Mowing grass for first time.

squire1 · Hazel Tree Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 34

Hi Ladies and gents. Grass seed is down about five weeks now and is thriving. Height ranges from 3" to 5". It's time for the first cut...but wait...it's lashing rain out there and the ground has loosened up.

Here's the predicament...do I cut the grass the next time the rain stops or do I wait to let the ground dry out a bit for fear of upsetting delicate roots. Will it do any harm to allow the grass to grow a bit more before I cut it. Wheather prediction is for wet weather up to and including the weekend, in this type of weather the grass could grow a couple of inches in a week Shocked

What's the concencus?

GPI · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 2:11 pm Post subject:

squire1, what are you cutting with?
Ride-on or pedestrian mower?

squire1 · Hazel Tree Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 34

Hi GPI, I was going to do it with a ride on with a wide thread tyre but after reading your a sticky the other day I'm going to use a pedestrian mower for the first few cuts.

squire1 · Hazel Tree Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 34

Your sticky, I mean, not your're a sticky Embarassed

GPI · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 2:43 pm Post subject: No YOU are a sticky.

squire1 · Hazel Tree Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 34

Yep, should have done it at the weekend but i was greedy and decided to leave it for a few more days.

I'd say at the moment if I walked on it to cut it, most of it would end up on the bottom of my boots Sad

It'll probably dry out quick enough when the rain stops. I'll check out the weather report above and have myself primed to go.

Bugs · Ash Tree Joined: 03 Jul 2006 Posts: 210 Location: Dublin

Make sure you cut this weekend 4 to 5 inches is long . its normaly usual to leave the first cut on on the grass to rot down , BUT if the grass is is very long it should be collected as the cuttings may rot the new grass .

Laughing

Many years ago I sowed a new lawn for a customer and told him to leave the first cut on the lawn , which he did Rolling Eyes

he cut the grass from the outside in and left it in a nice long heap 6 inches deep in the centre of the garden.
It killed all the grass in a 3 ft. strip down the middle
Cool

Bugs

squire1 · Hazel Tree Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 34

Cut it on Thursday evening. I was expecting rian on Friday so it was dark by the time I got it finished. Neighbours must have thought I was barmey Very Happy

Anyway, it worked out well, I had the blades up at the highest level so that it just tipped most of the grass. Even over the weekend i could see how this has "thickened" the grass. It will probably need a cut like that twice a week now for a couple of weeks.

I'm glad i didn't use the ride on as some spots on the lawn were very soft (after the heavy rain) and damage would have been done.

squire1 · Hazel Tree Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 34

Bugs · Ash Tree Joined: 03 Jul 2006 Posts: 210 Location: Dublin