no time in the near future ) I plan on working to make my lawn the best one in the county. My neighbors already comment on how much better it looks, but no where near where I want it.

 

[bt3]

I would love to have a lawn like that. I may be able to do a small portion in front of my house, but it is difficult just to keep 4.2 acres mowed and trimmed. I do plan on spraying it this fall and again in the spring for weed control. I may fertilize a few places, but not the whole lawn. When I retire ( no time in the near future ) I plan on working to make my lawn the best one in the county. My neighbors already comment on how much better it looks, but no where near where I want it.

My big problem is Crabgrass invasion from both neighbors. One neighbor's front lawn (and I'm not exaggerating) is probably 80 percent Crabgrass. I have to spray weekly to stop invasion from both sides. Sometimes I mow with my Scott's 20" Reel Mower (hand push) and Crabgrass is TOUGH to mow with that. Years ago I was out of town for a month and had a service mow for me, and when I returned that side of my lawn was about 50 percent Crabgrass. What a pain in the axx to mow by hand. Took weeks to kill it, and a month to establish healthy grass in place of the Crab.

Anyway, I can't preen out all that Crabgrass by hand. Literally hundreds of plants to pluck. I've had good luck with Ortho Weed Be Gone with Crabgrass Killer. Takes a few applications but it does kill the Crab and leave most healthy grass behind.

 

[Shughes717]

My big problem is Crabgrass invasion from both neighbors. One neighbor's front lawn (and I'm not exaggerating) is probably 80 percent Crabgrass. I have to spray weekly to stop invasion from both sides. Sometimes I mow with my Scott's 20" Reel Mower (hand push) and Crabgrass is TOUGH to mow with that. Years ago I was out of town for a month and had a service mow for me, and when I returned that side of my lawn was about 50 percent Crabgrass. What a pain in the axx to mow by hand. Took weeks to kill it, and a month to establish healthy grass in place of the Crab.

Anyway, I can't preen out all that Crabgrass by hand. Literally hundreds of plants to pluck. I've had good luck with Ortho Weed Be Gone with Crabgrass Killer. Takes a few applications but it does kill the Crab and leave most healthy grass behind.

Got crab grass and nut grass all over my lawn. Plan on using something we have used for years in the cotton fields to prevent it from coming up next spring.

 

[bt3]

Got crab grass and nut grass all over my lawn. Plan on using something we have used for years in the cotton fields to prevent it from coming up next spring.

Pray tell! What is this "something" you use? Is it commercially available? Does it kill ALL grasses or only Crabgrass? I don't want a "Roundup" product that lays waste to everything. I just want to kill the Crab.

I have tried "Scott's Pre Emergent" and it works OK, but since one of the Neighbors actually grows Crabgrass as his lawn, invasion is imminent. I need something good to kill it once it invades.

Again, Ortho Weed Be Gone with Crabgrass Killer works OK, but you have to be diligent. Perhaps your solution would be better.

Thanks!

 

[Blaine B.]

That's one way to do it....have a yard full of crabgrass!

 

[bt3]

That's one way to do it....have a yard full of crabgrass!

One of my friends always said, "If Crabgrass was a Perennial, I would grow it as a lawn."

Not me. I'm not a fan of Crabgrass.

 

[Blaine B.]

Seems to me that it would be more like a southern grass.