How to mow grass correctly??

rac1201

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I've been mowing my grass at my mower's highest setting (maybe 3" or 4"). I've been reading up on some articles that say that this helps conserve water. However, it seems like everytime I mow the grass, the wheels on my lawn mower presses the grass blades flat since they are so long and so they never get cut.
I can definitely notice the grass is a lot more wet when I mow now. A lot of times, my mulching lawnmower also leaves clumps on the side which presses the grass even more. And if I don't remove those clumps, the grass will die leaving lines of yellow dead grass where the wheels pressed it down.

So my question is....How do I cut my grass evenly without pressing the grass blades flat?
 

mystreba

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I've been mowing my grass at my mower's highest setting (maybe 3" or 4"). I've been reading up on some articles that say that this helps conserve water. However, it seems like everytime I mow the grass, the wheels on my lawn mower presses the grass blades flat since they are so long and so they never get cut.
I can definitely notice the grass is a lot more wet when I mow now. A lot of times, my mulching lawnmower also leaves clumps on the side which presses the grass even more. And if I don't remove those clumps, the grass will die leaving lines of yellow dead grass where the wheels pressed it down.

So my question is....How do I cut my grass evenly without pressing the grass blades flat?

What kind of mower do you have, and what kind of grass are you working with? My recommendation would be to set your deck height based on the condition of the grass - lots of rain, cut it lower. Sunny and dry, cut it higher. Also, I'd overlap the runs by at least 4" in an attempt to eliminate the wheel valleys. Do you have a bagger with your mower? I also have a mulching mower, but sometimes after finishing I install the baggger and run back over the "clumps" to clean things up properly.
 

RTSB

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If you have to ask this question you probably need a lawn service company.
 

twall

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RTSB said:
If you have to ask this question you probably need a lawn service company.

IMHO, it's a perfectly legit question.
 

Muhammad

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If you have to ask this question you probably need a lawn service company.

We're all here to learn from each other, so I think it's a good question. If everybody already knew everything, we wouldn't need this forum. Or be here. :thumbsup:
 

twall

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Actually, more I think about it, it's an excellent question, asked very intelligently.

To my eye, nothing matches the cut of a push mower, but the lines they leave in the lawn can last for days, especially when the grass is drier and weak. Everyone around me tells me I mow my grass "too high". I'm usually 1 or 2 notches from the top. In the summer it gets hot and dry here. I tend to leave it longer, and it stays green through all but the longest dry spurts. I get the clumps raked up right away, or, like the OP said, it leaves a nasty spot in only a few days. I've found regular mowing with a side-discharge works better than a mulcher (I've used both). I have a bagger on my JD 14SB, but it's almost useless. It doesn't hold much at all. For my itty bitty yard, I have to empty it at least three or four times a mowing. :thumbdown:

Back to the lines issue, I wonder why no one has ever made a push mower with pneumatic 4" tires. It could easily be done, and most manufaturers have these things right on the parts shelf. I've never had any problem with a pneumatic tire leaving lines, no matter how itty bitty the tire - unlike hard vinyl tires. I may just try it someday.

I hope more people add to this thread. Everyone thinks they 'know how to mow'....yet we all do it a little different....maybe a new trick or two could help us all.
 

mystreba

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Much of this will depend on your type of grass. For fine fescues, it's going to be difficult to avoid the "tracks" left by push mowers. When possible I mow on the diagonal, and switch the angle at 90 degrees for each mowing. I also generally use a bagger with the push mower - emptying the bag into my dumper cart attached to the tractor. When mowing with the tractor, I use an inside-out attack, pushing the clippings toward the outside border of the area being mowed. If the clippings get too thick, I reverse for one pass to leave a "trough" of clippings that I come back and either rake up into the dumper cart, or pass over with the push mower/bagger to clean up.
 

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twall

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Nice pic, mystreba, you do that on your Commadore 64? :laughing: Just kiddin with ya.

I've alwayys wanted to do that....but, edges L and R in your pic...You run over the same edges over and over - GUARANTEEING you'll mat down the edge pass....I don't get it.......Physics for a nice lawn? LOL

Like I said.....it's too much BS for me to empty the clippings over and over....although I like the cut better (and it vacs up little twigs and leaves), I still maintain that with regular mowing, spraying the clippings onto where you mowed, is the best approach....always have. Outward-in circle........(with discharge going toward where you've mown).
 

RobertBrown

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We're all here to learn from each other, so I think it's a good question. If everybody already knew everything, we wouldn't need this forum. Or be here. :thumbsup:
This question, like many asked here, is area specific.
I have never had this problem where I live, regardless of the mower I use. I'm having a hard time picturing it in my head, but my grass is quite thick and I have several different varieties, and I cut it much shorter than 3-4 inches(most of the time, I've got bermuda going to seed right now:wink:).
I'm quite sure it's a valid question as evidenced by the fact that rac1201 asked it. I would suggest overlapping the row you just cut by a tad and see it this helps(especially if your going in the opposite direction).
Additionally, I never ever cut wet grass. As much as i would like to get the mowing done early when it cool, we almost always reach the dew point here at night, so I wait until it dries before I cut. So: I get to sweat my eggs off every time, but my deck lasts and my grass looks good.
 

mystreba

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Nice pic, mystreba, you do that on your Commadore 64? :laughing: Just kiddin with ya.

I've alwayys wanted to do that....but, edges L and R in your pic...You run over the same edges over and over - GUARANTEEING you'll mat down the edge pass....I don't get it.......Physics for a nice lawn? LOL

Like I said.....it's too much BS for me to empty the clippings over and over....although I like the cut better (and it vacs up little twigs and leaves), I still maintain that with regular mowing, spraying the clippings onto where you mowed, is the best approach....always have. Outward-in circle........(with discharge going toward where you've mown).

If you want, I'll save a copy to floppy disc and send you one. :wink:

Never had and issue with matting on the end of the runs. I should clarify that I use this technique only on my large field. For the turf around the house, I use the technique you mention - outside in, moving the clippings to the center (which I then rake or vacuum with the bagger).
 
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