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lovethempokes

can I convert to a reel mower

lovethempokes
13 years ago

I have a 2 year old bermuda yard started from sod - I do not know the particular variant/species. I am in zone 7a (Oklahoma City, OK). I currently mow it entirely too high. I would estimate that I keep it at 2.5"-2.75"H in the heat of the summer with decent results last summer. I have been researching the use of reel type mowers. I want to know if any and all bermuda species are capable of .5"-.7" heights.

here are my specific questions:

1) How do I know my bermuda is able to be cut at reel heights?

2) can I make the conversion now? My yard is 100% green and slowly growing - weed free.

3) Can I continue to add small amounts of sand to the little dips in the yard as I am making this 2.75" to .7" conversion?

Comments (12)

  • dwrecktor
    13 years ago

    If you started from sod it's most likely a hybrid bermuda, my guess it's Tifway 419.

    1) If your bermuda is a hybrid, which I'm pretty sure it is, it can be cut down to .7" like you want. Just be prepare to cut 2 to 3 times a week so as to not stress out grass by cutting more than 1/3 off.

    2) I know you could slowly take the height down by slowly lowering your mowing height after each mowing til you hit your desired height. But someone w/ more experience can chime in if it's ok for you to go straight to .7" now & not hurt the grass too badly.

    3) Yes, just don't smother the grass by adding too much. Do a search on "topdressing" or check the FAQ.

  • texas_weed
    13 years ago

    Simple answer is YES.

    1. I know the OKC market very well, and your sod came from Easton Farms or mine. Easton two years ago had 3 varieties available Tifway-I (aka 419) Baby, and U3. Baby and U3 are the more expensive varieties. My guess is since you do not know the variety you bought the house new and the default standard for all new homes is Tifway-I. It does not matter, they are all hybrids and maintenance is identical and can be kept very short, down to 1/4 inch if you want.

    2. You can, but you had better take care of the grade issue first. What I recommend depending on how the grade is, take it as low as you can now as so not to scalp any areas, say 1 to 1-1/2 inches, and then work on the grade problems.

    3. Start now by bringing up the low spots with sand. Once you get to where it is flat then we can bring th eheight down, but the time to do that depends on when you get the grade issue fixed.

    Ok here is the trick. If it takes you to mid or late summer to get the grade issue taken care of, put off lowering to .7 until next year. Just maintain at 1.5 inches the rest of the season and let it go dormant this fall. The next late winter or very early spring after the threat of frost has passed, but before green up, whack it down to 1/2 inch, and remove all the clipping. Then spray the whole yard with a liquid iron application. Once you see it starting to green up and recover, apply your first application of fertilizer with a 3-1-2 ratio like 15-5-20 or 20-5-10. You are now on your way.

    If you can get the grade issue taken care of by the first week of June, whack it down and remove the clippings. I warn you your lawn is going to look like he!! and be nothing but brown twigs and stems for a couple of weeks and look thin up til mid July. Keep it watered. Soon as you see some green again, apply 39-0-0, and keep it watered. Mow at desired height every other day and stay after it until it goes dormant.

    Last warning here. If you are going to keep it at .7 or that short, you are committing yourself to mowing every 2 or 3 days, monthly fertilizer applications, and a huge water bill unless the good Lord blesses you with ample rain fall again this summer. So be careful what you ask for, because you will get it.

    Good Luck

    TW

  • lovethempokes
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    thank you both for the detailed responses.

    I've aleady got the sand in the driveway. I'm fairly certain that I can have it level and ready to go by June.

    Texas-weed, your last words of warning do have me a tad scared. I think the main reason I keep it so high is the drought tollerance. It seems to maintain soil moisture longer. of course, it comes at the expense of seeing the beige "sticks" under the green. My front lawn faces east by northeast so it gets a break from the sun in late afternoon onward. Hopefully that will reduce some of the water needs. I have an irrigation system but I'm on rural water and it isn't too cheap.

    "you are committing yourself to mowing every 2 or 3 days" - I think I actually like the thought of that!

    Thank you again for the great advice. I'll come post my results once the job is done...that's assuming they're worth showing! Thankfully, I still have two rotary mowers in case I decide to ditch this route. I really want to make a go of it, though.

  • texas_weed
    13 years ago

    Texas-weed, your last words of warning do have me a tad scared. I think the main reason I keep it so high is the drought tolerance. It seems to maintain soil moisture longer.

    You are spot on correct. When you take it down, the evaporation factor is going to go way up requiring a lot more water. That is why I warned you. Try this, maintain at 1 inch and see what happens. If you are OK with the added expense go down the rest of the way. If you get sticker shock at 1 inch go back to 1.5 inches and see how it goes.

  • lovethempokes
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I'm certainly not handcuffed to any particular height. I just really want the "reel look" - uniform, clean cut.

    We received some serious rain this week. After seeing the lawn retain standing water for the first time, I realize that I've got more severe grading issues than expected. I'm going to spend this entire growing season making height adjustments and smoothing out the dips. I will do this while maintaining a 1.5"-2" height with my rotary mowers. I just don't see how I could topdress areas up to 12'x8' in size without severly stunting the grass in that area. I've got my first batch of sand down now. I'm going to wait for the grass to accept this new surface before I add additional layers.

    What hacks me off is that my yard was initially bladed to a flawless surface...then a trailer backed into my yard to drop off a bobcat to fill up my flower beds. The tracks from the bobcat and wheels on the trailer thrashed the level as the soil was wet at the time. Oh well, it's something to do.

    So, I assume that I will not be able to achieve the smooth surface required until the following growing season. I plan on going with a 20" (Or so) reel mower to reduce the likelyhood of scalping but there are still too many rough spots to take it down now.

  • texas_weed
    13 years ago

    OK, good plan, but I do have 1 recommendation for you. Take the height down as low as you can now with the rotary mower without scalping and digging into dirt. Assuming you do have Tifway, I am confident you do, it will make things a lot easier, thicken the grass up, train it to grow lower, and just better health for the Bermuda.

    Do you have access to a lawn tractor or riding lawn mower. If so I can tell you how to use it to make grading a lot less work and very effective..

  • lovethempokes
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    OK, I'll take it down a notch every 5 days or so until I get my walk behind Honda to its lowest level. I know it'll look like garbage for a spell but I've told my wife we'll have to "ruin" our yard for a year to make this leap.

    "Do you have access to a lawn tractor or riding lawn mower. If so I can tell you how to use it to make grading a lot less work and very effective.."

    I've got a 28" snapper RER that'll go down to the dirt if need be. What did you have in mind?

  • lovethempokes
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    bump - I'm interested in this technique! Sorry, I'm captain impatient.

  • Billl
    13 years ago

    Don't just nibble down on the bermuda every 5 days. It will take forever to get rid of the twigginess that way. Just cut it down to a bit under 1" and keep it watered well. It will look like you are killing the whole lawn, but it will regrow at the lower level.

  • texas_weed
    13 years ago

    Sorry for the delay. Go ahead and take it down to 1 inch now and get it over with. Sooner you do, the sooner it recovers.

    As for the riding lawn mower, I am referring to using it to help you level or grade the yard and save your back. Two ways to use it:

    1. Obtain a wooden pallet, and some cinder blocks to use as weights. Turn the pallet upside down, place the cinder blocks on it to weight it down. Then chain it or rope it to the riding lawn mower. Now get you a shovel out and throw sand in the low spots. Don't worry about trying to spread it out, just get the material down in the general area of interest. Now get on the riding lawn mower and drive around pulling the pallet behind you and let it do the work for you. It wile screed the sand around and make a nice smooth flat even distribution for you, all you gotta do is ride baby ride.

    2. Same concept except build a re-enforced frame out of 2 x 4 and stretch chain link fence onto the frame. Or even better use use the fence post and 90 angle hardware to make the frame. The you use the bar stretchers and clamps to stretch the fence on the frame. Its a little more expensive but works really good. Weight it down and drive.

    Both methods work very well with the chain link being a bit quicker, but both give the same result.

  • texas_weed
    13 years ago

    Oh, one more thought to make it even easier on yourself. Have your wife pitch the sand around while you drive the riding lawn mower while drinking some lemonade or Rock Mountain Kool-Aid listening to a ball game with your headset...

  • lovethempokes
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    "Oh, one more thought to make it even easier on yourself. Have your wife pitch the sand around while you drive the riding lawn mower while drinking some lemonade or Rock Mountain Kool-Aid listening to a ball game with your headset..."

    Man, that'll take a whole forum worth of info to get her trained that well.

    Billl I'll take your advice and whack it on down to brown. The ends justify the means so I can get by with a brown yard for a spell.