# Cutting Height vs Scalping Height



## mrigney (Jun 6, 2017)

First year with a reel mower, so first year going low. Just finished scalping my backyard at 11/16" with the McLane. I think if I scalp at the next lowest setting (5/8"), I'll start to get a lot of scalping in some places. So, question is, how high above that 11/16" do I need to maintain at? Next two heights are 7/8" and 1" on the McLane. Would love to go at 7/8" to start with, but wasn't sure if that was enough difference between my scalping height and my cutting height.

Also, probably more for @Spammage. What is the optimal height for maintaining my emerald zoysia in my front yard? It's relatively shady, so it's a pretty slow grower. 1"? 1-1/8"? It's starting to show signs of greening here in North Alabama.

Looking forward to getting some pictures up as things start to green around here.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

mrigney said:


> What is the optimal height for maintaining my emerald zoysia in my front yard? It's relatively shady, so it's a pretty slow grower. 1"? 1-1/8"? It's starting to show signs of greening here in North Alabama.


I'm looking forward to seeing your results this year too. If you have only been maintaining it with a rotary at 2-2.5" previously, then it may need to thicken at ground level. Have you scalped it down with your bermuda? I would probably keep it at 1.125" this year. Keeping grass cut reel low is the ticket and the best appearance, but leaving it a little longer will help it thicken up. You can gauge the year next off-season to determine if you want to lower it - ideally keeping it at <1".


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## mrigney (Jun 6, 2017)

I haven't scalped the zoysia (yet). Won't take me long to do compared to the bermuda, though. scalped it in the middle of the summer last summer b/c it had been maintained really long for way longer than I've lived here. But "scalped" was w/my rotary at about 1.25-1.5" (whatever the lowest and next to lowest setting on the Honda 217HRX is). Could easily take the zoysia down to 11/16" (or even 7/8") this weekend before the green up starts in earnest. What would you do?


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

I would try to scalp down to 5/8" as that will give you some more space as the season progresses with the bermuda. After scalping at that height just raise it back to 11/16" and you'll be set.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

mrigney said:


> I haven't scalped the zoysia (yet). Won't take me long to do compared to the bermuda, though. scalped it in the middle of the summer last summer b/c it had been maintained really long for way longer than I've lived here. But "scalped" was w/my rotary at about 1.25-1.5" (whatever the lowest and next to lowest setting on the Honda 217HRX is). Could easily take the zoysia down to 11/16" (or even 7/8") this weekend before the green up starts in earnest. What would you do?


I would step it down while monitoring the thickness of the grass at soil level - ie growth points. Removing to many existing growth points could result in patchy and/or slow grow-in. (don't ask me how I know  ) That is why I would take it slowly given the grasses history.

I just scalped mine (Palisades and El Toro) down to 3/8" and had to go over the lawn 4 times with a fixed blade dethatcher and cut multiple times to get it there. I pulled twenty three 39 gal trash bags off of 6000sf that was maintained at <1". This grass can get so thick it will make bermuda blush, but it isn't as fast to respond to change or mistakes.


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## mrigney (Jun 6, 2017)

I took down an area to 11/16" last night before reading your post, @Spammage . In the image below, the left half has basically been taken down. The right half is somewhere over an inch.

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Here's a closeup at 11/16". Think it looks good enough to go that low, or should I stick w/7/8" or 1"?


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

Well, it's hard to say. There is a lot of horizontal dormant growth there. Your mower may have been "floating" a little I would dethatch, bag it, and then see what it looks like.


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## mrigney (Jun 6, 2017)

Any tips for dethatching? Looks like about $50 to rent one for the day around here. Sounds like a good project for next weekend&#128522;


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

mrigney said:


> Any tips for dethatching? Looks like about $50 to rent one for the day around here. Sounds like a good project for next weekend😊


Make sure you have A LOT of trash bags :lol: You will be amazed at what comes out of the yard.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

mrigney said:


> Any tips for dethatching? Looks like about $50 to rent one for the day around here. Sounds like a good project for next weekend😊


+1 on the trash bags. $50 is about right. I would set the blades at about 3/8" off the ground, run one direction (go back and forth) and then bag it with a rotary. Then you can cut again with the reel and see where you are. You may want to then repeat the process with the dethatcher running 90° to the first pass.


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## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

mrigney said:


> What is the optimal height for maintaining my emerald zoysia in my front yard? It's relatively shady, so it's a pretty slow grower. 1"? 1-1/8"? It's starting to show signs of greening here in North Alabama.


I spent the morning reading The Georgia Gardener www.walterreeves.com. One post stated there is research indicating a height of 2 inches is best when growing zoysia in partial shade.

Regarding using a dethatcher..."Zoysiagrass does not usually form a thatch layer under the grass if it is mowed regularly. Using a de-thatcher when it is not needed can hurt the grass more than it helps. If the turf seems to be growing directly in the soil and if the thatch is less than 1/2 inch thick, don't use a dethatcher. If you have thatch, the best way to remove it is to topdress the turf with a 1/4 inch layer of clean topsoil. The microorganisms in the topsoil decompose the thatch without the need of a mechanical dethatcher. Chemicals which claim to remove thatch when they are sprayed on the lawn have not been proven effective."

"Zoysia grasses in general and the denser the growth type (i.e. 'Emerald'), the more common scalping problems occur. Zoysia grasses do not tolerate scalping like bermuda grass. As a general observation, anytime a zoysia grass is cut low enough that the black mold under the leaf canopy is visible, it will be set back. This is generally below the node of the growing leaves. This can occur at any mowing height, from as low as 0.5 to over 3 inches. Regardless of the normal mowing height, taking the grass down below the node will set it back. Generally, the higher the mowing height, the more this is a problem. Ideally zoysia grass should be cut at 0.5 to 1.5 inches. Mowing frequency is just as important as mowing height. If more than one-third of the leaf height is removed at mowing, the grass will be stressed."

Lastly...Do not fertilize until your zoysia is 90% green. Use a core aerator in late April.

I scalped last Friday as well and black mold is now visible!!!


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## mrigney (Jun 6, 2017)

Interesting, @TulsaFan. I always hear conflicting info on here about zoysia. @Spammage seems to be the resident expert, so I lean pretty heavily on him. From further up in this thread: "Removing to many existing growth points could result in patchy and/or slow grow-in. (don't ask me how I know  ) That is why I would take it slowly given the grasses history."

So I plan on dethatching with caution. I scalped last year at the lowest setting on my rotary and it was obviously slower to recover than bermuda, but did come back and looked better than it did before. I just feel like I"m dealing with 40 years of thatch...as far as I know, nothing has ever been done with the front yard (per the neighbor who has been across the street for 40+ years). Definitely don't want to kill it, though


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## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

Trust me, I leaned on @Spammage heavily last year when I first installed my zoysia sod. My goal was to keep it alive long enough that I didn't make too many mistakes to kill it. He, @jayhawk, and some other zoysia guys helped a lot!!! There is lots of information to decipher on what bermuda rules applies to zoysia as well...


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

@mrigney @TulsaFan

I'm pretty sure that Mr. Reeves is saying to be careful of scalping during the growing season. Many people want to believe the myth that zoysia "can be cut once a month or less" and that just isn't the case. The scalping I'm referring to is just removal of last year's dormant top growth. Leaving that growth can work for people cutting once a week at 3", but even then the grass will start to decline in a few years. I was very nervous when I first scalped mine, but now I would be nervous not to. Once it greens up you just have to make sure you are cutting frequently enough to avoid scalping every time.


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## mrigney (Jun 6, 2017)

Well, I called and reserved a dethatcher for Friday evening to Saturday evening. Will be a fun adventure! I'll be sure to document w/pictures.


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## mrigney (Jun 6, 2017)

Ok, @Spammage, what do you think? Ran the dethatcher three ways. Had it set at about 3/8". These pictures are from the same area as the original pictures I posted. Did I dethatch right? First time dethatching. Based on what you're seeing here, recs on cutting height for this season? Definitely looks a little more naked than it did before I started.

View of most of the yard


Close ups:


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

mrigney said:


> Ok, @Spammage, what do you think? Ran the dethatcher three ways. Had it set at about 3/8". These pictures are from the same area as the original pictures I posted. Did I dethatch right? First time dethatching. Based on what you're seeing here, recs on cutting height for this season? Definitely looks a little more naked than it did before I started.


Me likey. I would bet that if you go over it again with the reel at the same height as before that you will get it a little lower just due to having less material in the yard. From there, raising the mower one notch will be a good start. Keep in mind that having exposed soil will allow it to dry out faster, so lighter more frequent irrigation may be needed if you aren't getting any rain.


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