North Carolina Guys

[Ajays]

I was just wondering, at what hieght do you cut most of your fescue lawns. Our standard is 3.5" and some people request 4". Some of our customers have mentioned it looks great for a day or two after we cut it, but then it looks like it hadn't been there for sometime. A lot of the grass blades are really thin as well and tend to lean over making it harder to cut. I was just wanting to know if any of you guys cut shorter and does it tend to brown out the grass?

[jnjnlc]

Ajays, I normally cut 3.5 inches. I will cut just under three when I aerate and during the winter and during leaf removal I drop to three. Other than that I hold at 3.5. I have a couple of customers that request it shorter, so I cut it at 3 until I can convince them it needs to be at 3.5.

[KirbysLawn]

3.5 - 4" most of the time, during expected stress I mow at 4.5" if needed. If the grass is getting brown and thin it is a problem other than mowing height. Check soil pH and nutrent conditions with a soil test or it may be heat stress with the dry summer.

Ray

[Bunton Guy]

my customers would kill me if I cut over 3.0 inches...The day I cut that high I have calls within 20 min of leaving that I cut "to high"
So usually to satisfy them I have to cut between 2" & 2.5" some yards that are bermuda I do at 3.0" any lower and it browns.

[KirbysLawn]

Fescue at 2.5 - 3" :confused: yikes!! Time to educate your customers.....

[danlawnser]

I mow at about 3 to 3.5. We need rain. Again I am going to wait on aerating until we get some rain. I may just wait until all the leaves have fallen. Is November, December to late to be aerating?

[jnjnlc]

Danlawn, I am in the same boat you are in. I plan on doing all of my aerating this week. Does not look as though I will get it all done because I know the customers are not going to water enough to aerate. I may just do the ones that have irrigation systems and wait until we get rain for the rest.

The problem with waiting till Nov/Dec to aerate and seed is that most of the seed will lay dormant until sping. If you use a pre-emergent your dormant seed will not germinate. Catch 22 I know.

Good luck. Hope you guys get some rain.

[Turfer]

I'm right here with you in Cary. I cut almost everybody at 3.5 but I have a few I cut at 4.0. I'll drop it down to 3.0 on bermuda and before I seed or aerate. I'm getting backed up on aerations because of this weather. It's just like last September except cooler. They got 2.5 " of rain accross town last week and we got none. I aerated and seeded a few of my customers with irrigation systems but I'm holding off until we get some rain on the others. I've got a few customers getting anxious about their seeding but I just can't get in there without some water. I have a handful who are watering this week so I can aerate and seed. The others will have to wait.

[AVRECON]

Here in eastern NC we don't have many lawns with tall fescue, but the one that I have mowed were usually done at 3.5 or 4.0

[KirbysLawn]

Again, the benifits of the aeravator, I have not stopped seeding this week, I've been working sun up to sun set. Actually I hope we don't get any rain until Wednesday. :)