# Scalp after rotary mower



## kur1j (Jul 2, 2017)

The entire time i was doing this I was just thinking to myself "i really hope i'm not completely destroying my lawn". I'm nervous about it but don't feel did anything wrong. Hopefully I didn't do it to late in the year either :-/.

I started it yesterday but started downpouring. I finished it up today. What a PITA without a bagging mower. I spent 7 hours rakeing the entire lawn of all the grass clippings with a leaf rake. It sucked. But it's basically done.

Pictures before the scalp

https://imgur.com/a/bFTdh

Picture after scalp with rotary. I still need to run the reel mower over it to get it down to the .75". Will be doing that tomorrow.

https://imgur.com/a/E36hj


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## Bunnysarefat (May 4, 2017)

No bag? Yikes. Should have paid someone in that case. Hope you have a grass catcher for the .75.


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## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

I see it as free excercise haha. Hard work will pay off. Hopefully your reel has a grass catcher. Keep us updated


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

You might want to see how much a bag attachment is for your rotary mower as it can save you a lot of work. I think you will be fine and you should have plenty of time for the lawn to recover before it goes dormant, just make sure you are giving it plenty of water and a little extra fertilizer couldn't hurt either.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

I feel your pain. I think the scalping process is one of the single biggest motivators to maintain bermuda as low as you can. :nod:


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Ware said:


> I feel your pain. I think the scalping process is one of the single biggest motivators to maintain bermuda as low as you can. :nod:


+1 to this. My goal is to get to the point where I no longer need my rotary mower so I can get rid of it and maybe make space for something else


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Mightyquinn said:


> ...My goal is to get to the point where I no longer need my rotary mower so I can get rid of it and maybe make space for something else


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Ware said:


> Mightyquinn said:
> 
> 
> > ...My goal is to get to the point where I no longer need my rotary mower so I can get rid of it and maybe make space for something else


 :lol: :laugh: 
As much as I would LOVE to have one of those, I don't think I can justify it for something I would use 1 to 2 times a year plus it would take up a lot more space than my rotary mower currently does.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Mightyquinn said:


> ...I don't think I can justify it for something I would use 1 to 2 times a year...


But you have TLF friends scattered all over the southeast that would love for you to visit with it - you could take your show on the road!


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## kur1j (Jul 2, 2017)

Mightyquinn said:


> You might want to see how much a bag attachment is for your rotary mower as it can save you a lot of work. I think you will be fine and you should have plenty of time for the lawn to recover before it goes dormant, just make sure you are giving it plenty of water and a little extra fertilizer couldn't hurt either.


It's a side discharge old rotary that I got for free (picked it up on side of road as someone was throwing it away). Have been using it for the past 8 years or so cutting where I have lived. Cranks up and does the job, just not a very good mower. If anything I would just look for a cheap bagging mower on CL or something. The reviews I have found on the bagging attachments I have found are all really bad, unfortunately.

I hope it will recover quickly too. I have the other thread where I'm giving updates by video and other people have said that I probably need to throw down some more fertilizer and try to give it some more water (.5" every 3 days). I'm hoping 4-6 weeks.

I just hope I didn't create more problems for myself though. What other "surprises" would I be in for that I might be missing on maintaining the lawn like this (1" to 1.1")? Obviously cutting every 3-4 days, fertilizing, sand lawn leveling, spraying for weeds as needed, aerating/detaching. What else is there that I might be missing that will end up making this a LOT of extra work? I see others posts and it's almost back breaking on me watching haha. I just keep thinking, I know about this other stuff and am prepared to do that, but I am not sure if I am missing where it will be like "damn...I can't do this...". I do have a day time job and do want to see my wife occasionally haha.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

kur1j said:


> Mightyquinn said:
> 
> 
> > You might want to see how much a bag attachment is for your rotary mower as it can save you a lot of work. I think you will be fine and you should have plenty of time for the lawn to recover before it goes dormant, just make sure you are giving it plenty of water and a little extra fertilizer couldn't hurt either.
> ...


I think you are doing fine and have all the basics covered right now :thumbup: Just know this is a marathon and not a sprint and you will be fine. Just don't try to do too much at one time and overwhelm yourself, after all it is bermuda and any mistakes you make will fix themselves in a few week usually  Just make sure the lawn is getting plenty of water and I'm sure you will be almost fully greened back up in 2-3 weeks.


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## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

You can have a great bermuda lawn with minimal input as long as you can stay on top of the mowing. I have a strip where all I do is mow and fertilize. I don't even water it, just rain water, and it's doing great. I've been able to maintain it at 5/8". I had to scalp it back in July down to 7/16 but it recovered within 10 days. I think unless you are trying to maintain it below .5" you will be good to go. Heck I think red has been primarily been mowing and his looks top notch. Every lawn can look even better and I think that's where the new "surprises" might arise. It's up to you if you want to put the time and effort to take it up the next level. Here's a pic of the side strip I was talking about.


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## kur1j (Jul 2, 2017)

Iriasj2009 said:


> You can have a great bermuda lawn with minimal input as long as you can stay on top of the mowing. I have a strip where all I do is mow and fertilize. I don't even water it, just rain water, and it's doing great. I've been able to maintain it at 5/8". I had to scalp it back in July down to 7/16 but it recovered within 10 days. I think unless you are trying to maintain it below .5" you will be good to go. Heck I think red has been primarily been mowing and his looks top notch. Every lawn can look even better and I think that's where the new "surprises" might arise. It's up to you if you want to put the time and effort to take it up the next level. Here's a pic of the side strip I was talking about.


That looks great. Yeah, I currently like the mowing and taking care of the lawn, but obviously can't dedicate my entire life to mowing twice a day and such.

I consider what I'm already doing "next level" at least compared to my neighbors. Hell like you see in the pictures and video, they rarely even mow.

How are you cutting around the tree? I'm not quite sure what I can do to cut up next to the house and edges of the concrete.


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## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

Maruyama landscaping blade. Life saver. Pricey but well worth it.


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## kur1j (Jul 2, 2017)

Iriasj2009 said:


> Maruyama landscaping blade. Life saver. Pricey but well worth it.


Where do you get them? I can only seem to find the full weedeater unit. Do they not just sell the blade to put on a Echo weedeater?


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

Echo is now selling a similar unit, but I think it is only available in Europe and maybe Asia at this point.


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## Iriasj2009 (Feb 15, 2017)

kur1j said:


> Where do you get them? I can only seem to find the full weedeater unit. Do they not just sell the blade to put on a Echo weedeater?


Go here for more info. The landscaping blade that I bought only fits the Maruyama power head.


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## kur1j (Jul 2, 2017)

Iriasj2009 said:


> kur1j said:
> 
> 
> > Where do you get them? I can only seem to find the full weedeater unit. Do they not just sell the blade to put on a Echo weedeater?
> ...


Well, that's a bummer. Can only use those heads on their stuff. Unfortunately not going to be getting one of those in place of my Echo and Stihl trimmer and edger.

I assume there isn't an alternative? Potentially a different cutting head that might be a smaller head to cut shorter or possibly different line? I'm not going to be maintaining super short (1" or so) figured that other cutting heads might do that.


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