Last year I bought a new HP with mulching kit at near the end of the season. It worked great. This year my lawn is burning where the tire tracks are. Am I doing something wrong or is it a combo of the heat and weight of the machine?
These stripes result from mowing when the plant is entering the early stages of drought stress. The wheels,mower housing, blade, and/or feet apparently destroy the integrity of the leaves and thus even when the area is watered, the leaves will not green-up. The plant will regrow from the crown given four weeks or more with regular irrigation or rainfall and the stripes should disappear. To prevent these stripes in the first place, avoid mowing turf that is under drought stress (bluish-gray color),
Something we do is change the direction of the cut everytime we mow. It may still make minor "burn" marks but at least this way you don't stress the same area over and over again. Let's pray for some rain
I do mix it up each time. It was suggested on another thread that it may be dollar spot and I'm spreading it with the mower wheels. I'm going to take a closer look at the grass blades.
Dollar spot and I'm spreading it with the mower wheels.. Are you kidding me?????It starts out about the size of a silver dollar, thus the name "dollar" spot. Low soil moisture, heat stress from walkways and poor mowing practices, compact soil and weak root systems all enhance dollar spot activity. Core aeration to relieve compaction, proper cultural practices, and fertilization will help to reduce the occurrence of dollar spot.
