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PostPosted: Sun Apr 11, 2004 9:05 pm 
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what length should my bermuda lawn be? thanks in advance.


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PostPosted: Sun Apr 11, 2004 10:43 pm 
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There's only ever been one recommended mowing height for bermuda that I've run across here. As low as you can set your mower.

~Dave


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 Post subject: mower height
PostPosted: Fri May 21, 2004 9:42 pm 
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wouldn't mowing your Bermuda as low as possible be considered scalping? I thought scalping was a "no-no". Should you raise the mower's level in the hot summer so the grass helps protect the soil???


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PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 12:42 am 
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Wel all I know is, my neighbors around my sub division probably all set their mowers on a low setting for their bermuda and it seems to be scorching them under the mid day sun (keep in mind they probably all use chemicals).

I challenge the whole mow bermuda fairly low thing, unles your watering alot, I found bermuda to scorch in Texas summers if cut to low. What has always worked for me is a 2" cut in spring raised to 3" cut all summer. My grass looks thick, healthy and with the aggresive growth of bermuda you won't be struggling all summer trying to keep it low.

Another neighbor cuts his at a 4" and his yard looks like a green marshmellow tuft you could wrap yourself in, but if you want to go for the burber carpet look, good luck. I think alot has to do with the type of bermuda seed too!

2 Cents!


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 Post subject: Mowing
PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 7:19 am 
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I agree mowing to low will hurt the grass. Higher the better, especially during the summer.


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PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 10:10 am 
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Based on recommendations of people on this site I have started this year mowing my Bermuda at my mower's lowest setting. So far it looks thicker and healthier, but of course we haven't hit the real heat yet, so we will see. Mowing low seems to promote more horizontal growth. Actually, when I mow I don't think I am cutting much Bermuda, if any. The only reason I have to mow every week is to keep the weeds down. My wife was commenting this morning that the grass is much softer than it used to be, but I don't know if that is due to mowing low or switching to organic lawn care.


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PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 6:50 pm 
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Ziggy, Lets hope it is both. :D

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PostPosted: Thu May 27, 2004 10:53 pm 
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It's the mowing low that's making it thicker and softer. :)

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 1:59 pm 
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Kidnasty2001 wrote:
... What has always worked for me is a 2" cut in spring raised to 3" cut all summer. My grass looks thick, healthy and with the aggresive growth of bermuda you won't be struggling all summer trying to keep it low.

Another neighbor cuts his at a 4" and his yard looks like a green marshmellow tuft ...


I find this extremely interesting. My experience couldn't be more different. I began cutting my Bermuda at the same height of my St. Augustine and Tall Fescue (highest setting of Toro rotary). What happened (over a period of several years) was a continual thinning of the Bermuda to the point today where it is bascially non existent.

This is the same Bermuda, which when mowed at between 1/2" and 1" was lush and green. Same watering/fertilizaton etc.

Go figure :?

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2004 9:40 pm 
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Bermuda has two growing habits, horizontal and vertical. If you let it grow tall (vertical growth), it is usually thinner than if it is mowed very short. If you mow it short, it will start to grow horizontally and become very dense and matted. The vertical growth feels spiky to your bare feet while the horizontal growth could not feel softer.

Bermuda needs full sun to grow well. If there is a tree or building on the horizon, it is too close. :D When it is left to grow tall, the tall blades provide shade to the rest of the lower grass blades. Thus, bermuda when grown tall actually shades itself out. If there is another grass (or weed) around to fill in, it will.

Some bermuda varieties bred for golf courses are mowed at heights of 1/16 inch :shock:

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 08, 2004 3:16 am 
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I not trying to misguide anyone, but what I am saying comes from a year and half's worth of observation around my sub-division. I think alot has to do with the type of bermuda installed. Which leads me to the conclusion that the bermuda type the builder installed with the homes here, was some sort of cheap, real basic bermuda.

Experts please clarify:

Does different bermuda grass seed have different mowing heights?

I'll get some pics up soon! Its pretty wild around here, this guys lawn measuring from sidewalk to top of cut, has to be at least 4" if not more, and its bermuda!

I gonna creep over there tonight with a ruler, get some evidence!

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Last edited by CCC/Kidnasty2001 on Mon Jul 19, 2004 11:57 pm, edited 5 times in total.

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 09, 2004 4:37 pm 
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Hi, new to this forum. Trying to get some straight scoop on my sod. I mow it about 3 inches. From what I have been reading here, that is too high. When I cut it lower, it is brown. As it grows out, it gets green. Is this because I mow too high and water is not reaching the roots? Love the look and feel, but hate to see it brown. Help!


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 5:08 pm 
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Here is an excellent article I found explaining the variations in mowing heights for bermuda:

What is the right height of cut ?
The right height of cut is critical in giving a lawn the best health and appearance. Unfortunately, one height does not fit all lawns or all seasons. Generally, start off at the lowest cut of the year in the spring and gradually move the mower up throughout the season. This reduces the ugly look of brown areas appearing after mowing. These brown areas in common Bermuda grass are a sign that the grass has been cut too low. But, and this is critical, the height at which this occurs is not absolute. Let me explain by describing how Bermuda grass grows. If you pull a handful of growing grass up and look at it, you will see that the lower portion is brown, not green. This part looks more like stems than grass. This is the part you see when the grass is cut too low. The height of this brown portion is influenced heavily by the cutting height history of the lawn. A lawn that was cut lower all year will have a lower brown area height than one cut higher. This ratio of green to brown seems fixed, so higher mown grass has a higher brown area. What this ends up meaning out on the lawn is that not only is there no absolute right height for all lawns, but the correct height of cut for each lawn is influenced by how high it was cut earlier in the season.

Why not just cut it high all the time then? If Bermuda is cut high early in the season, it develops a large amount of the stem areas described above. This situation leads to poor overall lawn appearance due to a number of factors. The thick grass will actually support the weight of the mower's wheels, causing it to loose contact with the ground and resulting in an uneven cut. The grass in this case will usually develop a look like a cowlick where portions lay over and are not cut to the same height as their neighbors. Finally, the mower blade often catches a stem and lifts an entire area of grass up into the blade causing a localized brown area we call a "Pull Up". These get so bad that they can stall a mower!

What about localized brown areas in your lawn after mowing? Most times the substandard appearance of a lawn comes not from a simple mowing height problem but a combination of factors:

If the brown areas generally look like circles, or parts of circles, this is caused by holes and ruts in the lawn. These are usually left over from installation of underground sprinkler systems. The mower’s wheels drop into the holes and the blade cuts shorter in one area, making the circular brown mark.

If the brown areas are adjacent to paved surfaces, this is usually caused by too much dirt being placed under the sod when it was installed. While mowing the edge of the lawn with two wheels of the mower on the paved surface the effective height of the cut is reduced, causing the brown area. We usually don't do this twice as this one can usually be avoided by proper mowing technique.

If the brown areas are randomly shaped and less than about a square foot in size, this is usually caused by the "pull ups" described above.
An expert opinion on cutting height for common Bermuda grass is given by Neil Sperry in his book, Texas Gardening. Mr. Sperry recommends a mowing height of ¾ to 1 ¼ inches. we have found few lawns in our area level enough to mow this low. Typically mowing height is around 1 ¾ to 2 ¼ inches, but it can vary!

It is always easy to mow at a higher setting. However, if the lawn is mowed higher and higher, it will soon take on a coarse texture with an increased incidence of the "pull ups" described above. Moving the mower to a lower setting is usually impossible in the middle of the year without a major set back in the lawn’s appearance lasting one to two weeks.

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 Post subject: mower height
PostPosted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 1:40 pm 
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Great article, thanks for the help :!:


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 9:53 am 
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Whoever asked about different heights for different bermudas was on to something. Some bermudas "designed" for golf courses are mowed at 1/16 inch high for maximum density. One half inch seems to be a good average starting point for bermuda. You have to have pretty level ground and a good reel mower for the absolute best results with bermuda. Ask any golf greens keeper.

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