# Why so much scalping in August



## Phids (Sep 24, 2020)

This season up through July, I was able to cut my Bermuda fairly low with my rotary mower. However, once August hit, I noticed more scalping, so I raised my HOC. However, even at this higher level, I'm still seeing scalping going on that didn't used to occur even at my lower HOC. I feel like I would have to keep raising my HOC even higher to maintain consistent green.

What is causing this easy scalping? I've thought about lack of water, but we have been getting ok amounts of rain (no drought conditions). Could it be low potassium? My soil test in March indicated I was low on K, and I made several modest applications this year, but the last one I did was early July.


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## Automate (Aug 14, 2020)

What is your HOC and how often are you cutting?


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

It's just growing faster than you are cutting for the HOC you are at.

Generally the grass is much thicker, healthier, and in some cases could be causing your mower to not actually be on the ground but rather float. This happens more with reels, but if the grass is growing like crazy, it's gotta be cut.

Case in point, I scalped almost a month ago. I was around 1 week from rebound from my pgr applications.

Once I started getting some green back j should have applied pgr. I didn't snd I'm needing to cut everyday or every other day to avoid scalping stuff .375! I hate it!

I had similar issues last year and had to raise height, even with pgr. This year I scalped and started back snd I don't have that thick mat of turf floating around.


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## Ben S (Oct 6, 2018)

I agree with @FATC1TY. We're in peak growing season. You will either need to mow more frequently at a higher HOC or do a reset.


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

Depending on how heavy you are putting down fertilizer, you will certainly have to increase your mowing frequency. Like @FATC1TY, I let my 419 rebound last year and I couldn't keep up even mowing every day. I will never let that happen again. I have also been going much lighter on the fertilizer this year which helps a ton. It's not as pretty, but it beats having to do a HOC reset every other month.


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## waltonereed (Aug 16, 2020)

FATC1TY said:


> It's just growing faster than you are cutting for the HOC you are at.
> 
> Generally the grass is much thicker, healthier, and in some cases could be causing your mower to not actually be on the ground but rather float. This happens more with reels, but if the grass is growing like crazy, it's gotta be cut.
> 
> ...


If it's floating, would a dethatch/scarify help more with the floating vs scalping?


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## waltonereed (Aug 16, 2020)

FATC1TY said:


> It's just growing faster than you are cutting for the HOC you are at.
> 
> Generally the grass is much thicker, healthier, and in some cases could be causing your mower to not actually be on the ground but rather float. This happens more with reels, but if the grass is growing like crazy, it's gotta be cut.
> 
> ...


If it's floating, would a dethatch/scarify help more with the floating vs scalping?


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

waltonereed said:


> If it's floating, would a dethatch/scarify help more with the floating vs scalping?


Yes, either verticut or scalp will work but verticut would be better unless you are going to do a heavy scalp, not just a HOC reset.


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## Phids (Sep 24, 2020)

@Automate
@FATC1TY 
@Ben S 
@Redtwin 
I haven't measured my exact HOC, but it's probably around 1.5", which is higher than the 1" or so I was able to do without problems earlier in the season. I typically mow every third or fourth day, which is consistent with my schedule so far this year. Not including my scalping I did in late-winter, I have mowed my lawn a total of 36 times.


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

Sounds like probably not enough mowing,

No pgr?

How much and how often are you fertilizing?


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## Phids (Sep 24, 2020)

I believe there is some PRG in the liquid seaweed that I have applied a few times so far this year, but I'm due for another application. I have been applying about .75 lbs/1k/month nitrogen, split up into biweekly applications, as well as some micros, humic, and some lighter applications of P and K.

The thing is, I was mowing around the same schedule in June and July, but August is when it started to struggle. Also, my lawn does not seem to be growing excessively based on the clippings.

You know how the weather has been around Atlanta - occasional rain but not a ton, along with 90+ degree days. Is your lawn stressed right now?


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

Phids said:


> I believe there is some PRG in the liquid seaweed that I have applied a few times so far this year, but I'm due for another application. I have been applying about .75 lbs/1k/month nitrogen, split up into biweekly applications, as well as some micros, humic, and some lighter applications of P and K.
> 
> The thing is, I was mowing around the same schedule in June and July, but August is when it started to struggle. Also, my lawn does not seem to be growing excessively based on the clippings.
> 
> You know how the weather has been around Atlanta - occasional rain but not a ton, along with 90+ degree days. Is your lawn stressed right now?


That's a fair bit of fertilizer, but not a ton. I'd say you are getting good growth.

Yeah I know the weather well, it's been all over the place. My first thing is insects and fungus this time of year. I've been measured on my fertilizer this year and seeing a much nicer lawn, and less issues than in the past. Admittedly I've stayed pretty consistent with the pgr, and fungicide/insecticide applications this year.

I used to see browning snd spots and issues and it was always bugs, fungus or just scalping because I couldn't keep up cutting.



Obscure pic, but this is 24 hours worth of growth seen in the clippings, without any pgr. At my HOC, it would be scalping at 2-3 days, especially since tiftuf scalps a touch easier.

If your yard looks bad after a mow, it's likely the process and not something nefarious like bugs or fungus. I would cut the fertilizer in half, and maybe see if you can keep up cutting. Rule out armyworms and then figure if spots you had brown out are any of the common issues.


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