Software
Houzz Logo Print
jessica1464

mowing Bermuda

5 years ago

I know my yard is uneven in some spots and I’m trying to get it level, but I want to keep it short to keep the weeds out and get it nice and thick. Some areas it dies when I mow it at the lowest setting on my mower because the wheels dip down and I’m sure it’s scuffing it. But when I do it at a 2 it doesn’t grow as fast and it isn’t as thick. I have attached some pics of my yard after I just mowed today. What’s the best options to help or should I switch it to a 2. The people next door have nothing but weeds and never mow so it’s important to try to get it as low as possible.

Comments (6)

  • 5 years ago

    You have a beautiful lawn, Bermuda is very sensitive to the uneven conditions you're talking about. The green part of the "canopy" or the "stalk" doesn't go all the way to the ground. If you mow over a raised area it will look scuffed. If you let it get too tall and then mow it low it will again look scuffed because you're cutting all the green part off. Only some hybrid bermuda varieties can be consistently mowed low all season.If your bermuda grows super fast and really tall you probably don't have an exotic hybrid. So your solution is to mow very often ( like everyday or every other day ) in the rapid growing part of the season. Even then you will get the scuffed look as the year progresses so you have to raise the mower gradually to prevent the scuffed look. By the end of the season you'll be mowing pretty high. Watering often in the heat is a must. Mowing with a powered reel mower is one way to reduce the scuffed look on high spots. (Golf courses use reel mowers.)

  • 5 years ago

    trying to get it level is not a workable thing. You're probably filling low spots with sand or topsoil and hoping for the best. If you want it to be level, you have to do the entire lawn. It is a lot of labor and should be done in the hottest time of year for best results. I suggest enlisting help and paying them off with beer and pizza AFTER the project is done. Here's how.

    1. Get a bunch of sand. If you can get it in bags then you can return any unused sand. Topsoil is not recommended because even pulverized and sifted topsoil has little clods in it that mess up the process.
    2. Fertilize and water the lawn deeply...as you should be doing once a week anyway - watering that is, not fertilizing.
    3. Rent a mower so you're not worried about it breaking. Set it to the lowest setting possible. Mow/scalp the grass as low as you can get it. Blow off the fluff.
    4. Spread the sand being sure to hit the low spots. If you know where the high spots are, don't put any sand there.
    5. Use a drag behind a lawn tractor of manual to level the sand. It will completely cover the bermuda so having the grass short really helps minimize the amount of sand needed. Here's a picture of a drag chain.

    Looks like the numbering starts over when you insert an image. You can figure it out.

    1. I used a chain link fence with some 2x4s, rope, and some bags of sand on top to hold the drag down. As you drag the drag around, you'll see how it works to smooth out the sand.
    2. When you think you have it level, water it to settle the sand. The sand will then show the new high and low spots. Spread more sand, drag, and water. It should only take three rounds of this to get it very level.
    3. Once you have it the way you want it, get off the area and keep everyone else off. Stay off until the grass gets up to 2-3 inches without disturbing the sand. Then start to mow it back down until you get to 3/4-inch or lower.

    Bermuda should be mowed at or near the lowest setting on the mower. If you mow it back 2 to 3 times per week it will start to take on a very dense, horizontal growth habit. Anyone growing it at 1 inch or higher would not know about this different type of growth. Basically if you mow off all the vertical stems, the only stems remaining are horizontal. Then when you mow the vertical blades growing off of the stems, they start to lay down, too. This is how bermuda becomes the most dense. It works much better with the hybrid sod types like TIF 419 or TIF Sport.


  • 5 years ago

    Good advice.

  • 5 years ago

    Another vote for mowing bermuda high. I mow mine at 3” to.


  • 5 years ago

    That is such a beautiful lawn. Thank y’all for this information. I absolutely love this group and how helpful everyone is.

Sponsored
Schlabach Woodworks
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars21 Reviews
Franklin County's Reclaimed Wood Professionals