# Cutting height help



## Jordan90 (Apr 7, 2019)

Hey guys, i've recently gotten a Toro Flex 2100 with high HOC so I can cut around 1" My current rotary is at 2" and that's as low as she goes. I'm afraid if I go from 2" to 1" obviously disregarding the 1/3 rule It will be yellow and never green up. Should I just go for broke and cut down from 2" to .75" and then raise HOC to 1" and cut that way?

Thanks!


----------



## adgattoni (Oct 3, 2017)

I would go down to 0.5 to completely scalp the lawn, then bump the HOC back up to 1 inch. The bermuda will handle that just fine. A lot of folks around here do it mid-season to reset their HOC, and most have to do it after going on vacation. It's called a "HOC reset" or a "mid-season scalp."

Also - the reason going from 2 inches to 1 without going lower first results in a yellow lawn is not because you're breaking the 1/3rd rule, it's because the stem of the bermuda plant itself is naturally brown/yellow. If you don't cut out those brown bits you'll have a mix of green grass and brown stems at the same HOC.


----------



## lucas287 (Jun 3, 2018)

Yep! Sounds like a plan to me! Maybe try .6" though. A .75" scalp will be creeping up on you real quick with a couple missed cuts. You might have to do a mid season scalp sooner than later.


----------



## Jordan90 (Apr 7, 2019)

Thanks guys, my main reason for wanting to cut at 1" besides the fact that I currently cut at 2" is because my yard is bumpy and I know if I cut much lower i'll be seeing a lotta dirt.

Concerns going to .5-.6 with not having a smooth cutting surface?


----------



## Durso81 (Apr 10, 2018)

Jordan90 said:


> Thanks guys, my main reason for wanting to cut at 1" besides the fact that I currently cut at 2" is because my yard is bumpy and I know if I cut much lower i'll be seeing a lotta dirt.
> 
> Concerns going to .5-.6 with not having a smooth cutting surface?


You can always increase your hoc if your scalping to much at the lower hoc. But if you start out at a higher hoc, then if you want to try lower you will have to scalp it down below the height of cut again. Hope that makes sense


----------



## Jacob_S (May 22, 2018)

I usually "scalp" ar .25" lower than maintenance height and seems to do fine.


----------



## Jordan90 (Apr 7, 2019)

Thanks guys. Any benefit for me to go from 2" to 1" to .75" or whatever and then start to 1" or just go for broke at the scalp height?


----------



## anthonybilotta (Aug 11, 2018)

I would go as low as possible and then maintain at 1 inch. Every time I scalp I always wish I had gone a bit lower. Also, I find it easier to progressively lower the mowing height (ie, cut down to 1.5 on pass one, then 1 on pass two and so on )


----------



## Jordan90 (Apr 7, 2019)

Thanks guys. Going to see what I can do today when I get home if I beat the rain. It's set at about 1" may try to cram that in and do another pass at .75"


----------



## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

Remember a couple things: With a reel, you won't be able to go from 2" to 0.5" straight away, but will have to take it down slowly. Maybe your Flex is a beast, but my reel would bind up if I took off too much at once. You'll probably end up making many passes to get down to 0.5".

Also, a lumpy bumpy lawn is actually easier to cut with a reel than a rotary, so even if you aren't very level, your reel will handle that better than a rotary would. Scalp away.


----------



## reidgarner (Jun 18, 2018)

dfw_pilot said:


> Remember a couple things: With a reel, you won't be able to go from 2" to 0.5" straight away, but will have to take it down slowly. Maybe your Flex is a beast, but my reel would bind up if I took off too much at once. You'll probably end up making many passes to get down to 0.5".
> 
> Also, a lumpy bumpy lawn is actually easier to cut with a reel than a rotary, so even if you aren't very level, your reel will handle that better than a rotary would. Scalp away.


+1. Get it as low as you can. You'll be surprised to learn how "not bumpy" it is when going from rotary to reel. Plus that floating reel on your flex will follow contours like a champ.


----------



## Jordan90 (Apr 7, 2019)

Thanks guys, when I get home today if it isn't raining, i'm going to do a quick 2" cut with the rotary, and then try to go immediately back over at 1" with the reel and if I have time do another pass to .75"

Not sure if I'll make it that quick but I'm only cutting the front yard with the reel for now until I get comfortable and have time(front yard much smaller than back) Can probably do 3 passes in an hour if time permits!


----------



## thegrassisgreener (Apr 16, 2019)

Jumping in on this thread with a similar question. If I am currently mowing at 1" and want to go down to .75" is there a reason to scalp with that small of a change? If I just drop the reel a quarter of an inch, will it be brown?


----------



## Jordan90 (Apr 7, 2019)

thegrassisgreener said:


> Jumping in on this thread with a similar question. If I am currently mowing at 1" and want to go down to .75" is there a reason to scalp with that small of a change? If I just drop the reel a quarter of an inch, will it be brown?


If you abide by the 1/3 rule which that is would be fine that's only 1/4


----------



## reidgarner (Jun 18, 2018)

I'd scalp/cut it at .5" and then maintain at .75". You want to always scalp below where you want to maintain to remove the brown leggy material.


----------



## Jordan90 (Apr 7, 2019)

Didn't beat the rain got like 1.25" today so that's a damper.


----------



## cwrx82 (Sep 16, 2018)

thegrassisgreener said:


> Jumping in on this thread with a similar question. If I am currently mowing at 1" and want to go down to .75" is there a reason to scalp with that small of a change? If I just drop the reel a quarter of an inch, will it be brown?


You always want to scalp lower than the HOC you'll be maintaining. It'll reset the HOC and there will be more green from the ground up. This being my first year with a reel, I scalped at 0.20" and cutting at 0.70" right now until I level and then I'll maintain lower HOC.


----------



## Brackin4au (Jun 13, 2018)

I agree that I usually wish I scalped lower. I scalped at .625 and maintaining at .7 right now. It's doing fine, but just wish I went lower. Probably will at some point this year... maybe after vacation I'll reset it. By the way, this is my first year with a greensmower too. I went from 1.5 down to 1 with my rotary (lowest it would go) then down to .75 with the reel. Cut there for a couple weeks then decided to go to .625 for a couple mows and now back to .7 to maintain...


----------



## Jordan90 (Apr 7, 2019)

I'm going to try to do 3 passes in a day when it stops raining. 2" rotary 1" reel ,75" reel then in 2-3 days again at 1"


----------



## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

Question I think is appropriate for this thread...
Do you bag the clippings when doing a reset from say 1.5" down to .5" with the intent to maintain at 1"?

I only have rotary mowers (at the moment) and scalped (my version of scalping) down to 1" last month and wanted to stay at 1.5" but went to 2". Until I decide to get a reel mower I will go back to 1.5 which requires me to reset to 1" first and I dread having to bag all over again.

Hope this makes sense...


----------



## Jordan90 (Apr 7, 2019)

Probably not a bad idea to bag, since I had just had fert down I didn't bag. I think my measurement was wrong on the rotary because I cut from 2" to 1" and it didn't make a mess. Maybe because the clippings are so fine they don't clump like with rotary.


----------



## Jordan90 (Apr 7, 2019)

Here's how it came out. Sod is new as of August 2018 so looks awful. Back yard seems to do better but doesn't get the afternoon sun so curious if that's why. But have the front yard getting another day of water than the back yard does.


----------



## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

Jordan90 said:


> Here's how it came out. Sod is new as of August 2018 so looks awful. Back yard seems to do better but doesn't get the afternoon sun so curious if that's why. But have the front yard getting another day of water than the back yard does.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks Jordan90...


----------



## Jordan90 (Apr 7, 2019)

Don't see where you added any comment?


----------



## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

@ctrav bag it


----------



## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

Jordan90 said:


> Don't see where you added any comment?


He said thanks after the first picture. @ctrav is very humble and hides his comments as not to attract attention to himself.


----------



## Jordan90 (Apr 7, 2019)

TN Hawkeye said:


> Jordan90 said:
> 
> 
> > Don't see where you added any comment?
> ...


Thank you guys. Totally overlooked it. I appreciate everyone here.


----------



## Brackin4au (Jun 13, 2018)

Looks good. That'll be tip top in no time!


----------



## LoCutt (Jul 29, 2019)

Look at your clippings. If they are purely green, you can reduce your HOC without brown/yellow spots. If your clippings contain brown/yellow grass as well as green, then you're going to get more brown/yellow spots from a reduction in HOC.

Bermuda will rise to get thatch even in the healthiest lawn. That's why golf courses have a schedule of aeration/slicing/verticutting/etc.


----------



## Jordan90 (Apr 7, 2019)

LoCutt said:


> Look at your clippings. If they are purely green, you can reduce your HOC without brown/yellow spots. If your clippings contain brown/yellow grass as well as green, then you're going to get more brown/yellow spots from a reduction in HOC.
> 
> Bermuda will rise to get thatch even in the healthiest lawn. That's why golf courses have a schedule of aeration/slicing/verticutting/etc.


My current issue is scalping at a low height of cut. I'm sure if I raised I wouldn't get the issue. Seriously need some top dressing


----------



## calebbo (Jul 30, 2019)

I have a Fiskars Reel Mower

It Mows at 1" to 4".

Setting 1
1"

Setting 2
1.429"

Setting 3
1.858"

Setting 4
2.287"

Setting 5
2.716"

Setting 6
3.145"

Setting 7
3.574"

Setting 8
4"

I have to cut at setting 2 because I get stuck in the backyard but the front yard is fine.

I've been cutting at setting 2 since I got the reel mower every 3 or 4 days.

Do I need to use setting 1 and then maintain at setting 2 or higher?


----------



## LoCutt (Jul 29, 2019)

I think cutting height should be determined by what is best for the grass, i.e. long term. health. Some cultivars will tolerate and adapt to lower heights better than others. Choose your cultivar wisely!

I'm in the planning process of replacing my beloved Tifway 419-II. One end of my lawn doesn't get enough sun and the grass there will never do well. When I saw TifGrand in a sod field, I was sold. Now I've heard a lot about how it tolerates low HOC, but what I haven't heard is its optimum height. I expect (this is based on my experience with 419-II) to "start" at a certain height and gradually move up till I reach my "limit", at which time I'll scalp or dethatch or whatever and do it over again. But based on the insight I'm finding here at TLF, I may amend my my practice and keep a lower cut for a longer period of time. Thatch is going to be a problem in healthy grass unless you do something preemptive..


----------

