# Best approach to scalping; discharge or bag? Multiple heights?



## stevehollx (Apr 8, 2020)

I will be scalping my lawn when I overseed soon, all at once (not slowly dropping over different days) to shock the lawn and give the new seed time to catch up.

Last year I had some nimblewill patches that created a bunch of dead matted material and the seed struggled to germinate in those areas. I had to rake those areas out and reseed as the material never got picked up by the mower. Looking for what people think is the best strategy to scalp and get the lawn material out of the lawn efficiently.

[*] Mow at lowest height, side discharging first pass, bag on second pass
[*] Mow at halfway between normal and scalped height, side discharging first pass, bag on second pass at scalp height
[*] Bag at scalp height, then bag a cleanup pass 
[*] Bag at halfway height, then bag at scalp height.

Currently thinking two bag passes, at halfway height than scalp height may be the most effective and effecient?


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## david_ (Aug 22, 2019)

I've done option 1 and 3. I prefer 3.


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## ColeLawn (Nov 11, 2020)

I don't know if it's the best approach but I scalped my lawn this weekend, mulching on the first pass, then bagging, then dropping the HOC even lower and bag mowing twice/until all clippings were picked up. Seemed to work OK, but my poor mower/blade took a beating.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

If your mower can handle it, Option 3 is the most efficient. Go to option 4 as a backup if you're out of horsepower.


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## Thejarrod (Aug 5, 2018)

option 3, but the first pass is only a bit lower than normal. second pass is all the way down to scalp height. bag on both passes.

i've found that going all the way down on the first pass means the bagger cant grab all of it.


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## Thick n Dense (May 7, 2019)

The time master cant handle an over load of grass unless discharged or bagged.

Even going from 3" to 1" is a problem.

I refuse to bag.

I usually step down the heights with multiple passes while mulching everything down. If they could desing a side disccharge that discharges out the back and in an even manner I would do that but the side discharge as we know make uneven clumps.

One tactic of the side dischage thougb is if you can bare having clippings on your lawn, go ahead and side discharge in a scalping fashion and let them bake in the sun for a few days and dry out. Then a single pass could finish it off. Beware of rain with this method though


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