# Bermuda - What did I do wrong?



## fallenfromatree (May 23, 2021)

Hello All,

Although being new lawn care I managed to get lawn looking healthy early this season by following basic routines. Cutting often, Fertillizer and managing watering.

Here is what my lawn looked like late May. Cut at 2" (per fiskars settings)


Confident in lawn looking healthy I started to cut grass lower to 1.5" and this is what it looked like.


After the last pic, I went out of town was unable to mow for 10-12 days. When I finally did, it looked the image below. 

From this picture you can see the different heights i was cutting. Right to left 1.5" to 2" to the height of how grass grew. I was surpised to see that much brown underneath but I went ahead and finished the cut.

I trimmed again at 1.5" a couple of days later and it now looks like this. 


Do you guys have any idea on what i did wrong here? Is this something to worry about? Should I let grass grow taller or continue to cut at 1.5" ? Any suggestions/comments would be appreciated.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

You're scalping it. You'll either need to raise your HOC or scalp even lower to maintain at 1.5".


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## DurtEsanch (Jan 23, 2021)

The fiskars reel can go down to 1" I believe. Cut it there and then drop some fertilizer.

The first cut back from vacation needs to be slightly higher than usual to not scalp OR just commit to scalping.

Personally the next time I leave town I'm going to scalp before and do a light coat of Fert so I can just resume my regular HOC when I get back. That and I won't have to look at the scalped lawn which always gives me anxiety until it's fully recovered.


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## Patrck17 (Apr 19, 2021)

From what I've gathered the lower you go the thicker the grass needs to be. At 2inches the stalks shoot up and make a bunch of little umbrellas (leaves). Looks great but cast a shadow on the space beneath. If you come in at 1.5 you cut off all the leaves leaving just the brown stalks.

The lower you go to the more tight the umbrellas get packed in but it takes time.

Like others said you'll have to cut it even lower to get the leaves to come out where you want to maintain.


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## fallenfromatree (May 23, 2021)

Thanks for the suggestions! I will muster the courage to cut lower .

Silly question - After going lower, do i maintain at that lower height for sometime or let grass grow into intended HOC after one cut?


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## ILoveGrits (Sep 22, 2019)

Let it grow to the intended HOC after one cut.

You're doing a "HOC reset". Happens to everyone and most of us will end up doing one or two throughout the season as life gets in the way.


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## AvgHomeOwner (Jun 23, 2020)

In peak growing season you cannot NOT cut for 10-12 days. You grass is awesome, just need to play by ear according to your schedule, else you will end up scalping like this. Now best path forward is to reset HOC. You already heard from experts above!


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## Wax0589 (Jun 11, 2020)

If you have not cut down to 1 in yet, go ahead and do so. In about 3wks it will look beatiful and strong.
This was May 30 when I came back from a 3wks trip.








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Took it from over 1.5in to less than 3/8in at once since my plan was to level after. However, life and weather got in the way. Now I'm keeping it at .5in.
This was on Friday Jul 1st.


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## fallenfromatree (May 23, 2021)

@Wax0589 - Thanks for showing your lawn pictures. This is encouraging!

Additional question. Would there be any benifit of scarifiying & detaching while "resetting" HOC?


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

fallenfromatree said:


> @Wax0589 - Thanks for showing your lawn pictures. This is encouraging!
> 
> Additional question. Would there be any benifit of scarifiying & detaching while "resetting" HOC?


I think scarifying helps the mower cut by thinning out the turf a bit. Otherwise, your mower may bog down trying to cut through the stems.


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## Fab (May 12, 2021)

I am afraid using the Fiskar you will not be able to mow down to 1" as suggested. I have been there. Your best bet to finish this season is to try to keep it a little above 1.5" as you have now. You will start getting more and more washboarding and will struggle to push the Fiskar from now on. Eventually you just end up the season at 2"ish. I have been there. By end of season you will be thinking about powered reel mower or a robot mower. I switched to robot and the fiskar is parked since then. I could not be happier. 
My 2 cents based on my experience.


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## fallenfromatree (May 23, 2021)

Hello All!

Here is a *quick update*. as @fab mentioned I knew I was going to struggle with Fiskars so I got a little upgrade (Sun Joe Electric reel mower).

It arrived today and I was able to mow to the lowest settting .06" (Per Sun Joe)

I was not planning to bringing it down that low .... it just happened  Hopefully I did not overcut it.

*Here is Day 1 result 07/06/2021*. Maybe someone will find this helpful in the future



_*TBH - I am a bit anxious after seeing the result .. Someone tell me it will be ok *_


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## andymac7 (Oct 30, 2018)

fallenfromatree said:


> Hello All!
> 
> Here is a *quick update*. as @fab mentioned I knew I was going to struggle with Fiskars so I got a little upgrade (Sun Joe Electric reel mower).
> 
> ...


I assume you actually mean 0.6" (not .06" lol). But yes, it will be fine. Bermuda almost seems to thrive the more you beat it up. I would just throw down some balanced fert to help it come back strong, and you will love it in about 2 weeks. From that reset height, I think I'd try to maintain it at about .75" from then on. Of course, if you want to jump into using PGR (Plant Growth Regulator in case you didn't know) from then on, it would be a good idea.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

@fallenfromatree it will be okay.


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## Wax0589 (Jun 11, 2020)

Great job! Put down some balance fertilizer. In 2 wks it will be lush with a nice esmerald green color.


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## fallenfromatree (May 23, 2021)

There more you learn, the more questions you have!.

Fertilizers - A week before the scalp, I did apply *Milorganite *in my lawn. Would that be sufficient or do you guys recommend supplementing it with *Sythentic *Fertillers?

Balanced Fertilizers - Anyone have a *recommendation *brand? I was looking at Scott's for but could not find equal or close to equal NPK ratios (assuming that is what "balanced" means)

@andymac7 PGR - *Mind blown!!!* I will definitely have to do more research on this.


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## andymac7 (Oct 30, 2018)

fallenfromatree said:


> There more you learn, the more questions you have!.
> 
> Fertilizers - A week before the scalp, I did apply *Milorganite *in my lawn. Would that be sufficient or do you guys recommend supplementing it with *Sythentic *Fertillers?
> 
> ...


Yeah PGR is pretty awesome . It lowers mowing frequency, improves color, appearance, etc. etc...

I usually just run to my local Rural King and grab some Greenskeeper's Secret 12-12-12. Works well. But any big box store will have similar.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

I regularly cut peoples Bermuda as close to the dirt as I can, and then fertilize, and then raise the cut height, and Bermuda loves it. It will make it spread horizontally. See if you can dethatch/verticut - that's when you start to get an impenetrable mat.


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## fallenfromatree (May 23, 2021)

Week 1 Update.

I decided to add more fertilizer(15-5-10) on top of the Milorganite application that week prior to the scalp. It's not exactly "balanced" as others have recommended but I am hoping that will do the job.

I see more green! *7/12/2021*


Question: I have managed to get a hold of a scarifier/verticut. Is it a good a idea to do that now or wait a few more weeks?


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## Wax0589 (Jun 11, 2020)

I'm doing mine now so it has plenty of time to recover nicely.


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## fallenfromatree (May 23, 2021)

@Wax0589 I got to say, taking care of my lawn has made me appreciate the little things.... like a level lawn. 

Final update. Bermuda looking good. I did not expect to see it in this conditioin this quickly. Thanks everyone for the advice. You guys are awesome!

Week 2 *7/19/2021*


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