# REEL Low BERMUDA question



## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

Can all Bermuda be cut REEL low say .75 to 1 inch.

I know certain strands (Tifway, TifEagle, TifTuf...etc) are better suited than say a seeded type of Bermuda and they will look better than a seeded Bermuda.

But is there any particular strand of Bermuda that one should stay "away" from if you want to REEL cut in the future.

I have seen on this forum some common Bermuda yards REEL cut that looked fantastic...so I was curious if all Bermuda could be cut REEL low?


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## viva_oldtrafford (Apr 4, 2018)

All hybrids would be fine. Common varieties may struggle. Expectations factor into this.

I cut 419 at .250" in place, and I've seen Celebration at .240". If it's a hybrid, it can go low (right environment).


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

I would say almost any kind of Bermuda could be reel mowed except maybe pasture Bermuda, but you really wouldn't be on TLF if you had that.


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

Thanks guys...to be more precise.

I was thinking .5 inch to 1 inch....nothing lower than .5.

Will the budget Friendly seeded versions of bermuda work for this.

I know they will not every look as good as Greensmower cut on a Hybrid?


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

@J_nick had some nice looking common bermuda before he did his Riviera renovation. I bet he has some photos.


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

@J_nick I would love to see some pics...of the common if you have any!


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

These are the best ones I could find. Bare spots in the 2nd pic are from where I removed a big cedar and they were filling in. 1st pic you can see some irrigation settling I hadn't fixed yet and the 3rd was not very long after the irrigation install.


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

Thanks @J_nick ...What was HOC...if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks!


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## tcorbitt20 (Aug 31, 2018)

@Cory 's back yard is common that he uses a reel on. It looked really good by the end of the summer.


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## Tellycoleman (May 10, 2017)

Sometimes you may look to future proof things.
Once you go low you always want to go lower.
That is with everybody i know.
with that said. the common bermuda you buy at big box stores will look good at about 1 inch to .75 inch.
Lower than that and your common will start to show stress.
I have Yukon. last year i kept it at 3/8 inch. The common bermuda that was in my yard struggled at that height and alot of it was overtaken by the yukon.
I wouldnt settle for what is available now and a quick fix. If you can save up and get either a high qualityseed like Princes77 Riviera or Yukon or maybe even sprig your lawn that would be best. Once you get a yard full of common bermuda you will absolutly NEVER get rid of it. Well you can but it will take a year.
Starting a yard from seed is Very Very Hard. (I did it) These cool season guys make it seem easy. 
99% of your time has to be spent on making your ground level and Never Tilling the soil.

Sprigging tiff tuff or 419 may be more cost effective than you think. I would really look into that. Thats what i should have done.


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

ENC_Lawn said:


> Thanks @J_nick ...What was HOC...if you don't mind me asking?
> 
> Thanks!


3/4-7/8"


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## Cory (Aug 23, 2017)

Whatever is in my backyard is probably just wild field Bermuda that was here when it used to be a tobacco field. The builder said the seeded it but I doubt they did because there wasn't much of anything but dirt and weeds when we moved in 6 months after it was built.

It looks a lot better reel mowed and PGR, the hight of cut in the photos is 3/4"-1" and the last was probably around 2" mowed with my rider at the end of the year.


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

Tellycoleman said:


> Sometimes you may look to future proof things.
> Once you go low you always want to go lower.
> That is with everybody i know.
> with that said. the common bermuda you buy at big box stores will look good at about 1 inch to .75 inch.
> ...


Great points @Tellycoleman.

Thank you all for the help!


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

Cory said:


> Whatever is in my backyard is probably just wild field Bermuda that was here when it used to be a tobacco field. The builder said the seeded it but I doubt they did because there wasn't much of anything but dirt and weeds when we moved in 6 months after it was built.
> 
> It looks a lot better reel mowed and PGR, the hight of cut in the photos is 3/4"-1" and the last was probably around 2" mowed with my rider at the end of the year.


Cory...awesome!!! That is beautiful backyard.

I know your front yard is a 10+....but I tell you what the backyard is looking mighty good!

Thanks for sharing!!!


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## Cory (Aug 23, 2017)

@ENC_Lawn Thanks!


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

Tellycoleman said:


> Sometimes you may look to future proof things.
> Once you go low you always want to go lower.
> That is with everybody i know.
> with that said. the common bermuda you buy at big box stores will look good at about 1 inch to .75 inch.
> ...


@Tellycoleman

Just and FYI...LOL...I took your advice as well as all the others here.

Sprayed my entire yard with Glysophate earlier in the week. Round 1 of killing off the entire yard and starting from scratch!!!


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## Tellycoleman (May 10, 2017)

Nice. Make sure you water the dead grass. I know your neighbors will think you have totally lost it. But You want the weeds to grow so you can kill em. I have seen some people put down a very light coat of fertilizer just so all the weeds pop up to be killed again. I had problems with crabgrass and goosegrass.


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

ENC_Lawn said:


> Tellycoleman said:
> 
> 
> > Sometimes you may look to future proof things.
> ...


What variety of Bermuda did you decide to go with? Please start a journal if you haven't so we can follow the progress. Following Renovations are like a new season of your favorite show. You just wait for new episodes to be released.


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

TN Hawkeye said:


> ENC_Lawn said:
> 
> 
> > Tellycoleman said:
> ...


I had already purchased Princess 77 a couple months ago.

I'm excited...but after learning about and understanding NTEP...Riveria as well as Royal Bengal and Yukon all caught my eye!

I'm glad I found this forum and listened to everyone about a total kill of the old lawn!

Hopefully I want mess this Renovation up!😀


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

Sounds good. Best of luck with the kill off and subsequent seeding.


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

Some lawn pics of the renovation so far.

Shout out to @Tellycoleman @J_nick @Colonel K0rn

For all there help and advice!


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## Tellycoleman (May 10, 2017)

It is dead dead. 
Make sure you do more than one kill off. Water the dirt like crazy and kill whatever tries to grow again. 
It's a little early to be putting down seed. It's gotta get hotter. 
Absolutely don't be impatient. 
Do another kill. Or you will be sorry. 
You gotta wait on the temps to warm up anyway.

Your lawn is relatively smooth from the pictures. Are you planning on Harley Raking it? It can also help level out depressions. On your first picture it looks like you have a area in the middle that holds water. If so fix it with a Harley take or other means


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

@Tellycoleman

10-4

I dont have access to a Harley Rake. But I do have a good drag mat and don't mind some sweat equity.

Yes I have 2 low spots that hold water for a little while when it rains. There in the middle of the yard.

Do I bring in topsoil to level out those spots?

Do I bring in Sand to level out those spots?

I have been scared to bring in any topsoil in fear of covering up the current lawn which allows me to see if any green pops up?

The lawn been getting plenty of water and any green pops up I hit it with glyphosate.

I have had 3 rounds of glyphosate so far along with some spot spraying here and there.

So should I bring in any topsoil to level or is that too risky of covering up the existing lawn and not be able to see any green?

Thanks !!!


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

If you have a Sunbelt Rentals near you, you can rent a Dingo skid steer for @ $150/day with a Harley Rake attachment. You'd use that to bust up the ground, and level out the entire lot with the existing soil that you have on site. It'll also help the seeds establish, and ensure that you have a nice and level seedbed to start with. Going back, I wish I would have rented one when I did my renovation, however I had to bring in a LOT of sand to fill in some serious sinkage I have in the lot. I'm going to need to bring in about 10 yards in a few weeks anyways. But I would totally do another spray in a few weeks. Don't bring in any soil, you don't know what is going to be in that dirt if you do. You might wind up fighting weeds that you didn't have before on your property.


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## ENC_Lawn (Sep 9, 2018)

@Colonel K0rn

Thanks for the input!

When you say don't bring in any soil...does that apply to "some" sand....just for spot treating low spots?

Now that the lawn is basically bare dirt...you can see some low spots and other ruts.

Should I sand those low spots...or just wait?

I know grass grows in sand...but didn't know how well seed would germinate in sand in the low spots since from what I understand sand doesn't hold any nutrients?


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## cglarsen (Dec 28, 2018)

Colonel K0rn said:


> If you have a Sunbelt Rentals near you, you can rent a Dingo skid steer for @ $150/day with a Harley Rake attachment. You'd use that to bust up the ground, and level out the entire lot with the existing soil that you have on site. It'll also help the seeds establish, and ensure that you have a nice and level seedbed to start with. Going back, I wish I would have rented one when I did my renovation, however I had to bring in a LOT of sand to fill in some serious sinkage I have in the lot. I'm going to need to bring in about 10 yards in a few weeks anyways. But I would totally do another spray in a few weeks. Don't bring in any soil, you don't know what is going to be in that dirt if you do. You might wind up fighting weeds that you didn't have before on your property.


I think a Harley Rake from Sunbelt is in my future. Yard did a lot of filling this year - next year I smooth.

Is there any reason the "spring scalp" could be performed with the Harley rake? Is there a depth adjustment to avoid removing all of the existing rootmass?


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