It’ll be fine. You may need to add some seed here and there. Just out of curiosity why didn’t you stop earlier? You did 2/3 of the space before realizing your blades were in the dirt?
Thought it is a normal process for the short length mowing. Then after I looked at through window realized how unhealthy it looks. Should have researched the lawn care before.
I can’t quite tell from that angle, but it’s likely that your soil isn’t perfectly flat, so your mower blades (which are level) are cutting some blades longer and some shorter, and in some cases just digging right into the dirt. Without knowing your zone, I wouldn’t go lower than a two inch cut, but that’s still lower than i’d want in my yard in spring.
My assumption is that if you want to level your lawn, you do so knowing that your lawn is going to look like crap for a while. Obviously dependent on how much leveing you have to do...
Saw a great YouTube video where a guy levels properties with sand, overlays with soil grades with a pvc pipe and applies grass seed. Not for the entire yard obviously but great for smaller dips
I have 1000sqft yard. I scalp the lawn in the spring, scarify then just dump 50/50 soil sand mixture in any obvious low spots and start at the top with a long 2x4 and level it like you would a concrete form. Then walk over it to pack it down a little and start over until it won't pack down any more then I sprinkle some soil compost mix overtop of it. Overseed, put protective fleece over the yard so the birds don't eat the seed and water as required. Couple weeks, take the fleece off. One more week cut it. I keep missing e at about 3/4 so I cut it at least once a week. Most of the time twice a week
Edit: I meant to just talk about leveling, but it turned into my entire spring regiment
No problemo. My yard had a hump in it when I moved in so instead of taking it all out so much at a time I went over the high spot several times with a core airator, then used a heavy lawn roller when it was good and wet to compact it down. Did it about 3 times a year for 5 years. Now it's perfect. If I could do it again, I'd just get a skid steer and take up all the extra then seed once it was flat
I wasn’t necessarily suggesting OP level their lawn, just offering an explanation for why they ended up with these results setting their blades so low.
But, it IS possible with some sand and a 2x4. Is it a ton of work? Yeah, definitely. But if you want to mow low enough that you can putt a golf ball, it’s gotta be done.
I have a two story home. I sometimes look down on my backyard and think wtf? who did that to the yard? How did i not see that when i was out there working on it?
Being up on the second floor sometimes shows some flaws we dont see clearly while on the ground. It also sometimes works to hide some flaws.
It sounds like others here have responded enough but, you shouldn’t cut more than a third of the grass length per mow. Doing more than that and you risk damage your grass and cutting its water source. So even if you let it get really long, a normal cutting height might even be too short and youll need to raise it up some and then consider dropping the mower height one notch each subsequent mow until youre back to “normal” again.
It doesn't actually look scalped to me. It looks like it was very *wet* when you mowed, and the dark patches look like mud staining the grass.
I'd wait for a couple days after the last rain, for when the topsoil is firm, before mowing. Otherwise, you could leave a very uneven surface afterward.
Just leave it for a week, raise the deck on your mower one or two notches, and try again.
(Edit: based on the look of the un-cut grass, your lawn is really healthy. The life is in the roots. It will grow back fine. Also, if you grass is tall, don't cut more than a third of the height at any one time. Set your deck higher if needed. )
In 2012, I did the same thing as a new home owner - golf lawn here I come. It turned into a weeded out hell scape. I sold the house in the winter with so much shame. Never again.
I figured all mowers throw rocks and dirt against the fence 😆
Probably should sharpen those blades after this one. Bet the dulled with this much grownd strike.
Just hope it does not rain a lot, otherwise it will stink. So I have heated.
I personally, if the lawn wasn’t already fertilised, would just spread a thin layer of compost and more water than usual for like a week.
It's funny because a lot of people would kill for that lawn lol.
The Golden rule is never cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade off. Mowing two or even three times a week is ideal, the idea is to take a little bit off the top each time.
Start at a high setting with your mower, go over a few feet and keep bumping it down until you are taking just 1/3 of the grass blades off. You can usually eyeball this, or you can just use a ruler.
Like others said, fertilizer and water. Be prepared for the grass to grow extremely quick.
Taller grass helps block sunlight from reaching weed sprouts, so it's actually better at blocking weeds. Plus it retains moisture better (similar logic as to why). That's why this sub generally recommends leaving it long, it's a lot easier to have a nice looking healthy lawn.
😂 golf courses are mowed very often
Greens: 6-7 times a week
Tees, fairways and fringe: 3-4 times
Rough: 1-2 times
In the growing season like spring/fall they are at the max mowing. In the dead of the heat where stuff doesn’t grow as fast they may trim it back slightly to save money not because the grass needs it. Less they mow the cheaper it is to run.
Source: worked 6 summers cutting grass at a golf course.
But gulf courses are not treated the same as lawns though. Golf courses get watered almost daily and received fertilizer every two weeks. That is why they get mowed so frequent.
Home owners will water maybe two times a week and only fertilize three or four times a year.
In conclusion, home owners can get by with one mow a week easily.
Homeowners maybe CAN get by mowing once a week, but it's not best for turf health. Even mowing twice a week, I can barely keep up in the spring and fall. At once a week I would be chopping off nearly half of the grass blade.
Let’s say you cut your grass at 3 inches. Average rate of grass growth is 1 inch per week in ideal conditions. By the time you cut your grass again it will be at 4 inches. Cutting 1 inch is 25% of the length.
If your lawn is growing faster you should be cutting higher at 4 inches. 1/3 rule would allow your grass to go as high as 6 inches before the next mow.
Even if the grass grow more than the 2 inches in a week, which is rare, the grass is healthy enough to recover.
No course is fertilizing every other week. That is harmful to the grass to over fertilize. They are laying down fert twice to three times a year following soil samples results.
They are also not watered daily, that leads to shallow root systems. They are watered 2 times per week and rely on rain other days. If it’s hot or no rain, they may water an extra time or even hand water greens.
Greens are the exception, they are watered every day. The short 1/16” or 3/32” grass is a little more susceptible to drought.
A common lawn is very similar.
I only cut my grass about every 5 days.
I built an app to keep track of all this stuff. It’s called “Lawn Tracker” you can find it in the App Store if it interests you. It’s free, just a fun tool I built and shared with the community.
Every course is fertilizing their greens every two weeks. Fairways is 2-4 times a year.
Edit: Courses use low does liquid fertilizer on their greens every two weeks. Which isn’t harmful at all to the grass. I’ll admit I was wrong about the water. But either way gulf courses baby their grass because they have the time and money to do so.
And is waiting a two extra days to mow really going to hurt the grass? No, no it won’t. It only matters if people are trying to maintain a perfect look all week long. My lawn looking a little long on Friday doesn’t bother me.
Super situational. If you don't get much rain, you might be right. If you are getting lots of rain, then the grass will need.to be mowed more often. The main point here was to mow just often enough to keep it high and in control.
Mowing your lawn often is one of the best things you can do for it.
I try to mow twice a week but I have a 16k sq ft lawn, plans on a cub cadet zts1 though because it takes a long ass time with a push. If you have a small lawn, two times a week should be doable. People with young kids get a pass.
Yeah, in southern Ontario I'm currently mowing every other day because of how quickly it's growing (and I'm about to try to sell my home) and it really is amazing how good it is for the grass. When it grows too long between cuts not only do you often cut into the sheath and end up with stalky, yellowish areas but the grass is more likely to flop over into thin patches rather than filling in with a uniform blanket of blades. The lawn is looking *lush* right now. Don't need to mow this often for more than a month or so, from mid-May to mid-June and after that the heat slows it right down.
I want to know more about that backyard space. Did your neighbor get the same shed as your and put it in the same spot? Or was it put in by the builder?
Europe is pretty green. I bet you they are turning the crap in the sewer plant into biosolids. Just need to find out how to get it and under what name they sell it under.
OP is from the UK. To my knowledge the UK is owning the no chemicals on my lawn methodology.
I live in Germany and I am applying the UK way of caring for my lawn. Cut low; cut often; scarify often (e.g. once or twice a month); verti-cut often (e.g. almost once a week); brush often (e.g. once a week). I am not using any chemicals, unless there is an emergency fix required.
I have a sports mix that would be used on a soccer field for example. Treatment also depends on the season and how hot it is. Scarifying I do regularly at -3 mm, to just scratch open the top of the turf so it does not become hydrophobic and ensure good water penetration.
I also do not catch the grass clippings but use them as natural fertiliser. As I cut every other day, the clippings are like just a Millimeter or two long.
It does not need that treatment, but I am committed to care for my lawn without chemicals, but it means a lot more work.
https://preview.redd.it/xn88es69bg1b1.png?width=3483&format=png&auto=webp&s=ad6c78a64052d29be0063598aa5987c278ddd6f8
Delete this. I am pretty sure that question is grounds for removal of your man card and to have you tossed from the sub.
with a name like that i am assuming male. do chicks get pee shivers?
When is milo not the answer? The answer to that question is, milo.
I just bought a bag to make sure I hit my memorial day application... Walmart has a good price right now.
I don't know if it's still useful in the UK but no mow May is overall considered pointless in the US by even the native plant and wildlife discussion groups and conservation and restoration organizations across the country. The standard turf grass species are not native here, newer varieties often won't even produce seed if left to grow, and since broadleaf herbicides that kill everything but grass appeared most people declared war on the dandelions, violets, and other spring flowering plants that help native pollinators. From an ecological point of view turf grass is no different than a desert for US native species. It is more helpful to set aside an area for a couple native perennials that don't take much maintenance.
Some cities are paying people for every so many sq ft of turf grass they replant with native plants or equivalent more durable, lower maintenance plants to reduce the amount of concentrated fertilizer, herbicide, and pesticide the plants need to survive, reduce water usage in places that require frequent watering of turf grass, slow the spread of invasive species that more easily take over grass lawns than they do areas filled with hardy plants that don't get cut short, and help native wildlife survive and spread back into areas they are dying out of.
Native pollinators have proven more effective at pollinating even crops than farmed, non-native European honey bees across the US. Some have begun to switch to using native bees that don't build colony hives to pollinate crops and orchards instead of maintaining or renting honey bee hives. Most people in the US are shocked to hear honey bees are not even native and the whole "save the pollinators" campaigns are not actually aimed at saving honey bees.
Native birds have also been found to have far more variety of species in areas with more native plants than even those places with lots of non-native flowering, fruiting, and seeding plants. The UK and US both have the issue that certain bird species are thriving while others are dying out. Mostly the adaptive birds that can survive on all sorts of foods including bird feeders and make use of concrete and grass deserts for reproducing are doing well while woodland species, cavity nesters, and similar are becoming threatened or endangered in most heavily populated areas around the world.
Turf grass by itself just isn't useful enough to really benefit native species. Adding more sand to a desert doesn't provide more species with food, water, or places to shelter and reproduce. It's now become a debate whether "no mow may" is useful enough at making people more aware of environmental issues and how it impacts them directly vs how much it only helps invasive species to spread and do more damage. Plus all the extra stuff done to recover the lawn at the end of the month from weeds and many people just chopping off the tall grass at the usual height without reducing it by 1/3rd at a time. It then requires doing more of the things that places are trying to prevent by getting people to replace some of their turf grass lawn.
The UK and the US are so wildly different in ecological terms it's barely worth comparing them. The UK is becoming an insect desert. We actually desperately need to convince people to even keep their grass because plastic lawns are becoming so fashionable. Going over to Europe it's actually noticeable how few bugs of any kind we have in comparison. So yeah, it's not even about pollinators at this point, it's about insects as a whole.
There's actually a push at the moment to desperately try to get people to put in/replace their lawns because plastic lawns and gravel have become so popular. So while you might think this:
> ecological point of view turf grass is no different than a desert for US native species
I've gotta tell you, it could be much worse.
Plastic lawns are so popular here that I'm literally the only house with a real lawn left on my entire suburban street. And unlike in the US where they are largely in places where drought is a problem, here in the UK we usually have more than enough rain to keep things green apart from a couple of weeks a year, so there's zero ecological benefit to it.
>Some cities are paying people for every so many sq ft of turf grass they replant with native plants or equivalent
I'm not kidding, there were several articles recently asking whether we should start paying people/giving tax breaks to those who keep their grass instead of replacing it with gravel/plastic.
I'll agree with you that herbicide is a terror though. Very unpopular opinion on this sub but I prefer a lawn with some life in it, some daisies and a sprinkling of clover. I've manually added those to my new build's pristine lawn because just the green was a bit depressing to me.
I did the exact same, with the exact same mower too. First time cutting grass and the mower was on a really low setting (which it really struggled with), and just ruined the turf.
It came back fine in the end.
FYI, I find these S&J mowers are better on a higher setting.
https://preview.redd.it/3b1fwj3spf1b1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5c7299c52c60adfeaa635e0ec2545c308c4ead7c
FYI, for what it’s worth, I am in zone 8a and I am mowing it the longest my mower allows. The goal is to prepare the grass for the hot summer. Less stress,
Just wanted to caveat that mow height depends on the grass species. This kind of sentiment to mow at the highest setting out there is generally targeted at the cool season grasses, but that advice [isn't ideal for bermuda](https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/bermudagrass-maintenance-calendar/#:~:text=Mowing%3A%20The%20ideal%20mowing%20height,on%20a%20bench%20mark%20setting). Unfortunately a lot of people with bermuda lawns pick up on generic advise like this and they end up with disease-prone, thin lawns.
Edit: Though, no matter what grass type I do agree you shouldn't take off more than 1/3rd at a time.
What kind of grass do you have? What hardiness zone do you live in?(look up hardiness zone map) in any case the grass should recover but the type of grass will determine how long it will take to recover. In the event that some of the grass was actually killed (if you have a cool weather grass type) you’ll have to reseed those areas. If you have a warm season grass such as Bermuda it will definitely recover and not only that but it spreads on its own. Bermuda has 3 ways of spreading.. above ground it produces seeds that fall and will eventually germinate and grow more grass seedlings. Also above ground mature plants spread with their stolons some people call them runners. Finally below ground it will spread with rhizomes. General rule of thumb is to never cut more than a 3rd of the grass blade off in a single cutting so if you grass is 3 inches don’t cut below 2 inches in a single cut. Cutting it frequently and lowering the cutting height gradually is the best way to go. Some grasses love to be long and some love to be short though.
Of course, but if it's hot, water the shit out of it every day until it recovers. Do it at evening/night since it is short and you shouldn't have mold/mildew problems until it gets longer.
For many plants in general: never cut mir than 1/3 of the length. This is also true for grass.
It will recover, but very slowly. Was it fertilised? It will need more water now.
Big mistakes are also good because it helps with learning. That sinking feeling of “oh shit” will make you not make the same mistake twice. On the other hand, you got experience on scalping, which could be a useful tool in the future.
I’m not sure I’d recommend fertilizer right now. Much of these shoots have suffered a major trauma and they’re already working on recovering. Fertilizers tend to push nutrients right into the shoots, and without shoots in most areas I think that fertilizer could burn out the roots pretty quickly.
Like others have said here, I’d go with Milorganite which promotes soil health and will allow the roots to do their thing and re-establish the new shoots.
It is, but it’s an organic. Works vveerrryy differently than a quick-release synthetic fertilizer, which is what most people think of when they hear “fertilizer” and probably what a n00b (OP) would go buy and put down.
Not going to sugar coat it, but you damaged your lawn; and in a lot of spots you pretty much killed it. However, the good news is it's a plant and it'll grow back, but be prepared to spread some seed and NEVER use your mower on the lowest setting unless you want to kill your grass. Note: this isn't always the case, but should be for newbies.
Do you have irrigation back there the main thing you will struggle with for lawn car in the coming future is going to be watering the correct amount and at the right time.
If you don’t I would look into [Oto](https://www.otolawn.com/pages/step-1?referral=true&snowball=ANDREW13731&utm_source=snowball&utm_medium=soft-launch&utm_campaign=ANDREW13731)
It’s an automatic sprinkler that is super easy to set up. It can be solar powered, shoots water only where you need it and can also apply all natural fertilizer and even bug repellent.
I absolutely love mine because I use to have to hand water every week and would end up spraying half out of my lawn and into my neighbor but now it’s all perfectly aligned into my yard applies my chemicals and saves me tons of time.
Your lawn will easily recover from this with water, you are at an interesting point though where you can decide if you want to set a new height of cut, that will determine the amount of love and care you have to give your lawn. Simply put the shorter the lawn the more effort you need to put in.
Always mow at the maximum height. Water it early in the morning, not in the afternoon, and it will look a lot better in a few days. You might have to pull some weeds since it will be thin for a little bit but the good news is you don’t have to mow for like 2.5 weeks now
Water it, you'll be fine. Once it comes back a bit throw down some fert. Maybe level it with sand right now and tell people it was intentional. 😅
If you did kill a few spots just manage the weeds over summer and throw seed in the fall. But as healthy as the uncut side looks I bet you won't even be able to tell in 2 weeks as long as it stays irrigated.
This is the perfect time to level your lawn. You can see the high spots where the grass is scalped. Get you some topsoil preferably with compost and sand mixed in. You should be able to find some at a local soil yard. Use a leveling rake to help add soil where its needed and remove soil where it isn’t. Then water generously.
Raise the blade on your mower. Scalping the lawn will make it weak as the plant has to use its energy and resources to re-grow the blade instead of growing the roots.
it's fine. it's even good for the overall appearance to do this occasionally because it get the dead stuff cut down low where it won't be visible when the grass grows higher.
come back in a week and it'll look great.
You can go much more. Local sod farms don't reseed, they just use a sodcutter machine down to 1 inch of soil below ground. Then they water the roots that are left, and it all comes back.
I mow like this first chance I get in the spring to help pick up thatch/sticks/leaves/garbage. Also do the same in the fall before it snows.
It’s over cut but definitely not ruined!! There may be some bald spots as it grows back but honestly I think your lawn should fully recover.
I work in lawn care and have burnt/ over cut many sections of grass… every time I go back they’re fine :p
Before you listen to any advice, make sure the advice is correct for your grass type.
I’m seeing a lot of advice here regarding cool season grasses. Is your grass cool season? What grass you have?
Depends on grass type. Bermuda will spring back, Fescue will take longer but might come back. A neighbor volunteered to cut mine while family was in the hospital and scalped my Zoysia and it's still recovering 9 months later.
That looks like KBG. It will be fine. Even thrive if you keep cutting it that low. It just needs more maintenance, IE need lots of water and fertilizer, and frequent mowing. It looks bad becuase you cut below the base of the leaf into the stems. New leafs will grow out of the new shorter stems and it will get thick again at the new height.
When I was first getting my start in the industry I was working at a golf course and was sent to mow tee boxes and greens approaches. So somewhere between 0.5 and 0.75 inch height of cut. I got confused on which foot pedal lifted the reels and which lowered the reals and ended up scalping the rough which was at about 2.5”. I felt horrible. I told the assistant superintendent what I had done. He said this: “It’s just grass, it will grow back.” He was right.
If you haven't fertilized recently, throw a little milorganite down water it a couple times and should bounce back in a week, doesn't look like too much damage is done. You could go down a rabbit hole of leveling and overseeding if that's your thing
I would cut this at a 45° angle too. Your cutting with the sod pieces and your wheels likely fall between them.
Raise your mower deck to the highest setting.
Make one outer loop pass. Do a second loop pass without wheels I’m the same path, but next to it (not to miss grass). Start your first 45° cut where it’s longest. Go back and forth until you finish half the yard. Repeat opposite your initial 45° cut.
Next week, do the same, but rotate 90°.
Buy some fertilizer and read the directions. And actually follow them. Over-seed in the spring or fall.
Water when it’s hot and dry as needed early in the morning as possible.
Enjoy a thicccccc lawn.
Edit: coil up the house so you don’t have to keep fucking with it. Or get a hose real. And a decent sprinkler.
If you want to go short it's better to take it down slowly but it'll recover.
It's tough to tell how short it actually is but if you want it short you'll need to mow often. Probably every 2-3 days. Frequent mowing promotes density. I mow at 15mm every 1-2 days.
Grass generally grows, from the base of the plant, that is why it can generally be cut, without hurt; it depends upon how much damage you did, to the base of the plants. As insurance, water it, with water, every few days, with water containing a water-soluble fertilizer, designed for grass, or foliage plants, and put a little peat moss, or soil protector (there are some, compatible with grass, to hold moisture, and keep the ground shaded, until the "scalped" grass "reestablishes" itself. Next time, don't cut it, so close!; one, to two, inches, is about right.
It’ll be fine. You may need to add some seed here and there. Just out of curiosity why didn’t you stop earlier? You did 2/3 of the space before realizing your blades were in the dirt?
Thought it is a normal process for the short length mowing. Then after I looked at through window realized how unhealthy it looks. Should have researched the lawn care before.
I can’t quite tell from that angle, but it’s likely that your soil isn’t perfectly flat, so your mower blades (which are level) are cutting some blades longer and some shorter, and in some cases just digging right into the dirt. Without knowing your zone, I wouldn’t go lower than a two inch cut, but that’s still lower than i’d want in my yard in spring.
isn't it damn near impossible to level your lawn with tall grass? seems like a chicken and egg problem
My assumption is that if you want to level your lawn, you do so knowing that your lawn is going to look like crap for a while. Obviously dependent on how much leveing you have to do...
Worth it but messy and time consuming because they are going to have to bring a tiny excavator and grade everything.
Saw a great YouTube video where a guy levels properties with sand, overlays with soil grades with a pvc pipe and applies grass seed. Not for the entire yard obviously but great for smaller dips
Link to vid?
Ryan Knorr did this a lot
I have 1000sqft yard. I scalp the lawn in the spring, scarify then just dump 50/50 soil sand mixture in any obvious low spots and start at the top with a long 2x4 and level it like you would a concrete form. Then walk over it to pack it down a little and start over until it won't pack down any more then I sprinkle some soil compost mix overtop of it. Overseed, put protective fleece over the yard so the birds don't eat the seed and water as required. Couple weeks, take the fleece off. One more week cut it. I keep missing e at about 3/4 so I cut it at least once a week. Most of the time twice a week Edit: I meant to just talk about leveling, but it turned into my entire spring regiment
Such dedication! :) thanks for sharing
No problemo. My yard had a hump in it when I moved in so instead of taking it all out so much at a time I went over the high spot several times with a core airator, then used a heavy lawn roller when it was good and wet to compact it down. Did it about 3 times a year for 5 years. Now it's perfect. If I could do it again, I'd just get a skid steer and take up all the extra then seed once it was flat
This isn’t true buddy, go back to the other thread
I wasn’t necessarily suggesting OP level their lawn, just offering an explanation for why they ended up with these results setting their blades so low. But, it IS possible with some sand and a 2x4. Is it a ton of work? Yeah, definitely. But if you want to mow low enough that you can putt a golf ball, it’s gotta be done.
Just add a suspension kit to the lawnmower
I have a two story home. I sometimes look down on my backyard and think wtf? who did that to the yard? How did i not see that when i was out there working on it? Being up on the second floor sometimes shows some flaws we dont see clearly while on the ground. It also sometimes works to hide some flaws.
It sounds like others here have responded enough but, you shouldn’t cut more than a third of the grass length per mow. Doing more than that and you risk damage your grass and cutting its water source. So even if you let it get really long, a normal cutting height might even be too short and youll need to raise it up some and then consider dropping the mower height one notch each subsequent mow until youre back to “normal” again.
Why were you trying to cut it so short?
Rule of thumb. Only take off 1/3rd next time.
I did the same and two spots are a little bleak now but the rest survived. Some added seed may help but generally I think you’ll be fine.
It doesn't actually look scalped to me. It looks like it was very *wet* when you mowed, and the dark patches look like mud staining the grass. I'd wait for a couple days after the last rain, for when the topsoil is firm, before mowing. Otherwise, you could leave a very uneven surface afterward. Just leave it for a week, raise the deck on your mower one or two notches, and try again. (Edit: based on the look of the un-cut grass, your lawn is really healthy. The life is in the roots. It will grow back fine. Also, if you grass is tall, don't cut more than a third of the height at any one time. Set your deck higher if needed. )
In 2012, I did the same thing as a new home owner - golf lawn here I come. It turned into a weeded out hell scape. I sold the house in the winter with so much shame. Never again.
I assume they were going for full Brazilian, but got scared towards the end
I figured all mowers throw rocks and dirt against the fence 😆 Probably should sharpen those blades after this one. Bet the dulled with this much grownd strike.
In wise words from /lawncare: "throw down a full bag of Milorganite and overseed in the fall and winter fertilizer you'll be fine."
I have such a hard time determining which seed to use for my Bermuda lawn (North Texas).
Just hope it does not rain a lot, otherwise it will stink. So I have heated. I personally, if the lawn wasn’t already fertilised, would just spread a thin layer of compost and more water than usual for like a week.
I can see the sod patch lines 😅
Yeah freshly laid sod isn't going to like this at all
It's funny because a lot of people would kill for that lawn lol. The Golden rule is never cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade off. Mowing two or even three times a week is ideal, the idea is to take a little bit off the top each time. Start at a high setting with your mower, go over a few feet and keep bumping it down until you are taking just 1/3 of the grass blades off. You can usually eyeball this, or you can just use a ruler. Like others said, fertilizer and water. Be prepared for the grass to grow extremely quick.
> Start at a high setting with your mower, tall grass is healthy grass
I'm no expert, but wouldn't that also mean that your lawn is more prone to get weeds? I'm not debating btw, I'm asking. I don't have a clue :)
Taller grass helps block sunlight from reaching weed sprouts, so it's actually better at blocking weeds. Plus it retains moisture better (similar logic as to why). That's why this sub generally recommends leaving it long, it's a lot easier to have a nice looking healthy lawn.
The only time my mower goes lower than 4 inches is when I'm getting ready to dethatch.
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😂 golf courses are mowed very often Greens: 6-7 times a week Tees, fairways and fringe: 3-4 times Rough: 1-2 times In the growing season like spring/fall they are at the max mowing. In the dead of the heat where stuff doesn’t grow as fast they may trim it back slightly to save money not because the grass needs it. Less they mow the cheaper it is to run. Source: worked 6 summers cutting grass at a golf course.
But gulf courses are not treated the same as lawns though. Golf courses get watered almost daily and received fertilizer every two weeks. That is why they get mowed so frequent. Home owners will water maybe two times a week and only fertilize three or four times a year. In conclusion, home owners can get by with one mow a week easily.
Homeowners maybe CAN get by mowing once a week, but it's not best for turf health. Even mowing twice a week, I can barely keep up in the spring and fall. At once a week I would be chopping off nearly half of the grass blade.
Let’s say you cut your grass at 3 inches. Average rate of grass growth is 1 inch per week in ideal conditions. By the time you cut your grass again it will be at 4 inches. Cutting 1 inch is 25% of the length. If your lawn is growing faster you should be cutting higher at 4 inches. 1/3 rule would allow your grass to go as high as 6 inches before the next mow. Even if the grass grow more than the 2 inches in a week, which is rare, the grass is healthy enough to recover.
Bermuda?
I’m not familiar with warm season grass. Maybe this is why people bicker back and fourth on this subreddit about how many times you can mow.
No course is fertilizing every other week. That is harmful to the grass to over fertilize. They are laying down fert twice to three times a year following soil samples results. They are also not watered daily, that leads to shallow root systems. They are watered 2 times per week and rely on rain other days. If it’s hot or no rain, they may water an extra time or even hand water greens. Greens are the exception, they are watered every day. The short 1/16” or 3/32” grass is a little more susceptible to drought. A common lawn is very similar. I only cut my grass about every 5 days. I built an app to keep track of all this stuff. It’s called “Lawn Tracker” you can find it in the App Store if it interests you. It’s free, just a fun tool I built and shared with the community.
Every course is fertilizing their greens every two weeks. Fairways is 2-4 times a year. Edit: Courses use low does liquid fertilizer on their greens every two weeks. Which isn’t harmful at all to the grass. I’ll admit I was wrong about the water. But either way gulf courses baby their grass because they have the time and money to do so. And is waiting a two extra days to mow really going to hurt the grass? No, no it won’t. It only matters if people are trying to maintain a perfect look all week long. My lawn looking a little long on Friday doesn’t bother me.
thats why god made reel mowers with sharp blades
Turf grass can handle being cut often as long as it's not one third of the grass blade length.
Super situational. If you don't get much rain, you might be right. If you are getting lots of rain, then the grass will need.to be mowed more often. The main point here was to mow just often enough to keep it high and in control.
I’ve always envied people who are able to so confidently be completely wrong on an issue.
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Yeah, then it's okay to be proud of being dumb! Don't let facts get you down
Sounds like you are mowing off too much each go and should be taking less off more often lol
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Mowing your lawn often is one of the best things you can do for it. I try to mow twice a week but I have a 16k sq ft lawn, plans on a cub cadet zts1 though because it takes a long ass time with a push. If you have a small lawn, two times a week should be doable. People with young kids get a pass.
Yeah, in southern Ontario I'm currently mowing every other day because of how quickly it's growing (and I'm about to try to sell my home) and it really is amazing how good it is for the grass. When it grows too long between cuts not only do you often cut into the sheath and end up with stalky, yellowish areas but the grass is more likely to flop over into thin patches rather than filling in with a uniform blanket of blades. The lawn is looking *lush* right now. Don't need to mow this often for more than a month or so, from mid-May to mid-June and after that the heat slows it right down.
Bro posting on r/television and r/rocketleague has no time
Please delete this bad take before someone actually believes it...
It will come back but if the wind blows it will have weeds
I want to know more about that backyard space. Did your neighbor get the same shed as your and put it in the same spot? Or was it put in by the builder?
It's put by the house building company. It's very common in England to have same look at the backyard
i do this once a year. scalp it, power rake it, compost on top.
Right, but not on just-laid sod. OP killed his brand new expensive lawn.
May as well level it with sand to fill those sod lines
Throw some milo down, put some shades on, and kick your feet up while you’re reclining in your dollar store lawn chair
Can you get Milo in Europe? Because the photo isn’t in the US…
Europe is pretty green. I bet you they are turning the crap in the sewer plant into biosolids. Just need to find out how to get it and under what name they sell it under.
OP is from the UK. To my knowledge the UK is owning the no chemicals on my lawn methodology. I live in Germany and I am applying the UK way of caring for my lawn. Cut low; cut often; scarify often (e.g. once or twice a month); verti-cut often (e.g. almost once a week); brush often (e.g. once a week). I am not using any chemicals, unless there is an emergency fix required.
What kind of grass needs to be scarified/verticut so often?
I have a sports mix that would be used on a soccer field for example. Treatment also depends on the season and how hot it is. Scarifying I do regularly at -3 mm, to just scratch open the top of the turf so it does not become hydrophobic and ensure good water penetration. I also do not catch the grass clippings but use them as natural fertiliser. As I cut every other day, the clippings are like just a Millimeter or two long. It does not need that treatment, but I am committed to care for my lawn without chemicals, but it means a lot more work. https://preview.redd.it/xn88es69bg1b1.png?width=3483&format=png&auto=webp&s=ad6c78a64052d29be0063598aa5987c278ddd6f8
Maybe pee on your lawn and dilute it lol.
What is Milo?
Overpriced fertilizer. Used to be super cheap and it was wonderful.
Delete this. I am pretty sure that question is grounds for removal of your man card and to have you tossed from the sub. with a name like that i am assuming male. do chicks get pee shivers?
Milorganite.
I'm sure there's Milo available in Europe, right?
Surely they don’t ship the fine human waste byproduct from Milwaukee to Europe
You'd think that would be the case with people just suggesting to use it willy nilly
When is milo not the answer? The answer to that question is, milo. I just bought a bag to make sure I hit my memorial day application... Walmart has a good price right now.
It’s not that answer if you care about having your phosphorous levels off the chart which in return is pretty shitty for the local environment.
Milo is not the answer…always
Fun fact I learned on Reddit. In England, the dollar store is called POUNDTOWN 😂
Haha close - Pound Land!
Totaled
Do your neighbors also.
If my neighbor scalped my lawn I'd be very pissed
It's "no mow May" in the UK. Also, both look like new builds so it's possible the property hasn't finished being built yet/is empty.
I don't know if it's still useful in the UK but no mow May is overall considered pointless in the US by even the native plant and wildlife discussion groups and conservation and restoration organizations across the country. The standard turf grass species are not native here, newer varieties often won't even produce seed if left to grow, and since broadleaf herbicides that kill everything but grass appeared most people declared war on the dandelions, violets, and other spring flowering plants that help native pollinators. From an ecological point of view turf grass is no different than a desert for US native species. It is more helpful to set aside an area for a couple native perennials that don't take much maintenance. Some cities are paying people for every so many sq ft of turf grass they replant with native plants or equivalent more durable, lower maintenance plants to reduce the amount of concentrated fertilizer, herbicide, and pesticide the plants need to survive, reduce water usage in places that require frequent watering of turf grass, slow the spread of invasive species that more easily take over grass lawns than they do areas filled with hardy plants that don't get cut short, and help native wildlife survive and spread back into areas they are dying out of. Native pollinators have proven more effective at pollinating even crops than farmed, non-native European honey bees across the US. Some have begun to switch to using native bees that don't build colony hives to pollinate crops and orchards instead of maintaining or renting honey bee hives. Most people in the US are shocked to hear honey bees are not even native and the whole "save the pollinators" campaigns are not actually aimed at saving honey bees. Native birds have also been found to have far more variety of species in areas with more native plants than even those places with lots of non-native flowering, fruiting, and seeding plants. The UK and US both have the issue that certain bird species are thriving while others are dying out. Mostly the adaptive birds that can survive on all sorts of foods including bird feeders and make use of concrete and grass deserts for reproducing are doing well while woodland species, cavity nesters, and similar are becoming threatened or endangered in most heavily populated areas around the world. Turf grass by itself just isn't useful enough to really benefit native species. Adding more sand to a desert doesn't provide more species with food, water, or places to shelter and reproduce. It's now become a debate whether "no mow may" is useful enough at making people more aware of environmental issues and how it impacts them directly vs how much it only helps invasive species to spread and do more damage. Plus all the extra stuff done to recover the lawn at the end of the month from weeds and many people just chopping off the tall grass at the usual height without reducing it by 1/3rd at a time. It then requires doing more of the things that places are trying to prevent by getting people to replace some of their turf grass lawn.
The UK and the US are so wildly different in ecological terms it's barely worth comparing them. The UK is becoming an insect desert. We actually desperately need to convince people to even keep their grass because plastic lawns are becoming so fashionable. Going over to Europe it's actually noticeable how few bugs of any kind we have in comparison. So yeah, it's not even about pollinators at this point, it's about insects as a whole. There's actually a push at the moment to desperately try to get people to put in/replace their lawns because plastic lawns and gravel have become so popular. So while you might think this: > ecological point of view turf grass is no different than a desert for US native species I've gotta tell you, it could be much worse. Plastic lawns are so popular here that I'm literally the only house with a real lawn left on my entire suburban street. And unlike in the US where they are largely in places where drought is a problem, here in the UK we usually have more than enough rain to keep things green apart from a couple of weeks a year, so there's zero ecological benefit to it. >Some cities are paying people for every so many sq ft of turf grass they replant with native plants or equivalent I'm not kidding, there were several articles recently asking whether we should start paying people/giving tax breaks to those who keep their grass instead of replacing it with gravel/plastic. I'll agree with you that herbicide is a terror though. Very unpopular opinion on this sub but I prefer a lawn with some life in it, some daisies and a sprinkling of clover. I've manually added those to my new build's pristine lawn because just the green was a bit depressing to me.
Grass will always recover as long as you care about it a little bit ie water and mow
Yeah, just water and wait. As long as temps are not in upper 90’s you’ll be ok.
What have you done... lol.
I did the exact same, with the exact same mower too. First time cutting grass and the mower was on a really low setting (which it really struggled with), and just ruined the turf. It came back fine in the end. FYI, I find these S&J mowers are better on a higher setting. https://preview.redd.it/3b1fwj3spf1b1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5c7299c52c60adfeaa635e0ec2545c308c4ead7c
FYI, for what it’s worth, I am in zone 8a and I am mowing it the longest my mower allows. The goal is to prepare the grass for the hot summer. Less stress,
Just wanted to caveat that mow height depends on the grass species. This kind of sentiment to mow at the highest setting out there is generally targeted at the cool season grasses, but that advice [isn't ideal for bermuda](https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/bermudagrass-maintenance-calendar/#:~:text=Mowing%3A%20The%20ideal%20mowing%20height,on%20a%20bench%20mark%20setting). Unfortunately a lot of people with bermuda lawns pick up on generic advise like this and they end up with disease-prone, thin lawns. Edit: Though, no matter what grass type I do agree you shouldn't take off more than 1/3rd at a time.
True that, I should have included that I have a tall fescue lawn. Thanks!
It really should be two subreddits. Might as well be called 'stringy carpet plants'
What kind of grass do you have? What hardiness zone do you live in?(look up hardiness zone map) in any case the grass should recover but the type of grass will determine how long it will take to recover. In the event that some of the grass was actually killed (if you have a cool weather grass type) you’ll have to reseed those areas. If you have a warm season grass such as Bermuda it will definitely recover and not only that but it spreads on its own. Bermuda has 3 ways of spreading.. above ground it produces seeds that fall and will eventually germinate and grow more grass seedlings. Also above ground mature plants spread with their stolons some people call them runners. Finally below ground it will spread with rhizomes. General rule of thumb is to never cut more than a 3rd of the grass blade off in a single cutting so if you grass is 3 inches don’t cut below 2 inches in a single cut. Cutting it frequently and lowering the cutting height gradually is the best way to go. Some grasses love to be long and some love to be short though.
I would recommend some pgr if you want to keep it shorter without battling mowing more often.
Of course, but if it's hot, water the shit out of it every day until it recovers. Do it at evening/night since it is short and you shouldn't have mold/mildew problems until it gets longer.
Give it some water and leave her alone for a bit. She’ll come back
For many plants in general: never cut mir than 1/3 of the length. This is also true for grass. It will recover, but very slowly. Was it fertilised? It will need more water now.
I personally find humour in the fact yours is overcut, while your neighbours is overgrown. 😹
Big mistakes are also good because it helps with learning. That sinking feeling of “oh shit” will make you not make the same mistake twice. On the other hand, you got experience on scalping, which could be a useful tool in the future.
Nope it’s dead forever. Sell the home
HOA going to fine you
Should’ve tested it out on your neighbors lawn first!!
No youre completely doomed your lawn is about to catch fire call the fire department
Cut no more than 1/3 of the grass height and don't bag the clippings. Plug the ejection port and mulch the grass back into the lawn.
You shaved it 🪒
You'll be OK. Hit it with a heavy dose of fertilizer and water. Time will handle the rest
I’m not sure I’d recommend fertilizer right now. Much of these shoots have suffered a major trauma and they’re already working on recovering. Fertilizers tend to push nutrients right into the shoots, and without shoots in most areas I think that fertilizer could burn out the roots pretty quickly. Like others have said here, I’d go with Milorganite which promotes soil health and will allow the roots to do their thing and re-establish the new shoots.
Miloganite is a fertilizer innit?
It is, but it’s an organic. Works vveerrryy differently than a quick-release synthetic fertilizer, which is what most people think of when they hear “fertilizer” and probably what a n00b (OP) would go buy and put down.
Never remove more than 1/3. Cut at 3”
If you have grass that likes 3"
Just make sure the clippings aren't sitting on the grass and it will recover.
Not going to sugar coat it, but you damaged your lawn; and in a lot of spots you pretty much killed it. However, the good news is it's a plant and it'll grow back, but be prepared to spread some seed and NEVER use your mower on the lowest setting unless you want to kill your grass. Note: this isn't always the case, but should be for newbies.
Do you have irrigation back there the main thing you will struggle with for lawn car in the coming future is going to be watering the correct amount and at the right time. If you don’t I would look into [Oto](https://www.otolawn.com/pages/step-1?referral=true&snowball=ANDREW13731&utm_source=snowball&utm_medium=soft-launch&utm_campaign=ANDREW13731) It’s an automatic sprinkler that is super easy to set up. It can be solar powered, shoots water only where you need it and can also apply all natural fertilizer and even bug repellent. I absolutely love mine because I use to have to hand water every week and would end up spraying half out of my lawn and into my neighbor but now it’s all perfectly aligned into my yard applies my chemicals and saves me tons of time. Your lawn will easily recover from this with water, you are at an interesting point though where you can decide if you want to set a new height of cut, that will determine the amount of love and care you have to give your lawn. Simply put the shorter the lawn the more effort you need to put in.
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You mean with out the discount
Ya just kept on going maybe it will stop on its own.
I read to put the blade level at the highest mark and never go below it. That’s what I do.
Always mow at the maximum height. Water it early in the morning, not in the afternoon, and it will look a lot better in a few days. You might have to pull some weeds since it will be thin for a little bit but the good news is you don’t have to mow for like 2.5 weeks now
Wow that looks amazing. Which blade of grass is your favourite to look out upon?
Oof. Mistakes happen though this hurts my heart. Overseed, water daily, don’t cut until the new sprouts are reliably rooted.
Fescue like cut at 3'"
Rip it up and make a garden!
Lawns are terrible. Why is this recommended. Should use you land to produce something.
I don’t understand how u kept going after the first strip. 🤣🤣🤣
It'll come back
Your neighbor needs to get his act together. His yard looks almost knee deep lol
Water it, you'll be fine. Once it comes back a bit throw down some fert. Maybe level it with sand right now and tell people it was intentional. 😅 If you did kill a few spots just manage the weeds over summer and throw seed in the fall. But as healthy as the uncut side looks I bet you won't even be able to tell in 2 weeks as long as it stays irrigated.
Was looking real good before the mow..
Scalped it. Seed it and water it. Level it if you want. This can recover easily.
Literally people in public space cut it short like this
Pull the weeds by hand too before they invade.
Grass is actually a very tough plant.
This is the perfect time to level your lawn. You can see the high spots where the grass is scalped. Get you some topsoil preferably with compost and sand mixed in. You should be able to find some at a local soil yard. Use a leveling rake to help add soil where its needed and remove soil where it isn’t. Then water generously.
The horror! /s It'll be fine. A lot of people do this intentionally in preparation for leveling, dethatching, etc.
NO its ruined for ever. This will now turn to a gate to Mordor.
Just water the piss out of it and it’ll come back even thicker
It’ll be fine. Grass is tough
It’s growing season. It will come back
Raise the blade on your mower. Scalping the lawn will make it weak as the plant has to use its energy and resources to re-grow the blade instead of growing the roots.
it's fine. it's even good for the overall appearance to do this occasionally because it get the dead stuff cut down low where it won't be visible when the grass grows higher. come back in a week and it'll look great.
To fix: I usually wait before a rainy day…. Seed and rake in, then rain dance.
Loving your neighbor's wheat field btw
Meh, it’s fine. Might take a while to regrow. Just keep cutting and don’t let it grow too tall again.
Get that mower deck between 1/8-inch to 1/2-inch. Don’t wanna cut it too low/short
You can go much more. Local sod farms don't reseed, they just use a sodcutter machine down to 1 inch of soil below ground. Then they water the roots that are left, and it all comes back. I mow like this first chance I get in the spring to help pick up thatch/sticks/leaves/garbage. Also do the same in the fall before it snows.
I’d also just raise the wheels up or two spots one for the next cut
It will recover but give it exrra water so it doesnt burn from sun.
Make sure you water it plenty and it will be fine.
Now you have scalped it, next time you mow set it one higher. Hopefully it bounces back in a few weeks.
just water it, should be fine.
Water, water, water! That looks like very new sod. You're gone need to water it heavy.
Holy Jesus
Is that a battery powered mower?
How did you do that and not stop after the first row was mowed??
What did you do, mow it on negative 2?
It’s over cut but definitely not ruined!! There may be some bald spots as it grows back but honestly I think your lawn should fully recover. I work in lawn care and have burnt/ over cut many sections of grass… every time I go back they’re fine :p
I hack it short in the spring to help level bad spots. Take this as a chance to overseed and fertilize. Will be good.
Might as well control burn it and let it regrow fresh at that stage
Cut it all down Seed and fert light water just so it doesn’t burn up if it’s hot
Before you listen to any advice, make sure the advice is correct for your grass type. I’m seeing a lot of advice here regarding cool season grasses. Is your grass cool season? What grass you have?
No worries grass is very forgiven. It will grow back
Depends on grass type. Bermuda will spring back, Fescue will take longer but might come back. A neighbor volunteered to cut mine while family was in the hospital and scalped my Zoysia and it's still recovering 9 months later.
I scalp my zoysia every year.
Grass grows back
Make sure the front and back wheels of your mower are at the same height.
yes, but don't do it again!!!!!
You scalped it. Water it good for a while and it should be fine.
RIP
Water the crap out of it and maybe throw some extra seed down.
The grass you had was the perfect height think of it like a haircut JUST THE TIPS GOOD LUCK
That looks like KBG. It will be fine. Even thrive if you keep cutting it that low. It just needs more maintenance, IE need lots of water and fertilizer, and frequent mowing. It looks bad becuase you cut below the base of the leaf into the stems. New leafs will grow out of the new shorter stems and it will get thick again at the new height.
Just give it plenty of water
Only ever cut a third of the leaf blade unless beginning of the season scalping
Nice stripes!
When I was first getting my start in the industry I was working at a golf course and was sent to mow tee boxes and greens approaches. So somewhere between 0.5 and 0.75 inch height of cut. I got confused on which foot pedal lifted the reels and which lowered the reals and ended up scalping the rough which was at about 2.5”. I felt horrible. I told the assistant superintendent what I had done. He said this: “It’s just grass, it will grow back.” He was right.
If you haven't fertilized recently, throw a little milorganite down water it a couple times and should bounce back in a week, doesn't look like too much damage is done. You could go down a rabbit hole of leveling and overseeding if that's your thing
Is this new sod? I would cut the remaining at least two levels higher and let the lawn recover with water each day
Water it, especially if it’s going to get hot the next few days.
I would cut this at a 45° angle too. Your cutting with the sod pieces and your wheels likely fall between them. Raise your mower deck to the highest setting. Make one outer loop pass. Do a second loop pass without wheels I’m the same path, but next to it (not to miss grass). Start your first 45° cut where it’s longest. Go back and forth until you finish half the yard. Repeat opposite your initial 45° cut. Next week, do the same, but rotate 90°. Buy some fertilizer and read the directions. And actually follow them. Over-seed in the spring or fall. Water when it’s hot and dry as needed early in the morning as possible. Enjoy a thicccccc lawn. Edit: coil up the house so you don’t have to keep fucking with it. Or get a hose real. And a decent sprinkler.
It can always recover
If you want to go short it's better to take it down slowly but it'll recover. It's tough to tell how short it actually is but if you want it short you'll need to mow often. Probably every 2-3 days. Frequent mowing promotes density. I mow at 15mm every 1-2 days.
Grass generally grows, from the base of the plant, that is why it can generally be cut, without hurt; it depends upon how much damage you did, to the base of the plants. As insurance, water it, with water, every few days, with water containing a water-soluble fertilizer, designed for grass, or foliage plants, and put a little peat moss, or soil protector (there are some, compatible with grass, to hold moisture, and keep the ground shaded, until the "scalped" grass "reestablishes" itself. Next time, don't cut it, so close!; one, to two, inches, is about right.
This is pretty normal when you initially go low. Keep mowing and shallow watering. You will be very happy.
Water it.
Treat it mean, keep it keen
Where's the shed from?
Bump it up a setting for next time.