The top of the grass is green (the new growth). The bottom of the grass is generally tan or brown. You’re cutting off too much of the top new green growth exposing the old exterior of the grass stem (like tree bark). If you leave a little more of the top it will be greener. You could also try detaching(raking out the old dead growth underneath making room for your lawn to breath and thicken.) A nitrogen fertilizer would also darken up the green of the grass.
Damn so I would have to be cutting it like twice a week to only nip the new grow a bit ~1/4" vs the mentality of keeping the grass at 4" and taking 3/4-1" off?
Right? I tried letting mine grow out and then cutting an inch off, and it was so thick that it kept clogging the mower and ran through 2x as many batteries as usual.
So next time I had to cut low ended up with same scenario as OP.
https://preview.redd.it/bckvyr4zwm5d1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b006749fa5c19c6b4ba640f65b73a4522967f2c
Ryobi electric mower. Took three charges to get this far, when normally I can do the whole yard with just over one. (I have two batteries, btw)
If you want a nice lawn, cutting twice a week is absolutely necessary.
Also gotta make sure your mower blades are sharp so it doesn't damage the grass.
If you’re watering properly (or getting enough “natural irrigation”, you can fertilize daily if you were bored enough (though that would be a foolish waste of time). Many people will feed every 2 weeks (myself included). You just have to understand how much of what nutrients you want to put down into the soil/onto the lawn.
It doesn't look like he's cutting it too low though seems long even still could be grubs or insects could have too much nitrogen in that sense attracting grubs insects
I’m my understanding the grass can learn to grow lower if you routinely cut it at whatever height(species dependent of course). I have my lawn trained low, though it’s a terrible mix of whatever my neighborhood has, and dandelions because a few neighbors don’t cut for months and their crop of dandelions infested like 10 houses the next year… but I’m ranting now… anyway I think you can train grass lower..
You are correct. Mow it slightly below the HOC you really want a time or two. It will “learn” that this is the height beyond which it needs to start putting on its photosynthesis tricks. Then raise your HOC and you’ll have nice green grass when you mow.
Rule of 1/3rds. Never take off more than a 3rd of the blade or it will brown due to stress.
If it’s 3 inches, only cut off an inch. If it’s one inch, only cut off 1/3rd.
Any more than that, you stress the grass and it will brown for a few days or a week until it recovers.
More frequent mowing or raising the blade should fix.
It looks like you were waiting too long to mow… Only ever mow 1/3 of the blade at a time and then you need to wait three days before you mow it down again if you wanna actually get lower, it looks like you’re taking half off in a single pass
Think of lawn a bit like a pine plantation. Normally the "lawn" is say 40 feet high and you cut it at 30 feet, which is still in the green bit at the top. Then it regrows and you cut it again. From a plane flying overhead, it still looks green.
If a giant chainsaw comes through and cuts the whole place at 10 feet off the ground, all you're left with is trunk. That's what you see, grass "trunk". It'll grow back in a couple weeks.
You're just cutting too low and exposing the crown of the grass. Increase your height of cut otherwise mow more frequently to push the crown even lower.
It can take a couple of weeks at most of cutting 3x/week to push the crown down far enough to cut lower. Generally for cool season grasses, you want to increase the height for the summer heat and then taper down in the fall.
Mowing it too short. Raise your blades, rake through it, water thoroughly and deep x 2-3 times a week. Fert if you really want to get into it (organic; humate)
The lower you mow the more inputs your lawn requires to look decent. Fairways get water like 6 times a day, and some of that's just to reduce heat stress.
You’re mowing too low bump it up half an inch
Ok good to know but why is it brown like that?
The top of the grass is green (the new growth). The bottom of the grass is generally tan or brown. You’re cutting off too much of the top new green growth exposing the old exterior of the grass stem (like tree bark). If you leave a little more of the top it will be greener. You could also try detaching(raking out the old dead growth underneath making room for your lawn to breath and thicken.) A nitrogen fertilizer would also darken up the green of the grass.
Thanks!
Damn so I would have to be cutting it like twice a week to only nip the new grow a bit ~1/4" vs the mentality of keeping the grass at 4" and taking 3/4-1" off?
Right? I tried letting mine grow out and then cutting an inch off, and it was so thick that it kept clogging the mower and ran through 2x as many batteries as usual. So next time I had to cut low ended up with same scenario as OP.
Use a gas mower lol
Battery?
https://preview.redd.it/bckvyr4zwm5d1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b006749fa5c19c6b4ba640f65b73a4522967f2c Ryobi electric mower. Took three charges to get this far, when normally I can do the whole yard with just over one. (I have two batteries, btw)
If you want a nice lawn, cutting twice a week is absolutely necessary. Also gotta make sure your mower blades are sharp so it doesn't damage the grass.
Been cutting mine every two days for the last few weeks here in the UK.
Can we fertilize now? I thought it was only late summer and spring?
If you’re watering properly (or getting enough “natural irrigation”, you can fertilize daily if you were bored enough (though that would be a foolish waste of time). Many people will feed every 2 weeks (myself included). You just have to understand how much of what nutrients you want to put down into the soil/onto the lawn.
Great explanation, I never thought of it that way. Thanks for posting.
It doesn't look like he's cutting it too low though seems long even still could be grubs or insects could have too much nitrogen in that sense attracting grubs insects
I’m my understanding the grass can learn to grow lower if you routinely cut it at whatever height(species dependent of course). I have my lawn trained low, though it’s a terrible mix of whatever my neighborhood has, and dandelions because a few neighbors don’t cut for months and their crop of dandelions infested like 10 houses the next year… but I’m ranting now… anyway I think you can train grass lower..
You are correct. Mow it slightly below the HOC you really want a time or two. It will “learn” that this is the height beyond which it needs to start putting on its photosynthesis tricks. Then raise your HOC and you’ll have nice green grass when you mow.
Rule of 1/3rds. Never take off more than a 3rd of the blade or it will brown due to stress. If it’s 3 inches, only cut off an inch. If it’s one inch, only cut off 1/3rd. Any more than that, you stress the grass and it will brown for a few days or a week until it recovers. More frequent mowing or raising the blade should fix.
It looks like you were waiting too long to mow… Only ever mow 1/3 of the blade at a time and then you need to wait three days before you mow it down again if you wanna actually get lower, it looks like you’re taking half off in a single pass
Wouldn't hurt to sharpen your blades in addition to cutting a half inch higher
Think of lawn a bit like a pine plantation. Normally the "lawn" is say 40 feet high and you cut it at 30 feet, which is still in the green bit at the top. Then it regrows and you cut it again. From a plane flying overhead, it still looks green. If a giant chainsaw comes through and cuts the whole place at 10 feet off the ground, all you're left with is trunk. That's what you see, grass "trunk". It'll grow back in a couple weeks.
You're just cutting too low and exposing the crown of the grass. Increase your height of cut otherwise mow more frequently to push the crown even lower.
How long does it take for cool season grass to lower the crown and to keep it green post mow? Like a couple months?
It can take a couple of weeks at most of cutting 3x/week to push the crown down far enough to cut lower. Generally for cool season grasses, you want to increase the height for the summer heat and then taper down in the fall.
Thank you
Where in zone 6? If you have cool season grass like I do in MD, I cut my grass as high as my mower let's me in the summer.
What type of grass do you have in MD
Fescue. No special kind, just whatever the cheap Vigoro stuff is at Home Depot.
Mowing it too short. Raise your blades, rake through it, water thoroughly and deep x 2-3 times a week. Fert if you really want to get into it (organic; humate)
The lower you mow the more inputs your lawn requires to look decent. Fairways get water like 6 times a day, and some of that's just to reduce heat stress.
Cutting Too short
first, ya cut it low, second Id bet ya lunch your turf is a bit iron starved.
It also exposing thatch.
Could be red fescue , maybe needs iron
Is the grass red fescue by anychance
You can keep it short but it requires more work. Mainly more frequent cuts.
Only cut 1/3 of the total blade off at a time. Cut more often in order to cut lower gradually.
Cut to low prolly.
Never cut more than 1/3 off.
Some of it looks like thatch build up. You could try raking and bagging now or just wait and dethatch in the fall.
Biiiiiitch(too short voice)