# When do you think the last cut of the season will be?



## thinair (Oct 12, 2017)

I just cut 11/12/17. Temp in Denver in the high 60s for this upcoming week.

Top growth has really slowed down.

Maybe once more next week.


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## jessehurlburt (Oct 18, 2017)

We've had a couple deep frosts here in CT. Woke up to temps in the single digits this week. Looks like the grass is done growing, but I have a few more leaf mulch sessions for a maple that sheds her leaves late.


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## zeus201 (Aug 30, 2017)

I am thinking at least 1 more mow for me as well.


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## MikeD (Aug 17, 2017)

Growing fast here (Cail) KBG lawn is loving the Temp's 50s to high 60s last cut around late December. Cutting 2x per week now..


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## GoPre (Oct 28, 2017)

Just to clarify...mulch mowing in freezing temps is/is not detrimental to the grass? I'm looking at maybe 2 to 3 weeks of leaves yet...


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## j4c11 (Apr 30, 2017)

GoPre said:


> Just to clarify...mulch mowing in freezing temps is/is not detrimental to the grass? I'm looking at maybe 2 to 3 weeks of leaves yet...


If the grass is not frozen it will be fine. Never walk on frozen grass.

As far as last cut of the season, my guess is July 2018 :lol:


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

GoPre said:


> Just to clarify...mulch mowing in freezing temps is/is not detrimental to the grass? I'm looking at maybe 2 to 3 weeks of leaves yet...


Walking on actively growing grass that is frozen at this time of year can damage the grass blades, causing them to turn brown. Wait for the grass and ground to thaw out again before mowing.

We're at the time of year here in New Hampshire, where night-time temperatures fall to about 20-25F and the soil surface freezes overnight, but then the next day the temperature climbs to about 40F and everything thaws out again. Mow in the time when the grass isn't frozen...


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

thinair said:


> I just cut 11/12/17. Temp in Denver in the high 60s for this upcoming week.
> 
> Top growth has really slowed down.
> 
> Maybe once more next week.


I was in Denver last week for work. Everything looked brown. If temps are climbing up and holding high, then assume growth could restart.


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## JohnP (Oct 24, 2017)

ken-n-nancy said:


> GoPre said:
> 
> 
> > Just to clarify...mulch mowing in freezing temps is/is not detrimental to the grass? I'm looking at maybe 2 to 3 weeks of leaves yet...
> ...


So let's say everything freezes and stops growing but we still don't have snow in December...but there are leaves that have since made their way on the lawn.

Those could be mulched/bagged without worrying about walking on the grass?


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Don't know exactly but it will be soon. I'll mow again this Thursday on my short day and check for clippings. I was going to apply winterizier this morning as it's supposed to rain tomorrow. But, I don't want to force it either.


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## LawnNerd (Sep 2, 2017)

j4c11 said:


> GoPre said:
> 
> 
> > Just to clarify...mulch mowing in freezing temps is/is not detrimental to the grass? I'm looking at maybe 2 to 3 weeks of leaves yet...
> ...


Yea, Summer is our "Pause". :lol:


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## j4c11 (Apr 30, 2017)

LawnNerd said:


> Yea, Summer is our "Pause". :lol:


Should we apply a summerizer? :lol:


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## LawnNerd (Sep 2, 2017)

j4c11 said:


> LawnNerd said:
> 
> 
> > Yea, Summer is our "Pause". :lol:
> ...


I apply weekly feedings of Hydroxic Acid July through August. I do realize it's use is often stirs up some conversation here, but i've had great success.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I strongly recommend Dihydrogen Monoxide in the summer months. The effects are amazing but it is very dangerous.

More info on the dangers here: www.dhmo.org


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## j4c11 (Apr 30, 2017)

LawnNerd said:


> I apply weekly feedings of Hydroxic Acid July through August. I do realize it's use is often stirs up some conversation here, but i've had great success.


Do you have to water it in after application?


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

JohnP said:


> ken-n-nancy said:
> 
> 
> > Walking on actively growing grass that is frozen at this time of year can damage the grass blades, causing them to turn brown. Wait for the grass and ground to thaw out again before mowing.
> ...


It's very clear to me that actively-growing grass that is frozen by an early frost and walked upon while frozen becomes damaged and turning brown.

However, it's also clear to me up here in New Hampshire that walking on the lawn long after top growth has stopped, say in February, even in areas where the snow on top has been cleared off by the wind or a snow plow, doesn't appear to cause any harm to the grass.

What isn't clear to me is how long the grass needs to have "hardened off" to become tolerant of wear while it is frozen. I speculate that the "freshly-frozen" grass blades in fall are quite different from the grass blades in mid-winter. It seems to me that the mid-winter grass blades are much drier and remain flexible (bending without breaking) instead of being crunchy, frozen spikes as they during frost events in late fall.

I know that last year about two to three weeks after top growth stopped, whatever snow we had received in early December had melted and we had a few days in the low 40s during which the grass all thawed out. I made a final mowing of the lawn at 2.75" HOC (down from my normal fall HOC of 3.25") in an attempt to lessen the amount of grass blade which would get matted down and susceptible to snow mold. This also mulched up newly fallen leaves. This mowing did not appear to result in any harm to the grass, but I had done this on a day when the grass and ground were not frozen.


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## JohnP (Oct 24, 2017)

Awesome! Thanks K&N, I haven't ever paid attention so this is my first season actually "caring" for the grass. I don't have any memorable experience so I'll take yours over my none.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I share the same experiences as k&n. If you walk on the frozen grass now, it causes damage, but later in the winter it doesnt. My hypothesis is also less water inside the blades.


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

Mowed the front lawn at my normal fall cutting height of 3.25" and found that there had been no growth since last week. No growth in the side or back, either, so I'm dropping the mowing height for the side and back to 2.75" for their final mow today. I'll drop the height in front to 2.75" after Thanksgiving, as I'll still need to mulch up more leaves there again, anyway.

By the way, I should note that the surface of the soil has been freezing here nearly every night for the past 10 days. The overnight low here has been <32F for 9 of the last 10 nights (the one exception was a low of 35F on a day with a high of 39F) and the warmest day in that entire stretch had a high of only 48F:


```
Actual Temps (not just a forecast)
Date         High / Low
Wed 11/08    47°/29°
Thu 11/09    48°/27°
Fri 11/10    45°/23°
Sat 11/11    36°/20°
Sun 11/12    44°/23°
Mon 11/13    36°/29°
Tue 11/14    39°/35°
Wed 11/15    46°/30°
Thu 11/16    43°/30°
Fri 11/17    41°/29°
```
PS: For showing actual temps in a convenient format, I like the "month view" at http://accuweather.com


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