# Reel mowing and watering?



## BigTlawn (Oct 15, 2021)

I am interested in reel mowing but have a concern that the lawn will need more water because it is shorter (Heat, quicker evaporation, etc.) but have not been able to find anything that supports this. I have a Bermuda lawn and live near Greenville SC. I do not have a sprinkler system. I currently cut my lawn around 2.5in with a rotary mower.


----------



## kc8qpu092200 (Feb 29, 2020)

It will be fine. I started reel mowing my Bermuda this year and most of the year I kept it at 5/8" tall. Never had a single problem with drought.


----------



## Zimmerman (May 20, 2019)

Agreed. You won't need anymore water than you're currently giving the lawn.


----------



## viva_oldtrafford (Apr 4, 2018)

lower hoc = shorter roots due to the fact that taller plants grab more sunlight. Less sunlight has to manifest itself somewhere...rooting is an area where you can find that manifestation - shorter roots obviously don't venture to any meaningful depths in a soil. Then there's the whole canopy warming much quicker with a lower hoc and the need to transpire faster / more often


----------



## LittleBearBermuda (Sep 25, 2020)

viva_oldtrafford said:


> lower hoc = shorter roots due to the fact that taller plants grab more sunlight. Less sunlight has to manifest itself somewhere...rooting is an area where you can find that manifestation - shorter roots obviously don't venture to any meaningful depths in a soil. Then there's the whole canopy warming much quicker with a lower hoc and the need to transpire faster / more often


With bermuda the opposite is true.


----------



## DurtEsanch (Jan 23, 2021)

As much as I hate the chore, aerating can help water get down into the soil better.


----------



## MrMeaner (Feb 21, 2017)

LittleBearBermuda said:


> viva_oldtrafford said:
> 
> 
> > lower hoc = shorter roots due to the fact that taller plants grab more sunlight. Less sunlight has to manifest itself somewhere...rooting is an area where you can find that manifestation - shorter roots obviously don't venture to any meaningful depths in a soil. Then there's the whole canopy warming much quicker with a lower hoc and the need to transpire faster / more often
> ...


Not sure if you realize or not but @viva_oldtrafford is a golf course professional.... :lol:


----------



## LittleBearBermuda (Sep 25, 2020)

MrMeaner said:


> LittleBearBermuda said:
> 
> 
> > viva_oldtrafford said:
> ...


And? Still doesn't change facts. Bermuda grass is a low growing grass that actually "grabs more sunlight" when it is cut shorter, unlike longer Bermuda grass that becomes thinner because is shades itself out.


----------



## viva_oldtrafford (Apr 4, 2018)

LittleBearBermuda said:


> MrMeaner said:
> 
> 
> > LittleBearBermuda said:
> ...


So when dealing with a shaded turf, I should actually cut the plant lower, because allowing it to go taller only creates more shade? How exactly does a shorter leaf blade grab more sunlight?


----------



## viva_oldtrafford (Apr 4, 2018)

LittleBearBermuda said:


> MrMeaner said:
> 
> 
> > LittleBearBermuda said:
> ...


https://www.canr.msu.edu/uploads/resources/pdfs/mowing_lawn_turf_(e0013).pdf
"but mowing too short will reduce the vigor of the plants by reducing their ability to manufacture food"


----------



## viva_oldtrafford (Apr 4, 2018)

LittleBearBermuda said:


> MrMeaner said:
> 
> 
> > LittleBearBermuda said:
> ...


https://extension.psu.edu/growing-turf-under-shaded-conditions

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP072

"Mow grass at the highest recommended height for the species. *The increased mowing height allows for more leaf area. The more leaf area, the more light the grass can absorb.* Higher mowing heights promote deeper rooting, which is one of the key mechanisms of stress management."

https://www.uaex.edu/publications/PDF/FSA-6140.pdf

http://extension.msstate.edu/publications/publications/selecting-and-managing-turfgrass-for-shade

https://www.golfcourseindustry.com/article/shade-versus-turfgrass--a-no-win-situation---research-/

https://sportsfieldmanagementonline.com/2016/06/14/understanding-assessing-and-managing-sports-turf-shade-issues/8055/

https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ay/ay-14-w.pdf

just a handful of articles to comb thru. lmk what you think


----------



## viva_oldtrafford (Apr 4, 2018)

LittleBearBermuda said:


> MrMeaner said:
> 
> 
> > LittleBearBermuda said:
> ...


https://ag.umass.edu/turf/fact-sheets/lawn-mowing - "Close mowing reduces the amount of leaf area available for photosynthesis and in turn may reduce plant vigor. As cutting height is reduced, lawns become less tolerant of environmental stresses and more prone to invasion by weeds than lawns maintained at a higher cutting height."

https://sportsfieldmanagementonline.com/2008/03/18/how-turfgrasses-respond-to-mowing/4966/

https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/H505/welcome.html


----------



## rockwalltxguy (Oct 1, 2021)

So now I'm confused. Do I cut my Bermuda at 0.5" or "2.5" &#129315;&#129315;


----------



## LittleBearBermuda (Sep 25, 2020)

viva_oldtrafford said:


> LittleBearBermuda said:
> 
> 
> > MrMeaner said:
> ...


I agree with you on most if not all other types of lawns, just not a bermuda lawn. I have never seen a 2.5-3 inch bermuda lawn that is thick and dence. A bermuda lawn cut at those heights will not choke out weeds but instead will be thin and leggy. On the other hand, a bermuda lawn that is mowed at .5 or below with become so dence it might choke itself out. Bermuda loves the sun. The shorter you cut it, the more grow points the stolons create, in turn more leaves to catch the sun and a new and also deeper root system.


----------



## viva_oldtrafford (Apr 4, 2018)

rockwalltxguy said:


> So now I'm confused. Do I cut my Bermuda at 0.5" or "2.5" 🤣🤣


Lower hoc = more inputs. It's the reason putting greens require more tlc when compared to, say, a fairway or tee...or a tee / fairway vs rough. Cutting is a stress by itself, cutting a plant very low is a real stress...that's why we have thresholds with certain grasses.


----------



## kc8qpu092200 (Feb 29, 2020)

Nice job guys. Way to high jack the original posters question.


----------



## viva_oldtrafford (Apr 4, 2018)

kc8qpu092200 said:


> Nice job guys. Way to high jack the original posters question.


Hardly. Op now has links to roughly 10+ scholarly articles / pages which answer his question / concern.


----------



## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Your profile says 'bermuda' and 1 acre. I don't think youre reel'n an acre anytime soon?

So if that's 419 Bermuda, .5" vs 3" the delta in water needs( for a subset of that acre ) would be hardly noticeable IMO. If concern is cost...it's a few Starbucks coffee in diff. My tifgrand is .5, not irrigated (beauty strip)...vs avg joe neighbor who doesn't irrigate in Atlanta? Hard to say who shows stress sooner,.

Tall Bermuda generally becomes a small salad mix or breakouts of crab/Dallas/goose around here ....could be from budget companies relying on the cheap preEm


----------



## BigTlawn (Oct 15, 2021)

Thanks for all the replies. I was going to reel my front lawn which is about 3000ft2. The back I would continue to mow with rotary. I enjoy mowing. I'm the only person I know that pushes an acre but it's good exercise.


----------



## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

BigTlawn said:


> Thanks for all the replies. I was going to reel my front lawn which is about 3000ft2. The back I would continue to mow with rotary. I enjoy mowing. I'm the only person I know that pushes an acre but it's good exercise.


You are welcome to come over and try it out. I'm in G'Ville area (near where Woodruff Rd and E. Georgia meet). I'm on a half-acre lot that I reel-mow almost all of the time. I would not want to do more with a reel.


----------

