# bernstem 2022 lawn journal



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

The season is starting. While the lawn is still asleep, there are signs of waking. It is also time to start prepping the tools and gear. While I don't expect to be doing much on the lawn for the next 2-4 weeks, I'll open the journal with some photos of the lawn coming out of winter. The squirrels spent a lot of time digging for nuts and did a job on the lawn under the oak tree.

Front: 




Here you can see the squirrel damage. 




Back:


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

I have been rebuilding the 220e reel and GTC for the past couple weeks. The mower had an 11 blade reel on it so that was swapped for a 7 blade with a fairway bedknife and a solid grooved roller. I also took the opportunity to replace all the seals and bearings as the old GTC gearbox and reel bearing grease was quite brown with rust on all the snap rings and in the GTC bearings. I don't have a lot of great pictures, but it runs much better now. A quick backlap on the new reel and it is cutting paper great.

I'll start working on the engine over the next couple weeks. Full fluid change, carb tune/replacement, valve job, and check/tighten belts and chains.

As for the few pics I do have. 
Here was the reel bearing just before I pulled the reel off. Not very pretty. 


New bearing and race installed: 


I wish I had a picture of the GTC gearbox, but it looked like the reel grease, but more brown. Here you can see the old bearings and seals to give you some idea of what it looked like:


Here is a close up of one of the bearings from the GTC: 


Cleaned housing, gears, and output shaft:


Reel installed on mower with a new 2 inch grooved roller. I touched up the green pain on the reel as well. 


I'll spend the next couple weeks working on the engine, though it runs well. The carb does need adjusting/replacing. I'll also pull the head and check the valves, inspect belts, tighten chains, and replace all fluids.


----------



## Pete1313 (May 3, 2017)

Nice job restoring the GTC and cutting unit!


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Pete1313 said:


> Nice job restoring the GTC and cutting unit!


It was fun with some challenges. I don't have a good press for the bearings, so it was fun getting them off and new ones installed. I had to tear out the bearing cage on a few of them to get them off and I bent one shaft. While not cheap, JD is very good with parts. It also helps a lot with understanding how the Q5A cutting unit works. I would recommend that anyone with one tear it down and rebuild it just to learn how it is put together.


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Well done on the maintenance. Always gives you that warm and fuzzy that everything is fresh in there.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

No pictures today but I trimmed all the hedges and pruned the roses. Did a clean-up mow in the back to get rid of sticks and lawn debris. Weather for the next couple weeks is cooling off with a hard freeze next weekend and maybe some snow. I'll have to see how the roses look, but they will likely get covered with sheets to protect the fragile new growth. I wanted to pre-emergent this weekend and give a little kick with 0.25 of Nitrogen, but I am going to hold off until after the cold snap.

I started work on the engine for the John Deere. I debated pulling it off and cleaning and repainting the support brackets and frame but decided to paint them in place. I can always pull everything apart later and paint it if needed. I had other commitments, so only changed the spark plug and oil after the painting. The alternator and traction drive belt need replacing and are no order. Next weekend I'll change out the gear case oil, check compression, inspect the valves, clean and/or replace the carb, check the roller drive chain, and inspect/adjust the handlebar controls.

For the Swardman, I just need to change the oil and check the belts and drive cables. The spark plug and air cleaner are new as of last fall.

The HRX will get an oil change and blade sharpening at some point this spring.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Temps look like they are going to be 40 lows to 70 highs going forward so spring is officially here. Started the spring cleanup.
- cleared leaves and other debris from the garden beds.
- freshened the perennials and cut back winter kill.
- de-winterized the roses and spread the peat moss. 
- Clean up mow on the lawn and then scalped to 3/4 inch with the Honda. 
- Applied pre-emergent (granular).
- Granular Nitrogen at 0.33 lbs/1000. I was feeling beat up and didn't want to deal with spraying. 
I have not used the reels yet but will likely start in 1-2 weeks. I need to decide when to start Primo, but the lawn is barely awake at this point. The John Deere is almost ready. I still need to change the gearbox oil and check the drive chain. Compression is a touch low, but I don't want to get into new piston rings. If it starts to be a problem, (I don't think it will as it runs fine) I'll likely just swap a new engine on (anyone know what Honda GX120 fits?). I'm also waiting on a new alternator belt and drive belt.

Front Lawn:





A few areas damaged by squirrels digging for nuts over the winter.







Back Lawn with canine damage.


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

bernstem said:


> - de-winterized the roses and *spread the peat moss.*


Can you elaborate on this? Do you spread it around your beds? I've got some leftover peat from my reno and would love to get rid of it.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

lbb091919 said:


> bernstem said:
> 
> 
> > - de-winterized the roses and *spread the peat moss.*
> ...


I cover the base of the rose bushes with peat moss in the fall to protect them from freezing. In the spring, I remove it from around the roses and spread it on top of the rose bed. It adds organic matter and helps lower pH. I'll add mulch on top of the peat moss when I mulch the beds in the next couple weeks.

You can also spread the peat moss on the lawn. It adds organic matter and helps improve water retention.


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

bernstem said:


> lbb091919 said:
> 
> 
> > bernstem said:
> ...


Cool, thanks. I have one rose bush that I usually cover the base with mulch and I figured that's what you were referring to.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Gearbox oil definitely needed to be changed. You can see the new oil at the top from filling.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Got in a quick mow with the 220e. The cut quality is a step up from the Swardman. It is definitely bigger, heavier, and harder to maneuver than the Swardman. It isn't much difference in the back lawn, but, in the front, the curves and tighter spaces maked some areas much harder to mow. The only maintenance left is replacing the drive chains and handlbar cables. The chains are pretty rusted and some of the cables are fraying. All the fluids are fresh, the bearings in the reel are new, the carb is adjusted.

Front: 


Back:


Roses are up and going. They will need the first fertilization this week:


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Lookin good!


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Lawn is waking up and the brown is starting to grow out. I was away last week so had to double cut the back to get it clean. The front is, as usual, slower waking up than the back lawn. I edged the walks and used some of the extra to patch thin and squirrel damaged areas. I still had a full wheelbarrow of lawn edging left over that will get composted.

I'm tentatively planning on aerating this spring, but the front is still too wet. The back needs some leveling, but I'll have to see how much time I have. I'll probably just use bags of mason sand to bring up the low areas rather than top dress the entire thing. As for applications, I'll drop sulfur this week and it is still too early for any fungicides. Grub control will need to go down as well. I'll probably scarify this or next weekend depending on temperatures and growth rate.

On the equipment side, the 220e is cutting very nicely. I will be replacing the drive chains this week and changing the gear oil again now that the new oil has had a chance to circulate. The Swardman has not had a chance to run this year, but I'll use it for the scarification.

Front:









Back:





Edging scraps:


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Urea at 0.25 lbs N/1k applied before tonight/tomorrow's rain. Chlorothalonil will go down this weekend. Also applied rose fertilizer as the bushes are starting to leaf out. All the roses, Irises, and daylilies survived the winter so far. Still waiting on some of the others to come through the mulch.


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Got my Urea down this evening too. Looks like we've got one more cold snap in the works early Friday morning but after that I hope we're in the clear. My Irises and daylilies are waking up too.

Have you decided when you will break out the Primo?


----------



## Vtx531 (Jul 1, 2019)

Starting to look good in the last set of photos


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@lbb091919 I'll probably start Primo in the next 2 weeks. I want the whole lawn growing well first. Right now about half the back and a fourth of the front is really growing.

@Vtx531 Yup, it is starting to get there.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

The front is still slow to wake up. A week of growth and I took off 1/4 inch. It could also be that the after midnight is just that slow growing, but the front is always slower than the back lawn. The back is mostly awake and could use Primo, but I'll start when the front is ready. There are some areas of the back that are growing too fast and losing color when cut (I'm taking off ~1 inch in areas). I'll have to start cutting twice weekly.

Today I changed the drive chains on the 220e, double cut the front. Single cut the back. Tomorrow will be scarify and mow again, grub control, Sulfur, and Potassium.

Front:









Front thin areas to the right of the walk in the pictures with patched grass from edging. The yellow bladed spots were patched today, but edged a week ago so are a bit stressed.





Back:






John Deere before: 

after:


----------



## bf7 (May 11, 2020)

Reno looks great, can't even tell it's a new lawn. Not much to fill in either.

Glad to hear things are heating up down there. Soil temp has just barely reached 50F on a few occasions in my area, and then it plummets every time. The wait is torture.

I wonder if the young age of the grass in the front is also playing a factor in the slower wake up than the back.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@bf7 We cooled off a bit last week with cold spell. We were at a solid 55-57 at 4 inches and our forsythia bloomed already. Now soil temps are sitting at 50 degrees under turf. I expect it will climb quickly though with sun and warmer temps.

A bit more data (as of yesterday) for anyone who is interested:
Total GDD (32) - 490
Growth potential going back a week - 20/7/1/20/98/7/3/4 (this is a daily metric based on average air temp)
Dollar Spot risk going back a week - 2/0/0/12/3/0/0/0 (Smith-Kerns)

Today I applied Sulfur at 5 lbs, chlorantraniliprole, and potassium.

In the gardens, I moved a few perennials and applied sulfur.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Took a picture of the roots and rhizomes on some of the removed edge grass:


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Double cut the front and back today. Will probably start Primo tomorrow. I also need to trim and edge. 
Front: 






Back:


----------



## SNOWBOB11 (Aug 31, 2017)

Looks great. Sun on the stripes really make them stand out.


----------



## Colinwjholding (Apr 6, 2020)

Looking great! Bring on the warm weather.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

No pictures today. Applied Primo at 0.2 Oz rate mixed with Urea at 0.25 lbs N/1000.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Also tested soil Nitrogen at 6ppm. Based on that, I added 1 lb of Lesco 28-3-10 Polyplus 45. The idea is to get the base soil Nitrogen level to a sustained 10PPM and then adjust growth with foliar Urea.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Redefined the bed edges and then sharpened them with the blade edger today. Mowed the front and double mowed the back. Fertilized the gardens with 12-4-8 garden fert. Crabapple is starting to bloom. Started filling the pots for some bright color.

Front:



Stripes don't pop from this angle. 


Much better: 


Requisite hand shot: 


Front walk. I think I'll leave the grass growing between the flagstones. 


These are the thin areas from earlier. They are beginning to fill in, but both areas get more shade than most of the rest of the lawn so they are going to be a bit slow to wake up and spread. 




Crabapple from my office patio: 


Back lawn. I tried a curved stripe, but I think I like the regular diamonds better. Dog damage is starting to fill in.


----------



## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

I like that grass growing between the stones. With the crisp edges I think it is a cool touch.


----------



## ReelWILawn (Aug 29, 2021)

Crazy how much further along your area is than here in WI. My crabapples are just starting to barely bud now. Probably won't see them blossom until middle of May.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@ReelWILawn This year feels slow to wake up to me, but looking back to last year, my applications are coming at about the same time. I didn't record when the crabapple bloomed in 2021, but in 2020 the Forsythia bloomed 7 days earlier than this year. I really need to start recording when things happen. What I really should do is get an old-fashioned leather-bound journal and track it that way. Add in some drawings and notes on the garden and it would be a fun record.


----------



## ReelWILawn (Aug 29, 2021)

I am not artistic enough to include drawings. I take the easy way out by just taking lots of photos with my phone and use the date/time stamp for future reference.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

It is going to get cold tonight/tomorrow. Seems unusual for this time of year, but one year ago it was snowing here.

4/20/21


The gardens were definitely father along last year. You can see the forsythia leafed out, the Cherry Laurel blooming, and the oak above it with leaves. A year later and the forsythia is still flowering and there is no sign of leaves on the oak. 
Here is what the lawn looked like on 4/19/22: 

And on 4/16/22 (try to ignore the white balance and color differences - those are from the camera auto settings)


Maybe I need to go back to the SLR from the phone camera.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

And going back to 4/19/2020, it looks like this year is slow rather than last year being fast.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Double mowed the front and back. I am still getting a lot more clippings from the back than the front. It will be interesting to see what happens as the front matures. The After Midnight performed very well at low cutting heights in the NTEP and I'm curious to see if some of that is from a slower growth rate. It may just be that the front is a new renovation and clipping yield will continue to rise as it matures.

Temps are rising and Dollar Spot risk is going to be above 30% with rain in the forecast for tomorrow so I applied Propiconazole at 1 Oz/1000 and Urea at 0.25 lbs N/1000. The lawn is starting to darken from warmer temps, primo, and Nitrogen release. The late waking areas are starting to fill in. There are still a few areas in the shade and under trees that are thin in the front, but I expect with the current warm temps they should perk up soon. Even the back has some thinner areas where there is shade and water competition from trees and shrubs. If the front thin areas don't fill in, then I'll transplant some of the turf growing into the gardens.

On the garden side, not much is flowering, but everything is now growing. I still have some areas to fill in the back around some of the roses, but I haven't decided what to plant there yet.

Lots of pictures today: 
Crabapple from 2 days ago:



Some shots from the second floor:





Front:







Back:





The back patio garden filling in:


----------



## Wile (Sep 17, 2020)

Your property is just gorgeous. Great work on the restoration. Looks mint.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Was away last weekend so no update then. I applied Primo on 5/3 at 0.4 Oz rate. Today was Propiconazole for Dollar Spot at 1 Oz rate. Soil temps are at or close to 65 so the first Summer Patch prevention went down with Azoxystrobin at 0.2 Oz rate.

The lawn is picking up and starting to darken. The front is still slower growing than the back, but it is speeding up.

Yellow Bearded Iris and Perennial Geraniums are blooming.

Front:















Back:


----------



## Stuofsci02 (Sep 9, 2018)

Very nice!


----------



## rhart (May 7, 2020)

Looking great!


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Amazing stuff. What is your HOC? You're using the 220E primarily now right?


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

lbb091919 said:


> Amazing stuff. What is your HOC? You're using the 220E primarily now right?


I am at 3/4 inches. I am mowing exclusively with the 220e. The Swardman gets used for scarification and is a backup mower at this point. I wanted to scarify this past weekend, but didn't have time. Unless something changes that will happen next weekend.


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

Any concerns scarifying the new After Midnight? I am wanting to do this as well to help break up the blankets I laid for the reno. How deep do you go?


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

lbb091919 said:


> Any concerns scarifying the new After Midnight? I am wanting to do this as well to help break up the blankets I laid for the reno. How deep do you go?


I have not had any problems scarifying this year. I scarify with the cartridge set at the lowest setting (maybe around -1/4 inch?).


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

I was away most of last week so the lawn got a bit long with a missed mow. I took off ~1 inch for my 3/4 HOC. The 220e did very well even taking off that much with almost no stragglers. It could have used a second pass, but time was not on my side yesterday.

The lawn is kicking into high gear and weathered the 95 degree temps fine. There are a few areas of mild fungal pressure in the shaded areas of the front lawn that need a curative dose of Propiconazole, but I have not had time to get to it yet. The back is chugging along and looking quite good. It could use a sand leveling, but I just don't know when I will have time for a project of that size. Maybe the fall?

Front:







Back:


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

I have a lot of pictures today, so am splitting the weekly update.

I left and the gardens were growing, but nothing much was blooming. 6 days later, everything is in full bloom. About half the roses are solidly into the first flush. The rest will be coming along shortly. The Irises, Perennial Geraniums, and Peonies are all blooming. I'm quite happy with the back garden by the patio. The rest of the back is coming along nicely but will need some work. The front corner by the driveway is looking good. The shaded area under the crabapple needs some serious work. There are some Irises in there that are not happy, and that garden needs filling in with more shade tolerant plantings. I'll let the pictures talk at this point.

Front driveway garden:





Front house garden:



Side garden:



Back side garden:



Back Patio:


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

And some flower pictures - These were mildly post processed:


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Applied granular Lesco 24-0-11 today at 0.6 lbs N/1000 and Primo at 0.3 Oz rate. No pictures today. Rain is expected tonight to water in the fert.


----------



## WaffleMan (May 11, 2021)

That kbg is looking really amazing. I tried very hard to get ahold of After Midnight for my fall 2020 renovation of my backyard, but wasn't able to get my hands on it. Then my front yard fall 2021 also I couldn't find it again... I went with bluebank for both front and back. It is not as dark as I was hoping it would be, maybe it still needs to mature some. Where did you get the After Midnight seed from?


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

It has been a while (6 weeks) since my last post. Life has gotten in the way, and I have been setting up a lake house so have not had much weekend time. I have been keeping up with the lawn care, though. Primo continues. I have stopped Propiconazole applications and switched to Cleary's and Velista. Despite preventive applications there has been some fungal pressure. Looks like dollar spot with some minor Summer Patch. Conditions are just too good for fungi with 95+ weather and the watering requirements at that temperature. Even so, the lawn is doing very well. The disease is mostly off color with some areas of patch. Last Nitrogen was 5/17. I am planning a light dose of foliar Nitrogen tomorrow with the cooler temps to stimulate some recovery.

Front:







Back:









Rquired Garden shot:


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

The lawn at the lake. It is going to take some work. The irrigation pump was not working so there is a lot of dormancy and there is a pretty good Zoysia invasion on the right side. I don't know that I'm going to do anything this year, but I may try a half hearted renovation with TTTF. The other option is After Midnight. I still have plenty left. My big concern would be getting everything out of dormancy for a decent kill. Worst case I still have a lot of undesirable grass and need to kill it again next year.


----------



## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Lawnnlooks really good for this weather. And I don't see any SP at backyard as you have had usually. Nice!


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Babameca said:


> Lawnnlooks really good for this weather. And I don't see any SP at backyard as you have had usually. Nice!


A little bit here and there in the back. Less in the front. Overall, though, not as bad as in the past. I need to get some close ups of the lawn to show the fungal pressure. I am tempted to scarify again (I did it ~2 weeks ago) to pull up the unhealthy grass, but I'm waiting until the weather is nicer. It looks like it is going to be 95+ again starting Saturday. It is more noticable in person than in photos, but here is one area.


----------



## livt0ride (Jan 10, 2021)

bernstem said:


> It has been a while (6 weeks) since my last post. Life has gotten in the way, and I have been setting up a lake house so have not had much weekend time. I have been keeping up with the lawn care, though. Primo continues. I have stopped Propiconazole applications and switched to Cleary's and Velista. Despite preventive applications there has been some fungal pressure. Looks like dollar spot with some minor Summer Patch. Conditions are just too good for fungi with 95+ weather and the watering requirements at that temperature. Even so, the lawn is doing very well. The disease is mostly off color with some areas of patch. Last Nitrogen was 5/17. I am planning a light dose of foliar Nitrogen tomorrow with the cooler temps to stimulate some recovery.
> 
> Front:
> 
> ...


Is your Velista the water-dispersible granular? What is the shelf life? Looks like it is only .3 oz/k so it should last a while even though it is a 22oz bottle. Just curious since it is an expensive one.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

livt0ride said:


> Is your Velista the water-dispersible granular? What is the shelf life? Looks like it is only .3 oz/k so it should last a while even though it is a 22oz bottle. Just curious since it is an expensive one.


It is the granules. I don't know the shelf life, but expect it is several years. Honestly, I think the Cleary's is doing a better job for what I have, and I probably won't restock the Velista once it is gone.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Summer is fading, and I am spending a bit more time in St. Louis on the weekends. I let the lawn grow out to 1 inch over the summer and have been cutting with the Swardman. As such, I have spent some time dialing in the cut on it and it is better, but not as good as the 220e. I dropped the HOC back to 3/4 inch 2 days ago after a dethatch so will likely go back to the 220e, but the convenience of the lighter Swardman is quite attractive, but it is a bit too much of a pain to keep it close enough to the same quality of cut as the 220e.

I am ramping up the Nitrogen as weather is cooling off and I want to take advantage of the remaining longer days. I applied 0.5 lbs of Lesco 28-3-10 on 8/2 and another 0.5 lbs today. The 28-3-10 is 50% PolyPlus so a lot of slow release. I applied 0.2 lbs/1000 of Urea foliarly on 8/17.

Fungicides applications are slowing as summer fades, and I am back to using Propiconazole. I applied on 8/2 and 8/17. I am hopeful that will be my last application.

Primo continues at 0.4 Oz rate with intervals per GDD.

Overall, the lawn has weathered the summer well. There are the expected canine spots in the back and one large patch treated with glyphosate. There are some burn spots from herbicide spot sprays (around the front walk). The full sun areas are a bit beat up (you can see it on the front lawn hill), but the partial shade areas of the front lawn are very happy right now. I expect that everything should perk up in the next 2 weeks.

Front: 










Back:


----------



## LIgrass (May 26, 2017)

Color & density look great for this time of year


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

LIgrass said:


> Color & density look great for this time of year


I am pretty happy. This is usually the worst it will look other than winter dormancy.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

I'll have some pictures this weekend, I hope. For now, I tested the garden soil. Looks pretty good other than some lime requirements:


----------



## Riva Man (6 mo ago)

What is Primo?


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Riva Man said:


> What is Primo?


It is a plant growth regulator, Trinexapac-Ethyl. It slows down top growth. I use a generic instead of the brand name. 
https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=533


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

No pictures, but some bad fungal disease. Looks like it might be Pythium, so applied Segway (there goes the budget). I'll be spoon feeding to encourage growth, but the lawn is not looking good right now. On the bright side, the gardens look great, and the roses have been doing well this summer and into fall.


----------



## KCturffanatic (Oct 21, 2020)

bernstem said:


> No pictures, but some bad fungal disease. Looks like it might be Pythium, so applied Segway (there goes the budget). I'll be spoon feeding to encourage growth, but the lawn is not looking good right now. On the bright side, the gardens look great, and the roses have been doing well this summer and into fall.


I've been dealing with Pythium in my mono stand of After Midnight as well. I'm questioning if I should've included a few more cultivars in my renovation. Hopefully pushing a lot of nitrogen this Fall takes care of most of the damage. We are in similar climates, as I'm in KC.


----------



## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

KCturffanatic said:


> bernstem said:
> 
> 
> > No pictures, but some bad fungal disease. Looks like it might be Pythium, so applied Segway (there goes the budget). I'll be spoon feeding to encourage growth, but the lawn is not looking good right now. On the bright side, the gardens look great, and the roses have been doing well this summer and into fall.
> ...


It was very surprising to see it. I have been growing KBG as a monostand for 10 years and this is the first significant outbreak of it. I saw it in both the front After Midnight and the Back Solar Eclipse, though the back was much less effected. I'll be doing a second fungicide application this week. The degree of damage is far more than I have seen with Summer Patch or Dollar Spot so I am being more aggressive than I would with either of those diseases.

The 95 degree weather isn't helping either.


----------



## lbb091919 (Apr 26, 2020)

This is surprising as I didn't think KBG was very susceptible to PB. I had ruled it out with my mono but the conditions this summer have been so bad maybe I had some as well. Forecast is looking very good for us coming up though. My model is finally dropping below action threshold in the next couple days.


----------



## Kiza (Oct 30, 2019)

bernstem said:


> I am at 3/4 inches. I am mowing exclusively with the 220e. The swardman gets used for scarification and is a backup mower at this point.


Had a question about that earlier post.
In terms of quality of cut, I hear that a greens mower cuts "better" than the swardman/allett and vice versa (swardman/allett cuts "better" than a greens mower). And they just leave it at that. As a person looking in, that's a bit ambiguous.

I feel like there should be little difference between the cut itself as it's just metal to metal. So assuming both scissors are equally sharp and have the same/similar number of blades alone, the grass should be cut evenly. Other factors such as using a groomer/rake, width of the reel, and even the weight of the mower might play a role in the cut or making stripes. The 220e also has a floating head, which handles undulating grounds better (no "lines") better than fixed heads. Also, one mower might be harder to keep a sharp edge over the other for whatever reason. But again, not sure.

In your specific case, can you elaborate on what made the 220e cut better, or become your main, over the swardman? Did it actually cut better?


----------

