Another lawn thread!

[Grimm74]

Hey folks had my lawn redone a couple weeks before July 4th with St. Aug. Palmetto sod(charleston, SC). Things seem to be going well. PArts are "struggling" a little bit in the high sun areas but I expected that installing in the summer. I had the guys install an irrigation system as well. The back yard is pretty shaded especially in the winter since my lot backs into trees on the south side. These trees are as big as skyscrapers. I have mowed it a couple time but per the installers request am letting it grow real tall for a couple weeks.

 

In the end of course I am looking for the best way to tighten up the lawn and get if fuller. I am willing to do anything, I love to mow and just got a new fancy Husq. I also love to keep grass cut real short so allowing the grass to grow up puts me on the sidelines longer then I like.

 

I have read conflicting reports online and with the gentlemen who installed it. He has told me to just let the thing grow very high to promote a larger root structure and online it states to mow more often to promote root growth. I understand the concept of a larger plant larger roots but also understand mowing more often will allow the grass to crawl better...

 

What are your folks thoughts? Also I hear you can successfully cut palmetto down to .75 inch but it is not common practice...I just want to bring it down to about 1.5 inches.... thanks right now it is about 4-6 inches tall and growing maybe till a Friday mow.

[Rovers]

Hey folks had my lawn redone a couple weeks before July 4th with St. Aug. Palmetto sod(charleston, SC). Things seem to be going well. PArts are "struggling" a little bit in the high sun areas but I expected that installing in the summer. I had the guys install an irrigation system as well. The back yard is pretty shaded especially in the winter since my lot backs into trees on the south side. These trees are as big as skyscrapers. I have mowed it a couple time but per the installers request am letting it grow real tall for a couple weeks.

 

In the end of course I am looking for the best way to tighten up the lawn and get if fuller. I am willing to do anything, I love to mow and just got a new fancy Husq. I also love to keep grass cut real short so allowing the grass to grow up puts me on the sidelines longer then I like.

 

I have read conflicting reports online and with the gentlemen who installed it. He has told me to just let the thing grow very high to promote a larger root structure and online it states to mow more often to promote root growth. I understand the concept of a larger plant larger roots but also understand mowing more often will allow the grass to crawl better...

 

What are your folks thoughts? Also I hear you can successfully cut palmetto down to .75 inch but it is not common practice...I just want to bring it down to about 1.5 inches.... thanks right now it is about 4-6 inches tall and growing maybe till a Friday mow.

 

The general rule of thumb is to never cut more than 1/3rd of the height off with any one mowing. Grass is a plant. Compare it to a tomatoe plant. Take off the top 3rd, it won't bother it much. Take off 2/3rds, and it aint gonna be happy.

 

Other than that, I don't pretend to be any sort of authority on hot weather grasses. I know something about zoysia as we have some zoysia lawns up here in NY, but stuff like St Augustine I can't help with.

[Grimm74]

thanks a lot for the reply... when trying to do the gradual mow down keeping in the 1/3 rule how would you recommend the slowly cut down process?

[Rovers]

thanks a lot for the reply... when trying to do the gradual mow down keeping in the 1/3 rule how would you recommend the slowly cut down process?

 

Set the mower at the highest position. mow. Drop it down a notch and mow it again like 3 or 4 days later. repeat until it is at optimum height.

[driveby]

The lawn services around here scalp the hell out of the St Augustine yards, they look terrible until they grow a few inches then they get scalped again.

 

I let mine grow longer than my neighbors and only take off a third like Rovers says. Since it's a creeper, about all you can do to fill in thin spots is keep it healthy and watered until it grows in. If the thin spots are really bad you can cut in a new square of sod but based on what you described I'd probably just let it fill in on it's own.