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Fri, May 25, 12 at 10:55
| A few weeks ago I posted about the cutting height of my newly sodded celebration bermuda, and the responses (esp. txweed, as usual) were very helpful. I remain confused about one thing, however. One of the problems with the height was not just blade height, but stem height. I seem to have about a quarter inch of dead thatch and about a 1-1.5" stem with the blades (or vast majority of them) on top of that. So, I understand the 1/3 rule with respect to the blade, but once you work your blades down low (which I did), is there a way to safely shorten the stem? It would seem that if you start cutting stem you will have no blades at all. Is spring/emergence out of dormancy the only time to do this?
Thanks again for helping this rookie out, Thomas |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| I usually cut mine 1 notch lower than where i want my grass height. Kind of a small scalping in late July early Aug. |
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- Posted by dchall_san_antonio 8 San Antonio (My Page) on Fri, May 25, 12 at 14:51
| If you are at the bottom notch on your mower, then you could rent a mower that will mow lower and take off a little more stem. Or mow as low as yours will go once and raise it one notch to leave a little blade when you mow. If you can mow low enough, that stem will grow out along the ground instead of up. That's when bermuda really look great. |
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- Posted by bayloraugustiner DFW, TX (My Page) on Fri, May 25, 12 at 16:10
| The mower height isn't an issue. I've got quite a few more notches I can go down. The question is how to reduce the height of the stem, which is about an inch long with a single blade growing off of the side and three blades coming up out of the top. Even if I were to follow the 1/3 rule, I would eventually get to the point where I were cutting all of the top blades leaving only stem and the lower single blade. |
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| If you cut down to the stems, you'll have brown stubble which will grow new grass blades at the lower height. It will be unsightly for a while which is why most of us do this in early spring. I was a little late this year as I did it in late April. The lawn has already recovered. |
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- Posted by dchall_san_antonio 8 San Antonio (My Page) on Sat, May 26, 12 at 23:08
| Mower height isn't an issue? No, but it is the solution. Unless you want to chew it down by mouth. To reduce the height of grass in a controlled fashion, the lawn mower is the best tool around. |
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