Lawn Mower Hight For Fall

Kentucky bluegrass, Fescue, Rye and Bent, etc
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SeanCapeCod
Posts: 8
Joined: August 7th, 2019, 9:00 pm
Location: Cape Cod, MA
Grass Type: Kentucky Blue Grass Mix
Lawn Size: 3000-5000
Level: Experienced

Lawn Mower Hight For Fall

Post by SeanCapeCod » September 15th, 2019, 2:44 pm

Hi all! Looking for some advise for the hight of my lawn mower. I have a torro timemaster and KBG mix. In the summer I have it set to the highest hight (# 7 at 4") and have dropped it to setting # 5 at 3 inches. I am using the fall nitro urea apps so it's growing fast. Should I have it cut shorter? I have also developed some rust in the front yard and want to get ahead of and the serenade apps I did in the summer have helped a little I think? The serenade was a year + old not sure if that matters? I have been cutting once a week and changing my bag twice with 2800 sqf. I figured once a week would be ok to not disturb the rust. When I'm done I wash my mower and cut the rust fungus parts last...

The weather here in MA on the cape has been wet somewhat and the nights have been ideal for rust/ fungus with a lot of dew (I think)... This next week is looking good with a lot of sun so hopefully I can move past this minor rust issue.

Any mowing hight advice would be great!

Thanks,

-Sean

TimmyG
Posts: 2244
Joined: May 15th, 2012, 6:04 pm
Location: Dracut, MA
Grass Type: Northern Mix
Lawn Size: 20000-1 acre
Level: Experienced

Re: Lawn Mower Hight For Fall

Post by TimmyG » September 15th, 2019, 8:39 pm

I have a mutt lawn and mow most of it at 3" in the summer with a Honda HRX and some of it at 2.5". As fall approaches, I drop to 2.5" and 2", respectively, as needed for good leaf mulching. I then hold those lower heights as long as possible in the spring.

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HoosierLawnGnome
Posts: 9591
Joined: May 22nd, 2013, 5:59 pm
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Grass Type: Blueberry KBG
Lawn Size: 1 acre-2 acre
Level: Advanced

Re: Lawn Mower Hight For Fall

Post by HoosierLawnGnome » September 16th, 2019, 12:28 pm

I used a timemaster on a high maintenance level KBG monostand for several years and didnt like the cut under two inches much. Main thing is dont lower too fast and start earlier thsn you think to get it really low, like late August. Otherwise you end up bogging the machine down and making it ugly for a while. I would slowly lower it to about 2 in or a little under for the winter.

I have a new theory this year, called leaving a buffer, which is what my friend does on his golf course over the winter.

Basically in Indiana winters you are going to have some dieback, where part of the leaf will die due to wind and cold temperatures. If you take KBG so low it potentially dies back to much, you hurt the plant. Too long and it mats and you have fungal issues potentially.

So, leave a buffer, a buffer you can lose and KBG survives. If you take it down to its minimum height of .5 inches before winter, winter kill will be worse as it dies back. Leave some on the plant you know will die.

FirstAction
Posts: 8
Joined: March 16th, 2015, 4:57 pm
Location: Northern Virginia
Grass Type: KBG
Lawn Size: Not Specified
Level: Not Specified

Re: Lawn Mower Hight For Fall

Post by FirstAction » September 19th, 2019, 10:12 am

What’s up, HLG, I have a timemaster as well (in Carmel). Did you find something that cut better? I have a mono bewitched lawn.

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