How low can celebration go

[iriasj2009]

I recently bought 2 greensmowers with groomers on them. Last year I used plugs to convert my tifway to celebration Bermuda. With all this warm weather the celebration just took off. It stayed green all the way up to Jan 8th 2017 after 2 consecutive hard freezes. I kept it short at about 1/2". Temps climbed back up to the 70s and so I decided to remove all of the dead leaves. I scalped it down to about 1/4" about 2 weeks ago. Here in Houston we get random freezing nights but nothing that last too long. We actually had consecutive cold days and nights and a couple of just above freezing nights back in December 2016 and the celebration never really lost its color.
I am now going to try to keep it at 5/16" for as long as I can. I've done some minor spot leveling and I have a pretty smooth surface. I also have a verticutter and will be using a PGR. I have not applied any fertilizer since Oct 2016 and I won't be pushing any nitrogen until we get back into the 80s. I will post pics later

[iriasj2009]

[iriasj2009]

[Begotten]

So are you asking a question or what lol

[iriasj2009]

Thoughts or comments??!! Haha. I just wanted to share my experience. Celebration Bermuda is courser than tifway and I want to see if it can handle the low mowing height. I was able to keep it at 1/2" with no issues and I think it can still go lower.
What do y'all think about it being scalped in the middle of winter? I guess I'm not to worried about winter kill in my climate, but could I be slowing down green up? I guess time will tell.

[Begotten]

As far as I'm aware it can be kept just as low as Tifway, along with better cold and shade tolerance. Our weather has been just about the same as yours based on what you said, and so far mine is still green and growing too. I think last year it finally went dormant some time in February.

[SimonR]

This variety originated in Australia and is used on bowling greens. I think you will be fine even down to as low as the mower will go!

https://www.google.com/patents/USPP11181

[iriasj2009]

As far as I'm aware it can be kept just as low as Tifway, along with better cold and shade tolerance. Our weather has been just about the same as yours based on what you said, and so far mine is still green and growing too. I think last year it finally went dormant some time in February.

Celebration mature stolons are much thicker than tifways but with grooming and mowing they grow in ALOT THINNER, which is why I decided to go as low as possible. When I first installed celebration, i never understood how it could be mowed below 3/4". Stolons were just so thick.
I can easily mow at 1/2 without scalping am hoping to getting it as low as I can without loosing too much color.

This is my first year without overseeding and keeping it at 1/2 inch going into winter. I'm thinking that I can keep it looking nice up until the first hard freeze (if we even get any). Celebration kept great color and density vs tifway. Have in mind that I have a 7.5 PH and tifway just never liked that ph range so that didn't help it. Now it is just slowwwwly greening back up, so I'll consider it dormant until i see noticeable growth.

Taken 2 days before our hard freeze (Jan 4th).

[iriasj2009]

This variety originated in Australia and is used on bowling greens. I think you will be fine even down to as low as the mower will go!

https://www.google.com/patents/USPP11181

Awesome article thanks Simon!!! And hey! U haven't posted anything! What gives?!

[Begotten]

As far as I'm aware it can be kept just as low as Tifway, along with better cold and shade tolerance. Our weather has been just about the same as yours based on what you said, and so far mine is still green and growing too. I think last year it finally went dormant some time in February.

Celebration mature stolons are much thicker than tifways but with grooming and mowing they grow in ALOT THINNER, which is why I decided to go as low as possible. When I first installed celebration, i never understood how it could be mowed below 3/4". Stolons were just so thick.
I can easily mow at 1/2 without scalping am hoping to getting it as low as I can without loosing too much color.

This is my first year without overseeding and keeping it at 1/2 inch going into winter. I'm thinking that I can keep it looking nice up until the first hard freeze (if we even get any). Celebration kept great color and density vs tifway. Have in mind that I have a 7.5 PH and tifway just never liked that ph range so that didn't help it. Now it is just slowwwwly greening back up, so I'll consider it dormant until i see noticeable growth.

Taken 2 days before our hard freeze (Jan 4th).
[img]https://s24.postimg.cc/irlec2vsx/IMG_4533.jpg[/mg]

Looks incredible.

I'm in love with Celebration at this point. If I could go back and do it over I would just go with Celebration plugs from the beginning instead of experimenting with different things.

[HoosierLawnGnome]

Love me some low cut turf. Looks nice!

[iriasj2009]

Thanks!!

Here it is at .25". I applied 1 yard of sand over 2.5K sqft. I'll be mowing at .25".