I have to know, WHY are lawn stripes so important?

[xpnd]

Call me stupid, others do; but why is so much time, energy and worry put into creating stripes on a lawn? The only place I see it in my area is the Ballpark at Arlington. The Rangers ain't impressive, but the field is. Skewed stripes look bad. I don't want to know how to stripe, I just want to know why.

[troblandscape]

If you don't have straight stripes in your lawns, your slow, its the most time efficient way to cut a lawn. If you run over a part of a lawn that has already been cut your wasting time,... unless you double cut lawns.

I always look at the sun and mow to-wards it, to create bright stripes, and I and never run over my tracks from last week, because the suns position changes.

Plus it looks professional.

[coonman]

Six years in the business, never had one customer ask about a stripe. Most our lawns are med to small, we don't even think about it.

[Phishook]

I don't see how it can't be done. That is the fastest way for us to mow. (besides the 21"ers)

[coonman]

Yes, on some of the bigger nicer lawns we do get a nice stripe. But most of our lawns are a mixture of weeds, fescue and bermuda and a bare spot here and there.

[PR0 TURF]

The reason we put such an emphasis on striping is because that is your trademark as a lawn care professional. That is part of what a customer is paying a "professional" for. They just aren't paying to get there grass cut short...they're paying for there lawn to be groomed...and a beautiful set of stripes is something that VERY FEW homeowners can do on there own. It is a symbol of professionalism in my opinion.:jester:

[coonman]

XPND,

One last thing, on the wide open lawns you will get a stripe most of the time. But the lawns like my backyard that are around 1500 sq ft with a tree or bush every 15 feet, you spend all your mowing time going around in circles and constantly changing directions. That is typical of 90 percent of our lawns. If we did the large estate type lawns maybe it would be on our mind more like some of the other guys here.

[Phishook]

True, it is harder to get a good stripe pattern when you are zigging and zagging around obstacles, but it still can be done very easily. Just as long as your equipment isn't too big for the lawn, and it is striping capable.

It's not important to the lawns health, but it sure looks good.

[Scag48]

Nobody other than myself lays out a stripe here. The rest of my competition tries, but fails miserably. They either don't have a mower than can stripe well or they can't keep the stripe straight. I swear some of the guys here mow drunk. Just to watch what they go over twice is hilarious. They all have their POS 21'ers that they bought at Wal-Mart that can't stripe and these guys couldn't hold it straight so all you get is a bunch of crooked wheel marks all across a lawn. I stripe to set myself apart from those guys. It makes me look professional plus it's the fastest way to mow.

[bastalker]

Have to agree with pro turf. its just professional looking, and the fastest way to cut. I personally pride myself on it. It makes a home owners lawn stand out from the rest of the yards. Next thing you know you are cutting half the block. Obviously there are times when it cant be done. I have an account that has nothing but big rocks everywhere, about an acre, worst account I have, but he gave me his motel account, what is a man to do;) I think homeowners like well groomed yards that look like a golf course, and will pay the extra to have it done:drinkup:

[crawdad]

Originally posted by xpnd
....... The Rangers ain't impressive, but the field is. ..........
You answered your own question.
Crawdad

[John Gamba]

I Don't Know I Think It Looks Better.
John

[HOMER]

I ain't got to worry about it down here........very hard to get a good stripe on my yards. I get tracks! They need to be straight anyway so if our grass would stripe then I'd be stripeing.

One good thing about being down here..........if you do sneeze and wiggle a little nobody really knows it!:rolleyes:

[GroundKprs]

FYI, stripes have nothing to do with professionalism or appearance of a lawn.

Lawn striping first became noticed on professional sports fields. And with the emphasis on sports in this culture, lawn striping elsewhere caught on. David Mellor, the Director of Grounds for the Boston Red Sox Baseball Club, was one of the original creators of elaborate striping effects on baseball fields. Anyone want to see his book on striping check here: <a href="http://www.wiley.com/cda/product/0,,1575041510,00.html">Picture Perfect: Mowing Techniques for Lawns, Landscapes, and Sports</a>. But Mellor was a sports turf guy; transferring same ideas to ornamental landscapes is really not appropriate, if one knows the functional and artistic reasons for ornamental turf.

Actually, the ostentatious striping of turf detracts from a normal ornamental landscape. It makes the lawn too obvious, and draws the eye away from the rest of the landscape. A lawn without stripes, or with smooth curved patterns, is much more attractive to the human subconscious. Artistically, striping belongs only on fields, where the turf is the only thing to see.

[HOMER]

Well now.........I have a question for those that have grasses that will stripe.

How can you avoid stripeing with Blugrass, fescue, rye and a mixture of all these. Isn't it a given or do some mowers just not do it as well.

The few areas that I overseed with rye (that I can get to grow right) will stripe anyway whether I want it to or not..........so..........how can you NOT make a stripe with this turf.

Our warm season grass isn't great for striping but we usually don't cut it at 3.5-4.0 either.

[awm]

my take is that it takes knowing how, to really make stripes look good. conversly it takes knowing how to leave the carpet look,with no sign of mower tracks, also. different lawn designs favor one look or the other. then of course the customer has a say.one of my best striped lawns got nixed one day when the customer came out and said she didnt like it.

[DLCS]

Originally posted by HOMER
Well now.........I have a question for those that have grasses that will stripe.

How can you avoid stripeing with Blugrass, fescue, rye and a mixture of all these. Isn't it a given or do some mowers just not do it as well.

The few areas that I overseed with rye (that I can get to grow right) will stripe anyway whether I want it to or not..........so..........how can you NOT make a stripe with this turf.

Our warm season grass isn't great for striping but we usually don't cut it at 3.5-4.0 either.

Homer,

I can't mow without striping. Granted some mowers stripe better than others but in my opinion all mowers will stripe. I think every LCO here stripes because how do you mow without making the stripes?

I have never had anyone ask me about striping or coment on them. I don't think they are a big deal to anyone around here. Someone said that it adds professionalism, why? Whats so hard about mowing back and forth?

[paponte]

When you are caring for larger commercial properties or estates, straight neat lines are essential. I do not use any striping attachments or anything, but neat lines do look better. Customers like the appearance better than just cutting any old way. There is nothing like looking back at a property when it is just cut and seeing a straight even cut. Neatness counts, and draws attention. A million dollar house had better have a million dollar lawn around here, or else your OUT!! :cool:

[quality]

Laying lines in the lawns is the only way to go. It looks so much better than mashed together lines and it hands down more efficient. :cool:

[Tvov]

Originally posted by GroundKprs


Actually, the ostentatious striping of turf detracts from a normal ornamental landscape. It makes the lawn too obvious, and draws the eye away from the rest of the landscape. A lawn without stripes, or with smooth curved patterns, is much more attractive to the human subconscious. Artistically, striping belongs only on fields, where the turf is the only thing to see.

Obviously, a lot of this is opinion. I think stripes look good. Stripes, in my opinion, can highlight an ornamental landscape. A poorly mown lawn detracts from landscaping.


"smooth curved patterns" is striping, just not straight. We do that on some lawns, especially on smaller lawns with obstacles.

We don't have "striping kits" or anything like that, we just mow in patterns, which usually ends up being straight stripes, and our customers really like it.

Also, mowing a large property using a pattern and/or striping helps to avoid missing an area. Sometimes it can be easy, especially on a long hot day, to skip/miss the odd corner. Doing a proper pattern should ensure that you get to all areas.

As to being faster, I am not sure about that. I think a "tractor pattern", mowing in circles, is actually faster. With striping, everytime you come to the end of the row, you are turning over an area that was previously mown (at least the way we mow).

If you like stripes, use them, if you don't, then... don't!

[NBLL]

When you go to a hotel the towels should be neatly folded, at the service station the restrooms clean, the grocery the shelves stocked and organized.

To me lawns are the same way. It shows professionalism and pride in your work. I have picked up several accounts because of a highly visible property in one of the subdivisions I service.

Last of all it breaks up boredom in the neighborhood (one more thing the neighbor has to do to keep up with the Jones). :p

[cajuncutter]

Originally posted by GroundKprs

Actually, the ostentatious striping of turf detracts from a normal ornamental landscape. It makes the lawn too obvious, and draws the eye away from the rest of the landscape. A lawn without stripes, or with smooth curved patterns, is much more attractive to the human subconscious. Artistically, striping belongs only on fields, where the turf is the only thing to see.

Actually I will have to agree with GroundKprs. Down here people are more interested in appearance of flowerbeds and landscape. The stripes would indeed take away from that. Also striping down here has not really caught on. Come to think of it other than our local baseball fields I haven't seen them anywhere else, except the pictures you guys post. I do admit however if you have an extremely large estate with wide open fields for a yard then it would look nice.

[lawnboy11]

Not necessary. Especially on small lawns. Don't waste your time bothering. You will get some naturally, but don't stress about it. Customers don't care unless they're super anal.

[rodfather]

Straight striping is your "signature" :D

[little green guy]

We do some estates and stuff and we do have nice striaght stripes in them but to be honest I've only ever has a few people comment on them and I don't think most people realy care about them. People are more concerned with clumps, scalping turfing, grass in beds and stuff. Iv'e never heard of anybody loseing and account because they didn't have striaght stripes but I have gotton other accounts because the other guy blew grass in the beds or wasn't reliable or something like that.

[lawncare3]

Originally posted by xpnd
Call me stupid, others do; but why is so much time, energy and worry put into creating stripes on a lawn?

Y not?

They are the main reason I mow. :cool:

[brucec32]

Originally posted by GroundKprs
FYI, stripes have nothing to do with professionalism or appearance of a lawn.

Lawn striping first became noticed on professional sports fields. And with the emphasis on sports in this culture, lawn striping elsewhere caught on. David Mellor, the Director of Grounds for the Boston Red Sox Baseball Club, was one of the original creators of elaborate striping effects on baseball fields. Anyone want to see his book on striping check here: <a href="http://www.wiley.com/cda/product/0,,1575041510,00.html">Picture Perfect: Mowing Techniques for Lawns, Landscapes, and Sports</a>. But Mellor was a sports turf guy; transferring same ideas to ornamental landscapes is really not appropriate, if one knows the functional and artistic reasons for ornamental turf.

Actually, the ostentatious striping of turf detracts from a normal ornamental landscape. It makes the lawn too obvious, and draws the eye away from the rest of the landscape. A lawn without stripes, or with smooth curved patterns, is much more attractive to the human subconscious. Artistically, striping belongs only on fields, where the turf is the only thing to see.

AMEN! Couldn't have said it better myself. Striped lawns look good, but so do lawns mowed typically w/o artificially created stripes (via rollers, chains, etc). Nobody wants a lawn mowed in a circular pattern, but to claim that mowing precise straight stripes to the degree that I have seen pictured here is faster is just inconceiveable to me. I mow rows, and they're pretty straight, but in 11 years I have not had a single comment or complaint or even a request for such mowing techniques. Making the rows "perfect" would add more mowing time, not decrease it.

On high end properties, it may be fashionable to "one up" the neighbors by having this service done, but contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of mowing work to be done out there is not super high end residential estate work. I know of few people who would be interested in paying much extra for the service, and I am sure that it takes more careful mowing technique to acheive the admittedly technologically impressive look. But it is still an artificial look. Your lawn is not a ball field. Many feel it detracts from the natural look of the landscape to put severe stripes on it.

Note that most of the photos we see here of beautifully striped lawns are of cool season turf that is lush and green, mowed relatively tall, and appears to be done in the Springtime. Here in Atlanta, this turf is usually drought and heat stressed after May and the look would hardly be noticed. But in April and May, almost any Fescue lawn looks great, mowed in any method.

More power to you if you want to offer this as a way to differentiate yourself from others, but to claim it is the fastest and only "professional" method is just mistaken. Most lawns out there aren't wide open rectangles, and the time required to make the stripes look good around obstacles, planting beds, trees, etc, is just not cost effective for most people. And some retiree in a $200,000 or cheaper home isn't interested in this type of gimmick, but in a good service at a good price. Many of the lawns I do are maybe 50 feet accross, with trees and irregular borders. Striping precisely would mean I mow about 10 foot rows, and have to "fix" the areas where I drive around obstacles. This would probably double mowing time on such a lot.

Count me as another who just doesn't get the heavy degree of emphasis on a mower's ability to "stripe" a lawn. I would think that a mower that left blades standing up straight, as it grows naturally, and not bent over, would be considered a good design, not a bad one. Striping aids might help hide your wheel tracks if the grass is otherwise not bouncing back, but my questioning of the techinque is more over the extreme degree its taken to, and the comments that ALL lawns should be done with this technique, rather than the idea of doing it at all, which has some merit.

Again, I "stripe" most lawns to a degree, zero turning at ends of rows, but some of these photos I see look like they were laid out with surveying instruments. I've operated a ZTR for years and think I'm pretty efficient, but I can't that happening mowing at 8mph or more.

[bastalker]

Guess it boils down to preference. By all means the others that stripe dont regard anyone who doesn't as non professional, least I dont. It has just got me a few more accounts, and the same clients want me back for more...C'mon Spring!!!;) :drinkup:

[johnhenry]

Some like stripes some don't. Not everyone can stripe. Over half the stripes are tire marks that people see. The other half are real stripes. Not every machine stripes either. So much depends on it type of grass and mower, blade speed,deck pitch and most of all mowing patterns. I myself if all possible will stripe the property. It sets me apart from others in my area. Does the customer like it .Sometimes I wonder even if they notice. But to stripe you do have to know what you are doing. Like I said alot of so called stripes are just plain tire marks

[Flex-Deck]

Originally posted by awm
my take is that it takes knowing how, to really make stripes look good. conversly it takes knowing how to leave the carpet look,with no sign of mower tracks, also. different lawn designs favor one look or the other. then of course the customer has a say.one of my best striped lawns got nixed one day when the customer came out and said she didnt like it.

I am with awm - In our country, they want the carpet look and if you leave wheel tracks you are dead meat - The heights I mow at are determined by amount of moisture, and how well the grass is growing - (Blue Grass in our country) - I usually mow at three inches, but sometimes have to go to 2 1/2 just to get the wheel tracks eliminated as much as possible-

Thanks Bradhttp://Mowed Lawn

[FrankenScagMachines]

Originally posted by brucec32
AMEN! Couldn't have said it better myself. Striped lawns look good, but so do lawns mowed typically w/o artificially created stripes (via rollers, chains, etc). Nobody wants a lawn mowed in a circular pattern, but to claim that mowing precise straight stripes to the degree that I have seen pictured here is faster is just inconceiveable to me. I mow rows, and they're pretty straight, but in 11 years I have not had a single comment or complaint or even a request for such mowing techniques. Making the rows "perfect" would add more mowing time, not decrease it.

On high end properties, it may be fashionable to "one up" the neighbors by having this service done, but contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of mowing work to be done out there is not super high end residential estate work. I know of few people who would be interested in paying much extra for the service, and I am sure that it takes more careful mowing technique to acheive the admittedly technologically impressive look. But it is still an artificial look. Your lawn is not a ball field. Many feel it detracts from the natural look of the landscape to put severe stripes on it.

Note that most of the photos we see here of beautifully striped lawns are of cool season turf that is lush and green, mowed relatively tall, and appears to be done in the Springtime. Here in Atlanta, this turf is usually drought and heat stressed after May and the look would hardly be noticed. But in April and May, almost any Fescue lawn looks great, mowed in any method.

More power to you if you want to offer this as a way to differentiate yourself from others, but to claim it is the fastest and only "professional" method is just mistaken. Most lawns out there aren't wide open rectangles, and the time required to make the stripes look good around obstacles, planting beds, trees, etc, is just not cost effective for most people. And some retiree in a $200,000 or cheaper home isn't interested in this type of gimmick, but in a good service at a good price. Many of the lawns I do are maybe 50 feet accross, with trees and irregular borders. Striping precisely would mean I mow about 10 foot rows, and have to "fix" the areas where I drive around obstacles. This would probably double mowing time on such a lot.

Count me as another who just doesn't get the heavy degree of emphasis on a mower's ability to "stripe" a lawn. I would think that a mower that left blades standing up straight, as it grows naturally, and not bent over, would be considered a good design, not a bad one. Striping aids might help hide your wheel tracks if the grass is otherwise not bouncing back, but my questioning of the techinque is more over the extreme degree its taken to, and the comments that ALL lawns should be done with this technique, rather than the idea of doing it at all, which has some merit.

Again, I "stripe" most lawns to a degree, zero turning at ends of rows, but some of these photos I see look like they were laid out with surveying instruments. I've operated a ZTR for years and think I'm pretty efficient, but I can't that happening mowing at 8mph or more.


Hmmm.... some of this I agree with and some not. When I went down south this last summer I saw some beautiful landscaping and nice edging, grass was a pretty green but no stripes. Now up north here, people aren't into the landscaping as much in my area not anyway. People also do not care about edging. So you have to make it up in another way. Stripes. It is as rodfather said, a signature if you do quality stripes. Maybe it's just me but I can mow just as effeciently while doing a nice neat job of striping, which you describe yourself as ineffecient at. If you are going to stripe at all you might as well do it right. But you are right on that some lawns should not be striped if possible. But I have had several people compliment me on them. It doesn't take me any longer. Well, I wouldn't know because for the last 3 years I have been striping and getting better each time. I will not mow any other way. End of discussion!!


Here is a picture of striping around an obstacle. I wasn't even using a zero turning machine and I bet you it didn't take any extra time. You just have to know how to do it. The stripes would've been better but they requested it be at 2.5" so it was...

[HOMER]

You ain't gonna find lawns "down south" that are striped!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Heck, the more I think about it...........I'm glad we don't have to worry about it!
Just makes my job faster.

And the only way I know not to leave a tire mark in the grass is to hover over it................how the heck you gonna mow a yard without riding across it? That has to be a cool season grass thing.

[challenger55]

one reason is that it looks better second reason customers like it and another reason is that if a person knows how you cut a lawn they will want you to do it

[BRIMOW525]

how can this NOT look good?

[cajuncutter]

Not appealing at all...just my own little opinion...well and my wifes as well...I don't think it would go over well down here and I really hope it never starts

[brucec32]

Originally posted by BRIMOW525
how can this NOT look good?

It looks a little bizarre and unnatural, sorry. Some folks may like that, many don't. And I say no way it's as fast as regular mowing, despite some of the claims. I'm sure if you're doing at no extra charge many might enjoy and appreciate it, though. But I know mowing, I've mowed about 10,000 lawns, it's been 5 years since I had a peep of complaint from anybody, so obviously I'm doing it right, and in my estimation this can't be as fast as mowing regularly. I think it's obvious from looking at some of these photos here on lawnsite that many extra maneuvers to "fix" areas around obstacles have been made. Anyone who's mowed a lot just knows this intrinsically. With a striping kit on, any deviation from precise parallel lines is emphasized. I "stripe", just not with a kit and just not on really curvy properties. But no, (bushhogboy) I am not "inefficient at it".

For example, in the photo above, note how the stripes continue to the drive. Very nice, but it obviously required putting the mower ON THE DRIVEWAY repeatedly to get that look. You'd have tons of grass stains here if you did that. Totally unacceptable. Maybe on really dry grass. But on days you mow it wet, how do you explain to the customer that it won't look as good sometimes? Also, notice where the stripes approach the planting beds next to the house....they go all the way to the edge, there is no line where the mower circled the perimter of the lawn. How is that done w/o any extra manuevering and jockeying the mower? Actually, its' mystyfing to me how he did it w/o driving the mower INTO the planting bed! Again, this is technologically impressive, but I couldn't ever make it pay financially. If I spend 5 minutes extra on site, that costs me $50 a day. And since nobody is rushing to pay me $5/mow extra for this, it would indeed be a loss.

[BRIMOW525]

not only does it look good but it also ensures that u don't miss anything. u can't tell me riding around in circles is more efficent than striping. Welcome to the 2000's. Anyway what is concidered natural? A lawn is not one of them.. has chemicals to prevent weeds and insects. Natural lawns won't be cut either. as far as grass stains on the pavement. only if its either wet or u don't know how to turn a Z machine. Actually we usually go across the drive to the other part of the lawn and turn but the vehicles were there that day. Whats so unacceptable about that? is a driveway a NO zone?

[quality]

Bruce32 what do you mean not as fast as regular mowing? What is regular mowing mean to you? To me it is the most effiecent way to get the job done and to make it look the best we can and stripping is exactly that.
In regards to the mower going on the driveway theres no need for that --zero turn mowers then run a boarder line around the lawn ---:cool:

[BRIMOW525]

we usually do run a border but none of my customers care about grass on the driveway. We never leave much if any anyway.

[GroundKprs]

All the photo presentations in this thread confirm my point. Striping is just for the grass, and the photos are just the grass. If grass is the only part of the picture, as in sports turf, striping is artistic there.

For those who think beyond grass cuttin', they know the spread of turf is just the frame of the site. Artistically, it should not stand out, it is just a part of the picture. That one with the diagonals going to the drive, go back right now and look closely, really observe the picture......... Then come back here........

.

.

.

. DON"T PEEK ! Look at that pic first.....

.

.

.

.

.

.

What did you notice? The driveway, right. Because the lines pointed at the drive. What color was the house? How many windows? What color is the trim? You didn't even look at the house, LOL. And the house is supposed to be the center of the site, the reason for all the plantings around it. The stripes direct the eye away form the meat of the site, the structure and the ornamental plantings.

Therefore, the striping corrupts the real reason for the ornamental turf. Of course, not many "landscapers", or even landscape architects, know how to use plants properly in this culture. Most landscape designs are done with the idea of how much one can make on the job. Some know how to do it subconsciously, as we all do, but they never learn to practice that instinct. I have learned to do the best I can to use the existing plants to properly complement the structure, even though not too many structures in our culture deserve a compliment, LOL.

[Green Pastures]

They're not important, but they do look cool.

[CO.d 502nd]

I dont think their important but i like em and i make all attempts to get the very best ones.
My own lawn is striped weith a 21 inch mower with a inventek roller .I like look and i think the late great eric elm 's work speak's well for stripeing northern grass.

[FrankenScagMachines]

Odin do you have any pictures of 21" stripes? I made flaps for both my 21" Lawn Boy push mulcher and 21" MTD s/p bagger just becuase I had nothing else to do. They double as safety flaps which the originals were tearing up anyway. These are stiffer too so no big rocks will come flying at me.

[Nick]

Here are a few examples from the master Eric Erickson. Striping is un natural you say, so is ornamental turf mowed every week. Irragation systems and fertilizer are all not natural. I think it enhances the landscape and hides the flaws of the lawn. It also depends on lighting.

[Nick]

2

[gamoose]

I believe it has to do with the turf type, There are very few stipes I see around Atlanta, most of my lawns 80% are either bermuda or zyosia and the only stripes I leave are caused by tire tracks. If some one can "really" stripe warm season turf I would love to see it. By June the fescue barely grows, July and August it is Dormant. I also noticed most pro striping are far North of here. What do you Florida boys do.

[garyslawn]

Nick; Beautiful lawns. That is the way I try to get mine to look. I have never had a customer ask about the stripes, but they do say how nice the lawns look. A have had neighbors ask how I make the stripes.

[Organix]

Well correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't most putting greens and baseball fields Bermuda. They all have nice stripes. They probably all use reel mowers but I think you could stripe Bermuda with a rotary blade if you had a heavy enough roller. But I don't know for sure.

I tried out my inventek roller and am pretty happy with it. I got it filled with sand it may be better with bb's in it. I just worried about it breaking open and spilling all over someones sidewalk. LOL.

Going over it twice makes a big difference and one of the tips they had is wetting down grass with light mist and doing it again.

I agree some lawns are pointless and I would not mow any lawn twice unless it was an extra I "sold" the customer. However, I got a couple of lawns in an area I am trying to market where I want to put a lawn sign. Those I am going to make sure look awesome.

I don't think customers really notice the stripes that much, but I think it has a subliminal effect. They see a lawn that looks pro, like a golf course a baseball field, they are going to think you do good work. It definitely gives any home a more upper scale look, and I think people will like that even if they don't know why that is the reason they like it.

[X-mow]

Originally posted by PR0 TURF
The reason we put such an emphasis on striping is because that is your trademark as a lawn care professional. That is part of what a customer is paying a "professional" for. They just aren't paying to get there grass cut short...they're paying for there lawn to be groomed...and a beautiful set of stripes is something that VERY FEW homeowners can do on there own. It is a symbol of professionalism in my opinion.:jester:

AMEN[

[lugnut#6]

here on the gulf coast of ms. i see alot of st.augistine and centipede.can either of these be striped to the quality of the yard a few post above?

[Frank2]

BRIMOW525,
Couldn't agree w/ you more.

If you didn't put down stripes in New Jersey, you better look into another business.

[Keith]

Originally posted by lugnut#6
here on the gulf coast of ms. i see alot of st.augistine and centipede.can either of these be striped to the quality of the yard a few post above?

Don't count on it. You can get some faint stripes if the moon is just right ;) I have found St. Augustine grass in shady areas is more likely to have distinct stripe than in sunny areas. Bitter Blue here tends to stripe a little more than say, Floratam. But large variations of colors isn't the norm for St. Augustine.

I did have one stripe up pretty good in a sunny lawn the other day. Can't really explain why it happened. Time of the day? I did cut it at the highest level it had been cut at this year, maybe that had something to do with it. I did not get a picture of that one.

I do have this picture I took a couple of years back of a shady St. Augustine lawn I cut with the 36" Exmark. It striped more than normal. I hate to keep using it, but it's the only one I have :D

[pinnacle]

Don't stripe unless you Know what your doing (ie Diploma in turf management or parks and gardens) If you are going to mow lawn for a living know what your doing. Some people sound like they reakon they know how to stripe but where are their QUALIFICATIONS

[Frank2]

Qualifications????? This isn't brain surgery man. Give me a guy at 8:00 in the morning that has never used a commercial machine before and by 4:00 in the afternoon I'll have him putting stripes down like a pro.

[pinnacle]

Matey Id love to see your striping work.

[David Haggerty]

There's some poor engineer at Toro or some other place reading this thread.
After spending his whole career developing a deck & mower that didn't leave marks in the lawn that people are modifying their machines to leave stripes.:confused: :confused: :confused:

He's probably thinking, "Oh well! back to the drawing board."
:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Dave

[Tharrell]

My Bob-Cat striped without my doing anything to it. I can't stand the "vacuumed carpet" look, every different direction and circles. I find it easier to lay stripes that look good. When I put Gator blades on it, I lost some of the effect so I put a weighted flap from an eXmark and I got my stripes back. If the grass (tall fescue) is mowed at the proper height, you're going to stripe it, no way around it. Might as well make it look good. It's also an opportunity for me to be creative. Otherwise I'm just the guy who cuts grass. Also, we have bermuda (UGH!) down here and it can be striped. One thing I have not heard yet is proportion. Stripes look best if proportioned to the size of the lawn. You can't really cut down the size of a big deck but you can widen the stripe of a small deck with a little forethought on how you cut the lawn.

[blafleur]

Not sure what the big deal is, if someone likes to stripe, their grass can be striped, and their customer likes it, thats what they should be doing. Like a few have mentioned, southern warm season grass won't stripe without special equipment, and no one here expects it. I only see it on winter overseeded rye. Apparently up north, the grass will stripe somewhat, so the lco's that like to look professional make an effort to make those stripes look good. Just a measure of professionalism, and it is good to see people taking pride in their work. Down here thats just not an area people measure others quality of work in.

Just my .02.

Bryan

[teeca]

it's the grass that strips the grass up here in the north. meaning this, if your equipment cuts grass efectivly, then it will leave a strip most of the time. putting a roller on the back of the mower is used to enhance this. my dixie choppers' have no extras nor do my exmarks, and they will lay an awsom strip in almost any yard i cut, now if i take it to say florida, it would just leave tire tracks like the others do. and since our grass stipes, and south doesn't, then people from the south wouldn't care for strips, because you can't and don't have the opertunity. i don't know how i could not strip a lawn up here? i guess i could leave the blades turnd of and just run over it and leave tire marks.

[awm]

agreed ,the type grass makes a difference. here we have fescue.
the real trick is knowing how to not leave mower marks at all. very few of my residential will tolerate the stripe.
conversly ,im with grassmaster on lawns with long runs ,they look good .
if done rite.
my son has a 22 mower and works at striping . i think it looks kinda bush.
a smooth look would look better to me.
as always jmo

[Advanced Lawncare]

I think both can look nice. Basically it comes down to what the customer wants. As for one being more professional than the other I have to disagree. I think that the professional will be able to provide either make the lawn look nice. Just my thoughts. :D

[GreenQuest Lawn]

I understand that certain areas you can NOT put stripes on lawns very good, or not at all, then it looks just fine not striped. I have seen some pics on this site of lawns without stripes and they look pretty good. I also noticed that most that have a problem with not liking stripes are from the south.

With that said, here in the north country we have no choice IMO. The ONLY way to mow with out getting alternate stripes is to make a pass, drive all the way back (without mowing) and make another pass the same direction. Would take WAY more time.

Then there is the circle cutting, just driving around in circles till you get to the middle. I will include a pic of what this looks like, you still get half the lawn light and half dark.

So unless some one has a way to NOT stripe nothern grass please understand we have NO choice.

This is what happens around here when you try not to stripe.

(and NO I did not do this)

[GreenQuest Lawn]

The inevitable stripes........:)



(YES I did this one)

[teeca]

first pic looks like a garden tractor cut, what sh*t, i can't stand the way people cut with those things!

[KirbysLawn]

Well, I'm with Todd. I see no way now mow effectively and efficiently and not leave a stripe on the tall cool season grasses. On the warm grasses that are lateral grower I understand, but with what I mow no way. Someone stated earlier “if my mower left tire tracks…” what it doesn’t?? How can anyone have a mower that does not leave tire tracks in 3-4" tall grass? Hovering?

My mower tires and deck leave tracks, I can mow straight and efficient and leave a track, go side by side and leave a pattern of stripes, or I can mow in circles…don’t think so.

[Heron Cove PM]

I personally don't think that whether you stripe or not, makes you more professional than the other. The quality of your work, whether you stripe or not, is the TRUE trait of someone who is professional.

From all the posts, I think it breaks down to geographics. Here in the Mid-Atlantic region (the D.C. Metro area) you are expected to stripe. I also believe that it boils down to the type of grass. It is virtually impossible to NOT stripe in this area; push mowers even stripe in this area. I would be fired off a lawn in a minute if I did what I call "The Harry Hobbyist Rug Role". This is when you start on the outside and continuously circle until you end up with one dot in the center. Let's make the "Happy Harry Home Owner Bull's Eye!" :D I would take a shot and say if you are in this region and you are proficient at it, you too would say it is quicker and you can increase your productivity by striping...CORRECTLY.

As for "detracting" from the landscape, I can see where this is possible; however, when done correctly it can enhance the landscape. Even though the person did a fine job of striping in the picture, if he would have increase the angle of attack, he could have used the lines to draw the eye to the house verses the driveway. Again, don't get me wrong. This is fine work and I am not attacking this individual nor his work, but knowing how to use the lines effectively is more important than making the lines. Again, it is important to use the pattern (stripes) effectively to draw one's eyes to the home and surrounding landscape instead of away from it.

As for striping "being healthy to a lawn" it doesn't directly affect the health of the turf like fertilizer does, but rotating the pattern is one small contributing factor of many, to promote healthy turf growth. Think of it as in vacuuming your carpet. When you vacuum carpet, you are supposed to change the direction to help the pile of the carpet stand up. This will also work with rotating the cut in turf grass. It's less likely to be trained to grow in one direction.

Just my 38 1/2 cents opinion.

Marshall

[blairbuc]

[
Actually, the ostentatious striping of turf detracts from a normal ornamental landscape. It makes the lawn too obvious, and draws the eye away from the rest of the landscape. A lawn without stripes, or with smooth curved patterns, is much more attractive to the human subconscious. Artistically, striping belongs only on fields, where the turf is the only thing to see. [/B][/QUOTE]

Groundskeeper:

Good post, and I agree with you, I think strips are not a natural look but again, personal taste and I think you and I are the only ones on this site that like one color on a residence. I do like stripes that bend with the curve of the property but perfectly straight is not for me.

Then, again, there is a side of me that likes the mechanical ability of a guy who can keep even stripes.

Bought the book

thanks

[NCSULandscaper]

Well i can say that i am the ONLY company in my town that does stripe yards and i have gotten so many positive comments on them. People have never really seen them before and it makes their yards stand out. That is my trademark because whenever you see a striped yard you know who it was done by. In this time you have to do whatever you possibly can to stand out from the rest of your competition and sometimes stripes make you stand out and other times it might be your education that makes you stand out or just plain experience.

[Cooper Landscaping]

Konnichiwa from Japan - im here on a 6 week exchange program and ive been here under a week- the houses are 3 feet apart and i havent seen grass since i left the US. Other than see my family, the first thing im going to do when i get home is mow a lawn and lay down some nasty stripes :) I too think it is a matter of opinion but in my opinion it does look more professional then a bunch of wheel marks.

And for the record i think greenquest did both of those striping jobs just to make his real stripes look better :D just kidding. I miss stripes! lol

-Coop

[Strawbridge Lawn]

Some people like it, some don't, and many don't care. But what striping a lawn does is set it apart from any other nearby. It stands out and grabs attention. Homeowners who strive for a lawn that presents itself are typically pleased with strpes.
I don't feel it saves time at all because whgen you stripe you typically put in patterns. The most time efficient way to cut grass is not going back and forth making stripes. The guy who turns the least amount of times is the one who will finish first.

[Heron Cove PM]

OK first off I know this test is NOT exact science; it's just a ball park (no pun intended). I took 4 small pieces of paper, used the same marker and tried to keep the "stripes" as close as possible. Now come on, I'm gonna say it again, just a quick quiz, not an exact science or test. But as you can see, back and forth is NOT more turns if it all many more (in the real world) than going around in circles. Come on guys, I know you're gonna beat me up on this one :D and I know there's no obstacles like trees or flowerbeds, but in all seriousness you are going to have one heck of a time telling me that a proficient operator that can stripe well, cannot keep up with someone who just runs around in circles.

Look at it geometrically. A square has 4 sides. If you have to make 4 squares to complete a lawn that is a total of 16 turns (4x4=16). If it takes 8 stripes horizontally to complete a lawn, then the most turns you have would be 8.

No attacks, just trying to point out what seems to me to be obvious.

Keep up the good work, fellas!
Marshall:D

[Heron Cove PM]

Pics

[Heron Cove PM]

Pic 2

[teeca]

i guess a circle would be quicker, but the ztr will tear the s*** out of a yard going 13mph in a circle, even if you have sub-standerd equipment (anything but a dixie chopper:D ) seirously though, customers (including myself) would s*** if the yard was cut in a circle pattern!

[Tvov]

This thread certainly popped back up!





Originally posted by pinnacle
Don't stripe unless you Know what your doing (ie Diploma in turf management or parks and gardens) If you are going to mow lawn for a living know what your doing. Some people sound like they reakon they know how to stripe but where are their QUALIFICATIONS

Okay, I'll bite... What in the world does having a Diploma have to do with striping??? Are you sure you are talking about what everyone else is talking about?

"If you are going to mow lawn for a living know what your doing."


I guess I better stop my business right now, my major in college was economics/business, NOT mowing lawns. Damn, I didn't realize I've been doing it all wrong these past 18 years. I better tell my employees to stop also, as they don't have a degree in lawn mowing!!

If, on the other hand, you are talking a landscape architecture degree, that is a different story.

I think the pictures from GreenQuest Lawn pretty much answers any questions about whether or not striping looks better.

[GreenQuest Lawn]

And for the record i think greenquest did both of those striping jobs just to make his real stripes look better just kidding. I miss stripes! lol



HAHA No actually I lost that account this year. The stripe pic was from last year. The guy came in quite a bit cheaper than me. Oh well if they want me back next year their price will be raised at least 25% over my old price. I have already heard through the grape vine that they are unhappy. I refuse to play games so I will raise their price if I get them back great if not oh well.



Don't stripe unless you Know what your doing (ie Diploma in turf management or parks and gardens) If you are going to mow lawn for a living know what your doing. Some people sound like they reakon they know how to stripe but where are their QUALIFICATIONS

I have a BA degree(Bad *****) in lawn striping........does that count?????:dizzy


Again everyone has to accept the fact that the area in which we mow we HAVE NO choice but to stripe. I have shown you guys what happens when you drive in circles. I would like to see pics of NORTHERN non striped lawns if anyone has them.:

[David Haggerty]

Originally posted by GreenQuest Lawn
I would like to see pics of NORTHERN non striped lawns if anyone has them.:

I can't really stripe these lawns with a 16' mower. The Toro decks don't stripe much anyway as they were designed for golf courses.

I'm posting this pic because it shows it half cut.

[GreenQuest Lawn]

I would have to agree on the large cut mowers not striping. I ran a toro 455 (126") at the lawn care I used to work for.

With that being said we could still tell, when the light was right, light and dark shades.

[Ricky]

I wish Chopper whould come out with a mower that had a switch on it that would let you turn the stripe off. Better yet, "stripe" or "dark stripe only". :)

[The Lawn Boy Pro]

I stripe (not strip) lawns in a direction that leads your eyes to a house or building. That way, the center of attention isn't so much on the lawn (which is over-emphasized), its on the building/house.

[The Lawn Boy Pro]

Originally posted by GreenQuest Lawn
The inevitable stripes........:)



(YES I did this one)

I dont think there is a way to NOT stripe lawns here...:rolleyes: Its harder NOT to than it is to JUST DO IT

[Premo Services]

Originally posted by The Lawn Boy Pro
I dont think there is a way to NOT stripe lawns here...:rolleyes: Its harder NOT to than it is to JUST DO IT

That is true here also, So the most important thing is to have straight stripes!!!!!:cool:

[Lawn Lizards]

Lines are so much more important than one may think. I greatly stress the importance of lines/stripes on my employees. You have to make those lines look good. Appearance will build your business. Driving around in the yard aimlessly won't get you anywhere. Anyone who thinks that lines/stripes are not important should not be in this business. Granted, weedy-nasty yards you spend less time on because you simply can't make it look good with any kind of lines, but all nice yards, definitely should look like a professional lawn service takes care of it.

Word of Mouth is your most powerful form of advertising.

[lonewolf]

I believe that striping a lawn perfectly is the sign of someone who takes great pride in what it is they do, and i respect that. Ive had many customer tell me it adds a nice asthetic look to there property and they love it.

I will grant u not every single customer ive performed this service for hasnt all liked the nice strait strips in there lawns but 98% of the customers i talk to do.

I have lived in south easter lower Michigan over half of my life time and the grasses up here are deffinately more optimum for striping a lawn as aposed to the warmer seasonal grasses down south. How ever striping a lawn that has warmer season grasses can be done with the right equipment and i believe it still looks better than driving over the lawn aimlessly and over laping your passes.

I believe the vast majority of lawn maintanance owners in the north are begining to realize the importance of a quality stripe job on a customers lawn, especially as far as the word of mouth advertising is concerned.

Just a recommendation, i know for the most part people arent as concerned about the striping of there lawns in the south. All im saying is for anyone who can learn the art of it, (not that its rocket science or brain surgery) u may wanna invest a couple dollars and try it out and see what kinda response u get from it, talk to your customers and ask them what they think.

I invite anyone to put there money where there mouth is, if they think they are that much faster than i am when cuting a lawn, the difference is with the right equipment u can make a lawn look perfect in just as much time as it takes to fly across it and over lap yourself.

[Soupy]

I didn't read this whole thread, but I noticed that a lot of people said their customers don't care and have never said one way or another if they like it.

Well, I have never had a customer i was already cutting say anything. But I have had neighbors mention they like it and some have hired us just so they can have nice stripes in their lawn. So If you ask me, I think it helps if you can stripe good.

Soupy

[Expert Lawns]

Stripes look organized

[Expert Lawns]

another

[Expert Lawns]

And another..

[Expert Lawns]

I haven't mastered posting pictures yet, so bare with me

[proenterprises]

they just make the lawn look tied together and generally wrap up the package of lawn service. Also, it gives people somthing to look at after we have been their except just shorter grass.

[FrankenScagMachines]

I have one customer who traded me a simplicity lawn tractor in trade for 30 or so mowings. His lawn is all open and just a few small young trees. Lawn is fertilized but not irrigated so it fries a bit usually. But when we made the deal he was really really concerned about the stripes. He’s a younger guy who commutes 45 minutes one way to work in an office. He wanted to trade me for the Scag w/b I had for sale at the time but the Scag sold before he got with the program. He wanted to mow the lawn himself, just wanted to do it quicker. He is almost more obsessed with stripes than I am! Anyway, point is that even someone who knows nothing about lawns still likes to see a nice lawn striped nicely. His lawn is in a great location in his neighborhood and now with me mowing it, we get some killer stripes in 3 directions at once and it’s like the lawn is just waving at you when you come into this neighborhood. It’s a real joy for me to mow this one, like I said it’s nice grass, all open few obstacles, practically no trimming, edging takes just a minute, etc. The lawns in this neighborhood are 1 to 1 ½ acres, so the houses are far enough apart that the lawns can stick out alittle too. I don’t have any real good pics of it right now, I was always too busy striping it (usually last lawn of the day so it was usually just about dark) and trying to get done to worry about pics, plus that like I said usually getting dark as I was mowing it so can’t take pics then. Sometimes the guy would just stand out there in his driveway and watch me mow (yes I’m serious! He’s no older than 30 either, most younger office guys would turn up their nose at the lawn boy but he is fascinated with it).
I played with the Simplicity a bit before I traded it to my grandpa, it did a great job mowing and striping. Turned nice and tight too. I would have kept it but my grandpa wanted it and it is a huge upgrade for him, rather him have it then me.

Many other customers of mine have commented on the stripes. I don’t just stripe- I stripe better. I make mine more noticeable. Deeper colors, at angles not just lined up with the driveway or the road or whatever. I change directions every other mowing, etc. many LCO’s can make stripes, but they can’t stripe a lawn. Does that make any sense?

Moral of the story- do what is considered a great job in your area and people will notice.

[fauballfields]

I take exception to the Texas Rangers crack...You must not have time to watch baseball! I'm the one who put the stripes in the grass for the Texas Rangers. I grew up in florida with baseball, stripes make the field! My wife lived in Ohio on 3 acres, and her father stripped all 3 acres with a hand mower....WHY?...Because some people take pride in their jobs & their homes...Are you telling me that watching a game on t.V. that you don't look at a field and say That Looks Great??? If you don't, you don't know turf. I'm a professional sports turf supervisor, we have a job for a reason (not to mention the great pay!) If you don't get the stripping thing, why are you on this site? :angry: :angry:

[DLS1]

I take exception to the Texas Rangers crack...You must not have time to watch baseball! I'm the one who put the stripes in the grass for the Texas Rangers. I grew up in florida with baseball, stripes make the field! My wife lived in Ohio on 3 acres, and her father stripped all 3 acres with a hand mower....WHY?...Because some people take pride in their jobs & their homes...Are you telling me that watching a game on t.V. that you don't look at a field and say That Looks Great??? If you don't, you don't know turf. I'm a professional sports turf supervisor, we have a job for a reason (not to mention the great pay!) If you don't get the stripping thing, why are you on this site? :angry: :angry:

Me thinks you take this stripping thing to serious. It is only mowing grass. You can take pride in mowing a yard without stripping it. People seem to make things more important than they are just because they do it. If you have seen one stripped baseball field you have seen them all.

People are on this site to learn how to run a successful lawn business and not major on a minor like stripping a yard that most customers could care less about not matter how much some of you protest.

[ProLawns]

If the yard will stripe i'll stripe it because I think it looks good but i've never had a customer mention the stripes though.

[fauballfields]

This is WHY you stripe...Texas Rangers Ballfield, this is only 1 spring traing field, during this worst part of our grass season! :D

[Tharrell]

Well, I for one HAVE had customers AND others comment on the stripes.
One thing for sure, my Bob-Cat is going to stripe whether I like it or not. Might as well make it look nice, not like the living room carpet that just got vacuumed.
If they look good people notice and sometimes they comment.

[lonewolf]

I cannot say what it is like for everyone else in the industry but, up here in Michigan I have done alot of work for a lot of high end customers. These customers are usually business owners or have made a nice living doing what they do and doing it well. These kind of people know the value of a job well done, and not only that but it is a matter of pride about doing what it is that we do...(or at least thats my feelings). When u are trying to keep up with the Jones's 9 times out of 10 my customers are looking for something a little more then the next guy has. Stripes add an asthetic value to a lawn, it says I have someone who takes pride in their work and makes my lawn look nice, as aposed to the guy next door who's lawn service just comes out and rides across the lawn at a hundred miles an hour every which way. So my reply to this thread would be with a question.....If you are paying for a lawn service, do you want your lawn to look average, or would you rather have a lawn that looks like it is being maintained by a professional?

[topsites]

Six years in the business, never had one customer ask about a stripe. Most our lawns are med to small, we don't even think about it.

I tried it this year, spent 300 bucks on a beautiful kit and got very excited for a week or so, now it rests underneath the house. It weighs the wb down which makes it slower to begin with, it DOES take longer regardless of the extra weight due to the extra cornering issues AND my mower is not a straight-line beast.
Perhaps with a Ztr OR a pistol-grip it is fastest to do straight lines, but with a T-bar controlled Wb, circles are best and in that sense, the most efficient cut time-wise (for me) is the racetrack. Much like with coonman, few worries about this create less gray hairs although in the future I am still willing to build a bar with chains to cover just the rear of the frame as a cheap striper, just for kicks, so I can say the capability exists.

[dcplace2004]

If they pay for stripes, I will put nice stripes...if they pay for roundup, I will put roundup...if they pay for a blade edge, I will do that too...don't pay for it, no getty it!

[Richard Martin]

How can you avoid stripeing with Blugrass, fescue, rye and a mixture of all these. Isn't it a given or do some mowers just not do it as well.

The few areas that I overseed with rye (that I can get to grow right) will stripe anyway whether I want it to or not..........so..........how can you NOT make a stripe with this turf.

Lap cutting. Make a outside pass about 10 or so feet away from the perimeter (so you don't throw grass on anything or the next door neighbor's yard) discharging to the outside. Just keep going around and around until you reach the middle. This is also the fastest way to cut grass because the mower is always moving and you are constantly cutting grass. Stripe cutting requires a slow down, stop (multiple times for some people) and restart at the end of every row.

[GLC51]

I like the look of stipes you are going to end up with tire tracs anyway so it gives a more uniform look. They help you see where you have cut, you know some days with the amount of growth and the way the sun hits the lawn it's hard to see where the last pass is. I prefer wavy or curved stripes. I think they are more interesting and they are easier to do than trying straight lines. Also in nature you hardly ever see a straight line so I think it works better. With my setup I can take the chains off by hand in under a minute not that I ever done so. Here are some pics of my Stander with chains and some examples ( if I can get them to attach to this post.)

[GLC51]

Here are links to the mower and chain pics I posted on another thread. http://www.lawnsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=39852
http://www.lawnsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=39850

[bigz1001]

They are not that important. Personally I don't like the things.

[Remsen1]

When I see a lawn with nice stripes I know it was cut by a pro. A lawn with perfect stripes next to one that was cut indy lap style, and/or with a low lift deck, the stiped lawn looks 100% better. I don't spend too much time, making stripes happen, they just happen when you cut a lawn (with decent grass) properly and efficiently.

[Lost Pine]

True, it is harder to get a good stripe pattern when you are zigging and zagging around obstacles, but it still can be done very easily. Just as long as your equipment isn't too big for the lawn, and it is striping capable.

It's not important to the lawns health, but it sure looks good.

What makes a lawn mower, "stripping capable" ?

[The mayor]

When I see some of these stripes I think someone should change their pattern because you are wearing a rut where your tires keep going over the same spot every week. Just because you can make a line in the lawn don't make you a pro.

[liquidforcedude7]

I like stripes however you can make them too bold and I dont like that im more of a suddle stripe man. :blob3:

[Professional Lawn Care]

How do you get the stripe that looks like it is running into a flower bed. It looks as though you would have to make a turn in the flower bed - which I know you are not doing.

[liquidforcedude7]

How do you get the stripe that looks like it is running into a flower bed. It looks as though you would have to make a turn in the flower bed - which I know you are not doing.

haha I feel soo smart I know the answer . If your stripes are soming from the right side of the bed mow right up to the bed then go left keeping right up close to the bed then just continue your line on the other side of the bed just keep going to the unstriped side of the bed until you are passed it... :blob3: