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FSA6023
Arkansas Is
2.5
3.0
3.75
4.5
1.25
1.5
6.3
7.5
Our Campus
3.5 5.25 1.75 8.8
4.0 6.0 2.0 10.0
Figure 1. Never remove more than
one-third of the leaf blade in a †Estimate based upon a daily growth rate of
Visit our web site at: single mowing. 0.2 inches.
http://www.uaex.edu
University of Arkansas, United States Department of Agriculture, and County Governments Cooperating
Removing more than one-third
of the leaf blade in a single mow
ing is detrimental to plant health.
Your mowing frequency will vary
greatly based upon the turfgrass
species, time of year and rainfall,
but a typical frequency is one to
two times per week during the
growing season.
Mow High
Figure 2. Leaf blade A demonstrates Figure 4. Scalping caused by a rotary
In general, mowing turf at what a leaf blade should look like mower on hybrid bermudagrass.
higher mowing heights helps after mowing. Leaf blade B demon
increase overall plant health and strates a leaf blade injured by a dull
reduce weed pressure. A range of mower blade. Leaf blade C was cut
mowing heights is provided in by the mower, but its condition indi
Table 2. Mowing below this range cates that the mower blade was not
will cause a rapid decline in turf sharp enough. The white tissue stick
ing out of the leaf blades (C and D) is
health and an increase in weeds.
the vascular tissue of the plant. Leaf
Tall fescue and St. Augustine-
blade D was mown for quite some
grass perform best at mowing time with a dull mower blade.
heights of approximately 3.0
inches. Bermudagrass and zoysia-
grass perform well at lower mow
ing heights. They can be mown at
a height of 1.0 to 2.0 inches with Figure 5. Up-close damage caused by
a rotary mower or 0.5 to 1.0 scalping.
inches with a reel mower. Within
species, some cultivars tolerate
lower mowing more than others. Cut from dull mower
Grass Clippings Won’t
In general, finer-bladed cultivars blade resulting in nutrient
deficiency symptoms on
Damage Lawns
and species tolerate lower
the leaf blade
mowing heights. When you mow regularly and
at the proper height, your lawn is
improved by recycling grass clip
Table 2. Suggested mowing pings. If you allow the grass to
Figure 3. Dull mower blade injury on
heights for lawns. centipedegrass. grow too long between mowings,
Mowing excessive clippings left on the sur
Height face can smother and damage your
Species (inches) Sharpen mower blades at least lawn. Reduce this problem by
Common twice a year. gradually lowering your lawn to
bermudagrass 1.5-2.5 its proper height over a period of
two or three mowings, rather than
Hybrid bermudagrass 0.5-1.5 Scalping scalping it back to its normal
Centipedegrass 1.5-2.0 height in one mowing.
Scalping occurs when more
Kentucky bluegrass 2.5-3.5 than one-third of the leaf blade is
Tall fescue 2.5-4.0 removed and the stem is left Clippings Do Not
St. Augustinegrass 2.5-4.0
remaining (Figures 4 and 5). Scalp Cause Thatch
ing not only decreases the aesthetic
Zoysiagrass 0.75-2.5 appearance of the lawn but also In the 1960s, it was commonly
decreases the health of the plant. believed grass clippings were a
Mow frequently at higher mowing major component of thatch and
Sharpen Blades heights to avoid scalping. A reel removing clippings dramatically
mower will reduce the likelihood of slowed thatch development. In
Sharply-cut leaf blades scalping if lower mowing heights 1967, researchers at the Univer
increase turf health by improving are preferred. Additionally, you can sity of Rhode Island completed
recovery, decreasing water loss alternate the mowing pattern each and published a detailed study of
and increasing photosynthesis time you mow to prevent grain and thatch showing it was primarily
(Figure 2). Lawns mown with a reduce the risk of scalping. Some composed of lignin-containing
dull mower blade have poor aes species like bermudagrass are more tissues (crowns and stems) as well
thetics, heal more slowly and have prone to scalping than zoysiagrass as living turfgrass roots. They
greater water loss (Figure 3). or tall fescue. concluded leaves and clippings do
not contribute to thatch buildup. ureaformaldehyde, IBDU or organic Mowing a lawn when it is under
Their findings were confirmed in nitrogen sources such as Milorgan drought stress should be avoided
numerous other studies. Thatching ite. For more information about fer since this can damage a lawn.
tendency in zoysiagrass is only tilizing, see Fertilizing Your Lawn,
increased by 3 percent from FSA2114. Should I Ever Collect
returning clippings, which is likely
the result of the nutrients added Clippings?
from recycling clippings. Research
Clippings Do Not
Spread Lawn Diseases It is recommended to
with bermudagrass also confirmed
return/recycle grass clippings
clippings do not contribute to
Diseases of turfgrass occur since returning clippings causes
thatch buildup.
when disease-causing spores con an annual increase of about 1.0 lb
tact susceptible grasses under N/1,000 ft2/year. If clippings are
Recycling Clippings ideal environmental conditions. removed, N fertilization should be
Saves Time and Work Disease spores are present increased to compensate for the
whether clippings are collected or amount of nutrient removed. It is
A study conducted in Fort returned. Watering, fertilization appropriate to collect clippings
Worth, Texas, found that 147 and sharpness of the mower blade from your lawn in two situations:
homeowners who quit bagging have a much greater influence on
their clippings mowed 5.4 times 1. If the lawn must be mown
the occurrence of disease than
per month versus 4.1 times when when excessively wet, it is
returning clippings. appropriate to collect
they bagged clippings but saved
an average of 35 minutes per clippings to prevent smother
mowing by not bagging clippings. Don’t Mow Wet Turf ing from clumps of grass left
After six months of returning on the lawn.
Lawns are best mown when
clippings, these homeowners saved the turf is dry. Clippings are more 2. If your mower cannot be safely
an average of seven hours of yard easily distributed on a dry lawn operated without the clipping
work, even though they mowed because they don’t bunch up or attachment.
more often. There are special clog mowers. Disease organisms
mulching mowers on the market, Grass clippings are used as
are more easily spread in wet turf,
but they are not necessary for mulch in gardens or as a source
and fresh-cut leaf blades offer a
recycling clippings. of nitrogen for composting. For
point of entry for infection
more information on using grass
(Figure 6). Wet turf is more easily
clippings as part of a composing
Clippings Improve torn from the ground during mow
system, see Composting, FSA2087.
Lawn Quality ing by equipment when the soil is
wet. Lastly, it is safer to mow
When grass clippings are when the lawn is dry because Springtime Mowing
allowed to decay naturally on the there is less risk of slipping and
being injured by the mower. Before bermudagrass and
lawn, they release valuable nutri
zoysiagrass begin to grow in the
ents which improve the soil. If
spring, mow the turf slightly
clippings are returned, fertilizer
shorter than normal to remove
applications can be reduced by dead leaf blades and other debris.
30 percent. Returning the clip This practice will reduce shading
pings to your lawn will supply of the emerging plants and also
approximately 1 pound of
N/1,000 ft2/year.
Clippings contribute to the
formation of organic matter, which
makes the soil softer and plants
more drought tolerant. Organic
matter also encourages the
presence of earthworms which Figure 6. Disease can be spread by
are very effective in preventing mowing equipment when grass is wet.
thatch accumulation.
Water soluble nitrogen Don’t Mow Drought-
sources such as ammonium Stressed Turf Figure 7. The benefits of an early
nitrate (34-0-0) and 13-13-13 spring mowing to remove dead leaf
result in rapid growth surges and During hot and dry conditions tissue are illustrated in this picture.
increased clippings. To avoid this in the summer, your lawn will not From left to right, the spring mowing
uneven growth pattern, try using actively grow. During periods when heights were 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 inches
slow-release nitrogen fertilizers your lawn is not actively growing, it on this turf that was maintained the
such as sulfur-coated urea, is best not to mow your lawn. previous year at 1.5 inches.
serves to warm soil temperatures less with reel mowers than rotary. owners, although self-powered reel
more quickly in the spring. The The disadvantages of reel mowers mowers are gaining popularity.
result is a lawn that greens-up are 1) it is more difficult to adjust Rotary mowers work by cutting
more quickly in the spring (Fig the height of the mower and the grass blades in an impact,
ure 7). The risk in this practice is 2) sharpening the mower (i.e., machete-type cut. This cut is less
that you could scalp some of the grinding the bedknife and back- precise and often more damaging
emerging grass if this practice is lapping the reel) is difficult and to the leaf blade. The potential to
delayed until after the lawn has should be performed by someone scalp a lawn is higher when using
begun to green-up. Carefully with experience or training. a rotary mower, but the height of
inspect the turf before removing cut is easy to change and blades
dead leaf tissue and debris to Rotary mowers are by far the are easy to sharpen.
ensure there are no green shoots most popular type for home-
emerging. Zoysiagrass lawns Be Safe
often do not go fully dormant
like bermudagrass during winter. Each year approximately
Therefore, this practice is likely 70,000 people are treated in emer
to be more damaging on a zoysia- gency rooms for mowing-related
grass lawn than a bermudagrass injuries, and unfortunately, more
lawn. Low mowing in early than 9,000 of those injuries are to
spring is damaging to centipede- children under the age of 18. Use
grass and St. Augustinegrass caution when mowing your lawn.
lawns since they spread by above- Read more information about lawn
ground stems (stolons) and are mower safety in FSA1005.
more prone to injury from
this practice. Additional fact sheets are
Figure 8. Reel and rotary lawn mowers. available at http://publications.
uaex.edu/.
Last Mowing in Fall
Additional information about
No special mowing practices turf management is available at
are necessary in the fall. Do not http://turf.uark.edu/.
raise or lower the mowing height.
Mow until the first frost on warm-
season grasses, and on cool-season References
grasses (tall fescue) mow until turf
1. Knoop, W. Don’t bag it: Lawn care
growth ceases, sometime near plan for Texas. Texas Cooperative
Thanksgiving. Extension Service.