The Lawn Care Nut can't get the black gold here in the UK 🇬🇧 but I do have some organic stuff under the bench , smells like bread and domination . That with the smell off damp clippings from the mower. Really enjoyed this video it's back to your old style and less "pro" but in a good way .
Kane Croft sorry Kane only just seen your question. It’s B&Q Verve organic stuff. I’ve had great results this year. No lawn burn . Give it a try in the spring . They often have reduced bags as they seem to split in transit
There’s not much more enjoyable and satisfying in life to watch then seeing you enjoying the mow on your st aug especially when it’s in need of a cut. Getting that smooth clean look on a thick deep green healthy lawn. It’s like that one moment in life where everything is perfect haha
You definitely know your stuff. I'm a lawn care specialist and all the practices you talk about in the video is what we aim for when we help customers.
Yes it does. We have a 1/2 acre lawn. We use a pre emergent in the early spring. We have a guy de thatch after our first mowing. I removed the discharge cover from the mower and broadcast clippings into the air for better spreading over the lawn. We cut a 3" and mow when the plants get to be about 3 1/2 inch tall. (usually every 3 days) Decomposing grass takes nitrogen out of the soil for decomposition. Laying a thin layer of carpet over the lawn helps retain moisture. We remove the thatch and last years grass in the spring, and we have the nicest lawn in our neighborhood.
Wow you blow my mind. Even though this video is a year old you open my eyes. I been mowing lawns for a while now and learn so much from this video. That Saint Augustine was kicking my ass and now I know why. I have a small mower and when customers will call me to do their SA it be pretty high so my mower will stop constantly because it hasn't been mow for a month. Now I can educated them and tell them I have to mow every week or every two weeks and I will get a bigger motor. Thanks a lot my friend.
I just bought my first home and I'm ready to fully engage in adulting. Just subscribed and I'm looking forward to learning how to dominate the neighborhood.
So took your advice this season on the midweek mow and with fescue I’ve keep my mower deck at the highest level. What a diffrence its made from previous years, the melting out we see here in Louisville is not as drastic as previous. My lawn is thicker and healthier looking I believe do to the three cuts a week. Althought I do see fugus from the humidity and rain I think my lawn is doing well , I am bagging to remove the fungus to minimize the spreading . I thank you for your you common sense approach and years if experience. Scott from Louisville, tall fescue.
Thank you for making these videos and your lawn looks amazing. I recently sold my condo and bought my first home. I took your advice and purchased a mulching mower and I'm amazed at how there are no clumps left behind. Now I just need to get my lawn as green and soft as yours!
Brother, you are my type of guy! The video was nice and easy to follow, you broke things down plain and simple. I really appreciate that.. I realize now that I’m taking too much off of my clients lawns which is definitely contributing to thatch buildup and browning of the lawns. Going forward, I will only take off 1/3 of the top layer as you suggested.. Thanks Sir, and keep sharing the knowledge👌🏾
I watch Ur vid 24/7 and I love them and I mow my lawn not my mom and I told her every thing about the water and the fert but she said no and are grass hight sucks and I think I'm going to just do it myself and just start to fert and water and mow higher love your vids keep up the great work good luck during the hurricane coming your way praying
he may seem like he is talking too his grass and stroking it! however if i saw The Lawn Care Nut i didnt know or whatch youtube ide think that this guy doe not just take but also gives back his passion soul and love directly into his work and thats why he is a " Cut above the rest".
You rock man! Seriously you do. My girlfriend always made fun of me because i watch all of your videos. Turns out, i catch her looking up at the tv while she's facebooking. She doesn't fool me! Great job buddy! Wished you lived in the northeast
Did the triple drop yesterday. Seed, starter fert, milo and now it is raining here in Massachusetts. I love the smell of wet milo in the morning, smell like victory.
Hey LCN. As I was loading up my car with 8 bags of Milo (I have a large yard front & back here in NJ), a guy came over & asked me if I like the stuff. So I switched it into my LCN spiel, saying how it's idiot proof, good for the environment, slow release, etc. He said he tried it once and didn't like the results but like my experience, I told him to not give up but also needs to put down a lot. He has well water so I really encouraged him to use it even more! Of course told him to check out your YT channel.
I was also there to check out Toro snowblowers. I'm hanging up my shovel after 2 seasons.. I have a large driveway and I now see why people drop dead shoveling. I'm sure you miss that. Lol!
Tom M - I also have a large lawn, 3 acres, upstate NY. I've never done anything more the mow it regularly but have areas that could be malnutritioned. I'm wondering what you use to spread it?
ChuckD59 I use a relatively small Scotts spreader which I inherited from my Father in law who's property was smaller than mine. I really could use a larger spreader especially since with milorganite, the spreader setting needs to be very high ( large opening). Lots of frequent refills. Don't be afraid to put a lot down.
Mulching mower will, over time, cause the clippings to thatch and begin choking airflow from penetrating the soil. To prevent that, I have a SunJoe scarifier and thatch removal mower. It removes the clogging thatch and scar the ground to let air in.
Sup bruh? Fellow LCN in the PNW here. Own a thatching/aerating company and recommend your channel to all my clients to keep their yards going strong after I'm gone. Hope all is well post-Irma. Have a beer on me.
You know, back when I started "throwing down" Milorganite. I was let down by its seemingly lack luster effect on my lawn. Admittedly I dont "THROWER DOWN!!!!" every three weeks. That being said, once I started regularly watering my lawn ( 3 times a day X 20 minutes, Attempting to grow some grass in MAXIMUM SHADE on a hill no less) I was AMAZED how much difference it made. I chose Pennington's shade mix , the kinda with fertilizer and moisture retainers(fells like peat moss) and thew down some starter fertilizer(10-10-10) and Miloganite in the mix, I have to say I am Majorly impressed in in its ability to grow in the shade. I just bought some more Shade sead from Pennington, and threw it down with some starter fertilizer and some peat moss. I plan to continue watering 3 times and drop some milorganite next weekend. Wanted to see if it springs to life as fast in the grass seed only variant . Will post my results.
Enjoyed your video. A healthy lawn with healthy earthworms and soil bacteria can digest about a half-inch deep bed of fine clippings per week. If you put more clippings down than what nature can digest, then a mat of dead grass will form and get deeper every week and you will have to power rake it often. About the only benefits of this mat of dead grass is that it keeps weed seeds from germinating and crane flies from getting their eggs down into the soil and it keeps the hot sun off the roots and holds in a little moisture. I like your 1/3 rule. But I also like to see cutting twice a week if people are mulching. I like a side-discharge mower to blow the clippings up in the air and let them land naturally. This seems to keep the lawn more level. I prefer the clippings to be less than a half inch long, so that requires two cuttings a week. I am not a fan of most no-discharge mulching mowers because people tend to leave too many long clippings on the lawn and these mowers can simply leave too many clippings period. Better to bag the first (long) cut and then take off only that last half inch for the mulching run. Compost your long clippings and then add the compost back to the lawn or garden when convenient. And do not use too much nitrogen because the lawn will grow too fast requiring even more frequent mowing. Keep the iron and magnesium and trace minerals up to support chlorophyll production but just enough nitrogen to produce good color. This method really does cut down on mowing.
Great video. I've been to Florida a couple of times, and noticed this grass around most of the villas. It's so different to the grass we have here in the UK. If i'm being honest i don't like it, it feels too rough underfoot and not very nice to walk on. Great video on mulching though!
Barry Armstrong as a Floridian, I agree. It’s not nice to walk on like northern grasses, but it does fill in full and looks nice and green when healthy
Just bought a brand new Toro recycler mower and use the mulch setting wow what a difference my lawn looks. No more carrying bags of grass clippings to the curb every week
If you ever do this experiment again, it would be interesting to compare clippings with different mower speeds. You mention this, and I’ve found the difference in practice to be substantial. Hard to be disciplined and maintain a slow pace, though!
Im an "up norther"...I remember the first time i traveled to FLA as a young adult paying attn to landscapes. I noticed people had ENTIRE yards of "crabgrass". And was like, "wtf?!? These morons are mowing, watering and taking care of it?!?!" I later learned its a desirable variety of grass called St Augustine. Lookin' great Allyn, love the channel!
I use a low cost mower and it don't mulch very well, the clippings build-up under the deck creating a vibration. I do use a mulching blade and side discharge without any issues. It makes me sick to see people bag their clippings and put them out as trash every week.
Sharp tools for a clean cut. Engine works less blades don’t brown on ends. Honda twin blade works well, can go back over to super fine mulch. The Grass Guru has spoken,, no seriously just enjoy your beautiful lawn and have a great day!
Only time I've had a problem with thatch was when I was a newbie. I didn't have mulching blades so I shot the clippings inward into the yard instead of outward so I would be able to "mulch" or cut the clippings several times. That just led to a lot of clippings in the middle of my lawn and sure enough I got a thatch problem.
I can't get over how tall you have your lawns in the US. Here in New Zealand we tend to cut it to about an inch high. I tried doing it the US way for a few weeks, but all the neighbourhood cats used it as a big open loo (toilet) plus it ended up looking messy after people walked over it. Maybe it's the types of grass we use? Tall or Fine Fescue, Rye, Kentucky Blue Grass, Kikuyu, Couch, New Zealand Browntop, and clover. Or various mixtures of them. Thanks for your video, it's interesting to see how others do it.
Where I live in England (UK) the grass stays on the top of the lawn for weeks in lumpy layers if left there. It also does the same if left on the driveway tarmac. So I guess that being in a hot climate like in the USA, means you benefit from the grass turning to dust etc. Most people here like myself, tend to use electric mowers and those with more time and money use petrol mowers.
WOW! US grass is thick looking stuff. Good video for the US market. I get Americans griping on my videos about height of cut etc. UK grass is very fine seed mix. Even our broad leaved grasses don't come close.
my one concern about the mulching position is the reduction in suck. it seems to reduce the vacuum draw (lift) on the grass blades. if you are cutting short all the time, this might be ok, but cutting 6" down to 4.5" it can make a difference. I do agree that it decomposes just fine if you only cut off an inch or less at a time.
I'm having a soil sample done for my yard. I'm interested to see what each item that is tested how the micro-nutrients effect the lawn. I watched your previous video about this but it mostly goes into NPK values and Iron only.
If you ever revisit this topic, it would be nice to see you do your “clippings on the sidewalk” test twice...once at a relatively quick pace, and once moving very slowly.
Always enjoy your videos, Eventually my lawn will be there. Getting myself ready to seed a new lawn in the back yard, but with temps being over 100 degrees in California I'm very scared I won't have much of a shot. Doing all the soil prep now, LCN you're an inspiration.
Hey what type of soil prep are you doing? I'm new at this. I laid my Saint Augustine over my previous grass a lot of it took and a lot of it didn't. It was 100 degrees back then in Texas. Should I have tilled it
@@bumpythomas6932 I had an already well established lawn at this point. The only real soil prep I had done was kill off any weeds, used a scarifier to remove some of the thatch off the top of the soil and starter fertilizer. After laying down the sod, I made sure the lawn had a nice long drink, then made sure the soil was always damp for 2-3 weeks. Depending on how big the dead spots are on your lawn, you could be alright. St. Augustine will grow over those dead spots and eventually fill in. If it's bad you might need new sod. It's all about how well you keep the grass water and fed during the time you lay down new sod.
Can't believe how thick your grass blades are! It's no wonder you need a high cc mower. Here in New Zealand we have fine grass which makes for a finer looking lawn but most of our average mowers are around 150 to 160 cc.
Just want to say I've been watching your videos for weeks and I love them. Thanks for putting them up. I have no idea what I'm doing with my lawn but I've been trying to make it look nicer and your videos are helping. I just seeded a few weeks ago and I'm waiting to do a weed and feed until the 4th mow for the season. Is that a good idea?
New home owner to a 1901 Victorian, and I bought the adjacent lot next to me. (Hey, the dogs need their play/running space too) I love the stripes! It doesnt take much to outshine my neighbors as they wait until its a hay field before they mow...and no, they dont mulch let alone pick up their multiple clumps of grass. But they're nice enough to blow it into my yard! I have the worse neighbors as they tried to put a trampoline in my yard and then tied out their dogs in my yard. The trampoline has been moved as well as the dogs, but the dogs are still 2-3 feet in my yard. But at night, they let them out to use my yard. They never pick up their trash, but then mows over it and blows that into my yard. Cops called repeatedly, but nothing...and Landlady does nothing. North neighbors tried to take over my driveway, and since it was taken from them I get trouble from their kids, friends, and family members. Same landlord. Thought it was a nice neighborhood. Glad I found you though!
Alan, great vid! But, not to be critical, but if your mower has those features, they are not “indicators that you may have a mulching mower” - you DO have a mulching mower. Those features are what make a mower a mulcher.
Hi, I like my grass to be 3 inches, is it ok to use a rake machine on a high setting at any time to clear and untangle matted down grass ? Or will this damage the lawn ?
What if you already have a decent amount of thatch and you dont plan on dethatching until fall. Will mulched grass clippings have a hard time getting down to the soil?
I bag my clippings during spring and early summer to give the roots of the grass room to breathe and spread. After that I switch to mulch until the grass goes dormant
So if you are dealing with a house that is overgrown grass and you are following the 1/3 rule for cutting length, how long would you have to wait before the next cut? For example if I have a 6+ inch grass and wanted to work it down to a 3" height to detach, aerate, fert, etc what step wise approach do I need to do on the cut? Or do I just cut to the needed height and bag it?
Great video as always 👍. So I actually listened to your video, I got the notification of the new video as I was driving to work. I know most of your material is visually based, but listening to it was very enjoyable. Have you ever thought about doing podcasts where you can do some Q&A? Yes, I will go back and watch the video in its entirety when I get home.
If you mow frequently aka at least weekly thatch is not an issue here in FL. Down here in fl its so hot and so wet that the clipping break down very fast. A little Milo, cut your grass high, mulch those clipping and you will have a great looking lawn in no time.
I have an Ariens self-propelled mower. It came with a gator blade. I always cut closed chute and never had problems. As for this being a mulching mower? It can open chute and bag too. Most newer high end mowers do.
Throwing that blade in the grass and turning it really puts it in perspective. Like to show that to my neighbor who like to cut his "lawn" down to pretty near bare dirt once every two weeks.
I spoke to the Briggs rep. He said they don't put HP anymore because it was inaccurate and they were sued for it. Basically they make a motor that has 4hp at (I can't remember the numbers but let's say) 5500 rpm so they slap it on a mower and call it a 4hp mower. But the mower has a governor limiting the engine to (say) 2400rpm and the motor isn't making 4hp at 2400rpm. The 4hp mower you bought will only have 2.5hp at full throttle. Just the motor has the capacity to put out 4hp if it were used in a different application where it revved higher.
I've read good things on the Toro Recycler. Im a life long Snapper fan myself. I get a grin on my face when its time to mow. How often do you have to mow to keep clippings so minimal??
So something people need to remember in the north about thatch is over the winter a certain amount of the turf has winter kill. And this will seem like you have excessive thatch in a yard best way to keep it from becoming thatch is to mow once the lawn starts to grow and not wait till the lawn “needs” mowed. Seems like every year I have customers that think I am mowing too soon even though if I wait another week the yard mows like a hay field causing excess thatch
Easiest way to find out if your mower is mulching capable? Read the owner's manual, that's why your mower came with a manual. Many will say 3 in 1, 2 in 1, etc. Many mowers sold today are capable of doing mulching, but the wrong blade won't work so well. On the other hand having a mulching blade doesn't side discharge or bag as well either...so you may have to swap blades depending on what you need to do.
Lol @ "aww, crap" I felt this. It never fails that I blow out the garage, then ruin it all when a random blob of grass falls out of the mower. Aww crap moments.
Did you get rid of the Super Recycler? This is a good video. I've had many people who see me mulching ask me if it will add to the mulch layer if I do so. Also on a side note, that Timemaster seems to cut much better than the World Lawn, especially in terms of mulch and clean cut.
I can't abide direct mulching even if youre cutting a quarter of the blade length. I go through an extra step of composting clippings with dry leaves and use that as a top dressing. Yes, Bacarrat Churchils and yuengling lager for me! I use 21-7-14 for tall fescue here in zone 10a but there's a lot of good in using organic. Gro-Power plus is a good one here in So. Cal.
Funny, I used to have 4 Draft Horses, they were a pulling team. I'd watch them work, then after I'd have them all fed and happy, walking into the garage, I'd see my mower and it said 6.5HP on it. I don't think so....LOL. Now that I've moved, the lawn and pasture hasn't been kept in about 6 years. While it's a job, (about 7 acres), it is coming back nicely. Now about getting all the poison ivy out... Smiles!
I mulch all the time. Never had issues. I mow when dry and no more than 1/3 of the blade at a time. Otherwise, I enjoy the side discharge and make a 2nd pass mulching.
My 1st was a craftsman/honda..a friend. Gave me a toro 22inch recycler with side discharge or rear. Bagger. Hp conversion is 28cc to 1hp. So 540cc is equal to 19.4hp (roughly)
Anyone else have mowers WAY too big for your property?! I live on .25 acres, much of that land being my house, driveways, workshop etc. I cut with a 48” Z255 John Deere residential zero turn! Still have to break out the 24” pushmower and line trimmer each time. Takes me about 25 minutes start to finish for a fresh cut and complete edge job! I love mowing!
Just wanted to say that I thoroughly enjoy your videos. They are relevant, entertaining and addressing the exact questions I have. Thank you for sharing!! Can't wait to dominate my neighbors :D.
Your St Augustine grass looks similar to our Sir Walter Buffalo grass we have around Sydney, Australia which is as broad in the leaf & dense in growth. I am always mulch cutting our grass too, but there are weeds like clover, summer & winter grass I haven't really put much effort into clearing.
I started reading the comments right when the video took off couple of them had me laughing the ones with "honey" but I didn't quite understand them then later in the video he pulls out the tape measure haha I was weak🤣🤣
What do you think of keeping the front of the mower a little higher than the rear? I think it seems to help if my grass is real long and cuts it twice, at different lengths as I walk along.
Keep the deck set pretty high, and mow regularly= Healthy grass! I have always bagged my grass. I’ve personally always done that because My lawn for the most part is a hill. Higher deck = Less friction and wear and tear on the mower. Recently switched from a Honda HRX real wheel drive, to the Toro 22 inch recycler all wheel drive... Always loved my Honda but want to try out the all wheel drive for my hill. Along with that, I’ve decided I want to try to use the mulching function because it’s less weight and less work. 10 days in,looking good and working well. Would you recommend bagging every once in a while to keep the thatch down? I’m thinking like every fourth mow?
I know all of these things.. why am I watching this video... Lol great video btw. Very informational. Sharp blades saves on wear and tear on your mowers engine and belt. If you can press hard on the blades edge with a bare finger it's time to sharpen them to a 40 degree angle (ish). And those fins he talked about at the beginning? Put your blade in a vise grip and Use an angle grinder to lightly tap them back a square shape.
I have a Toro recycler, how do you go about sharpening the blade with those little notches. Are you required to sharpen the notches in some sort of fashion with a round file or something like that?
The #1 thing that causes massive thatch buildup is not cutting the grass frequently enough or too much at a time!! My weekly customers only need the yard dethatched every couple of years. My biweekly customers have thatch monster lawns that really need to be dethached at least once a year.
It's Saturday evening, I'm in the shed, have a beer close by, LCN is on the tablet , the wife and kids are out. Middle aged shed bliss 😁
that's a party. I hope you have some milorganite in that shed to keep it properly seasoned
The Lawn Care Nut can't get the black gold here in the UK 🇬🇧 but I do have some organic stuff under the bench , smells like bread and domination . That with the smell off damp clippings from the mower.
Really enjoyed this video it's back to your old style and less "pro" but in a good way .
Gixer750pilot . What organic fertiliser do you use in the uk please I live in the uk ?
Kane Croft use manure pellets. Very good.
Kane Croft sorry Kane only just seen your question. It’s B&Q Verve organic stuff. I’ve had great results this year. No lawn burn . Give it a try in the spring . They often have reduced bags as they seem to split in transit
says his neighbors: "hunny, he's outside talking to his grass again... tell the kids to come inside."
Dude is fuckin' nuts.
@@bangarang74 He's got a passion for mulching his yard. LOL.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
There’s not much more enjoyable and satisfying in life to watch then seeing you enjoying the mow on your st aug especially when it’s in need of a cut. Getting that smooth clean look on a thick deep green healthy lawn. It’s like that one moment in life where everything is perfect haha
You definitely know your stuff. I'm a lawn care specialist and all the practices you talk about in the video is what we aim for when we help customers.
Yes it does. We have a 1/2 acre lawn. We use a pre emergent in the early spring. We have a guy de thatch after our first mowing. I removed the discharge cover from the mower and broadcast clippings into the air for better spreading over the lawn. We cut a 3" and mow when the plants get to be about 3 1/2 inch tall. (usually every 3 days) Decomposing grass takes nitrogen out of the soil for decomposition. Laying a thin layer of carpet over the lawn helps retain moisture. We remove the thatch and last years grass in the spring, and we have the nicest lawn in our neighborhood.
Wow you blow my mind. Even though this video is a year old you open my eyes. I been mowing lawns for a while now and learn so much from this video. That Saint Augustine was kicking my ass and now I know why. I have a small mower and when customers will call me to do their SA it be pretty high so my mower will stop constantly because it hasn't been mow for a month. Now I can educated them and tell them I have to mow every week or every two weeks and I will get a bigger motor. Thanks a lot my friend.
Love the fact that you bring up good cigars and beer/bourbon! Work hard, relax hard!!
I just bought my first home and I'm ready to fully engage in adulting. Just subscribed and I'm looking forward to learning how to dominate the neighborhood.
Finally found what I wanted. Everything I need to know both before purchasing my first lawn mower and how to use it properly like a pro. Thank you bro
"honey, he's got a bunch of lawn mowers but he's trying to turn the blades by hand"
Hahahahahahahahaha
Imagine how weird that’d look
Love the way he says "Oh, crap..." and has to re-gather himself for a moment, just because he drops a few blades of grass on his garage floor!
So took your advice this season on the midweek mow and with fescue I’ve keep my mower deck at the highest level. What a diffrence its made from previous years, the melting out we see here in Louisville is not as drastic as previous. My lawn is thicker and healthier looking I believe do to the three cuts a week. Althought I do see fugus from the humidity and rain I think my lawn is doing well , I am bagging to remove the fungus to minimize the spreading . I thank you for your you common sense approach and years if experience. Scott from Louisville, tall fescue.
I left way too much clumpy cut grass for too long and now I have dead spots. This was informative, thank you! Your lawn looks perfect!
Thank you for making these videos and your lawn looks amazing. I recently sold my condo and bought my first home. I took your advice and purchased a mulching mower and I'm amazed at how there are no clumps left behind. Now I just need to get my lawn as green and soft as yours!
Brother, you are my type of guy! The video was nice and easy to follow, you broke things down plain and simple. I really appreciate that.. I realize now that I’m taking too much off of my clients lawns which is definitely contributing to thatch buildup and browning of the lawns. Going forward, I will only take off 1/3 of the top layer as you suggested.. Thanks Sir, and keep sharing the knowledge👌🏾
I watch Ur vid 24/7 and I love them and I mow my lawn not my mom and I told her every thing about the water and the fert but she said no and are grass hight sucks and I think I'm going to just do it myself and just start to fert and water and mow higher love your vids keep up the great work good luck during the hurricane coming your way praying
he may seem like he is talking too his grass and stroking it! however if i saw The Lawn Care Nut i didnt know or whatch youtube ide think that this guy doe not just take but also gives back his passion soul and love directly into his work and thats why he is a " Cut above the rest".
You rock man! Seriously you do. My girlfriend always made fun of me because i watch all of your videos. Turns out, i catch her looking up at the tv while she's facebooking. She doesn't fool me! Great job buddy! Wished you lived in the northeast
thanks bro!
Did the triple drop yesterday. Seed, starter fert, milo and now it is raining here in Massachusetts. I love the smell of wet milo in the morning, smell like victory.
Marty Bernier are you talking about milorganite? That stuff smells like shit!
@@juelz4516 Its made from shit lol
Hey LCN. As I was loading up my car with 8 bags of Milo (I have a large yard front & back here in NJ), a guy came over & asked me if I like the stuff. So I switched it into my LCN spiel, saying how it's idiot proof, good for the environment, slow release, etc. He said he tried it once and didn't like the results but like my experience, I told him to not give up but also needs to put down a lot. He has well water so I really encouraged him to use it even more! Of course told him to check out your YT channel.
I was also there to check out Toro snowblowers. I'm hanging up my shovel after 2 seasons.. I have a large driveway and I now see why people drop dead shoveling. I'm sure you miss that. Lol!
Tom M - I also have a large lawn, 3 acres, upstate NY. I've never done anything more the mow it regularly but have areas that could be malnutritioned. I'm wondering what you use to spread it?
ChuckD59 I use a relatively small Scotts spreader which I inherited from my Father in law who's property was smaller than mine. I really could use a larger spreader especially since with milorganite, the spreader setting needs to be very high ( large opening). Lots of frequent refills. Don't be afraid to put a lot down.
Throw er down!
Just curious, Tom. What does having well water have to do with throwing down extra milo?
Glad to have a "Mulching Matilda" for our lawn. Even the dog poody breaks down nicely into our backyard. Good inservice.
Congratulations on having such a beautiful lawn! A truly "neighbors nightmare!" 😂
Your lawn is so satisfying to watch being cut. Love the vids, bro. Keep up the great work.
Mulching mower will, over time, cause the clippings to thatch and begin choking airflow from penetrating the soil.
To prevent that, I have a SunJoe scarifier and thatch removal mower. It removes the clogging thatch and scar the ground to let air in.
Sup bruh? Fellow LCN in the PNW here. Own a thatching/aerating company and recommend your channel to all my clients to keep their yards going strong after I'm gone. Hope all is well post-Irma. Have a beer on me.
"That's what she thinks is 4 inches"
SUBSCRIBED
I feel attacked 😂
That's what *I* thought 4 inches was! Turns out those stupid wooden rulers have centimeters on the other side. :(
You know, back when I started "throwing down" Milorganite. I was let down by its seemingly lack luster effect on my lawn. Admittedly I dont "THROWER DOWN!!!!" every three weeks. That being said, once I started regularly watering my lawn ( 3 times a day X 20 minutes, Attempting to grow some grass in MAXIMUM SHADE on a hill no less) I was AMAZED how much difference it made. I chose Pennington's shade mix , the kinda with fertilizer and moisture retainers(fells like peat moss) and thew down some starter fertilizer(10-10-10) and Miloganite in the mix, I have to say I am Majorly impressed in in its ability to grow in the shade. I just bought some more Shade sead from Pennington, and threw it down with some starter fertilizer and some peat moss. I plan to continue watering 3 times and drop some milorganite next weekend. Wanted to see if it springs to life as fast in the grass seed only variant . Will post my results.
Enjoyed your video. A healthy lawn with healthy earthworms and soil bacteria can digest about a half-inch deep bed of fine clippings per week. If you put more clippings down than what nature can digest, then a mat of dead grass will form and get deeper every week and you will have to power rake it often. About the only benefits of this mat of dead grass is that it keeps weed seeds from germinating and crane flies from getting their eggs down into the soil and it keeps the hot sun off the roots and holds in a little moisture. I like your 1/3 rule. But I also like to see cutting twice a week if people are mulching. I like a side-discharge mower to blow the clippings up in the air and let them land naturally. This seems to keep the lawn more level. I prefer the clippings to be less than a half inch long, so that requires two cuttings a week. I am not a fan of most no-discharge mulching mowers because people tend to leave too many long clippings on the lawn and these mowers can simply leave too many clippings period. Better to bag the first (long) cut and then take off only that last half inch for the mulching run. Compost your long clippings and then add the compost back to the lawn or garden when convenient. And do not use too much nitrogen because the lawn will grow too fast requiring even more frequent mowing. Keep the iron and magnesium and trace minerals up to support chlorophyll production but just enough nitrogen to produce good color. This method really does cut down on mowing.
I just bought a house and I'm watching these videos are a great help.
Great video. I've been to Florida a couple of times, and noticed this grass around most of the villas. It's so different to the grass we have here in the UK. If i'm being honest i don't like it, it feels too rough underfoot and not very nice to walk on. Great video on mulching though!
Barry Armstrong as a Floridian, I agree. It’s not nice to walk on like northern grasses, but it does fill in full and looks nice and green when healthy
Just bought a brand new Toro recycler mower and use the mulch setting wow what a difference my lawn looks. No more carrying bags of grass clippings to the curb every week
Good to see the timemaster on your plus sized lawn.
If you ever do this experiment again, it would be interesting to compare clippings with different mower speeds. You mention this, and I’ve found the difference in practice to be substantial. Hard to be disciplined and maintain a slow pace, though!
"If thats what she thinks 4 inches is, right there, we'll take it!" Amen brother! haha
I love that Timemaster by Toro that you are using. Just bought one to replace my 21 inch Honda and I absolutely love it!
No stay with honda
Im an "up norther"...I remember the first time i traveled to FLA as a young adult paying attn to landscapes. I noticed people had ENTIRE yards of "crabgrass". And was like, "wtf?!? These morons are mowing, watering and taking care of it?!?!" I later learned its a desirable variety of grass called St Augustine. Lookin' great Allyn, love the channel!
I once bought a kindle book about a house painter and read the entire flight from Denver to Frankfurt!
I use a low cost mower and it don't mulch very well, the clippings build-up under the deck creating a vibration. I do use a mulching blade and side discharge without any issues. It makes me sick to see people bag their clippings and put them out as trash every week.
Sharp tools for a clean cut. Engine works less blades don’t brown on ends.
Honda twin blade works well, can go back over to super fine mulch.
The Grass Guru has spoken,, no seriously just enjoy your beautiful lawn and have a great day!
"Honey, our neighbor's out measuring his clippings again......."
Yet... you 'folks' spend money on shit you know NOTHING about, mindlessly.......
One by one.
Lol
I use to have a neighbor that would use scissor to get his yard perfectl
Just subbed for the "thats what she thinks 4 inches is" comment. Still laughing even after typing this.
Only time I've had a problem with thatch was when I was a newbie. I didn't have mulching blades so I shot the clippings inward into the yard instead of outward so I would be able to "mulch" or cut the clippings several times. That just led to a lot of clippings in the middle of my lawn and sure enough I got a thatch problem.
I can't get over how tall you have your lawns in the US. Here in New Zealand we tend to cut it to about an inch high. I tried doing it the US way for a few weeks, but all the neighbourhood cats used it as a big open loo (toilet) plus it ended up looking messy after people walked over it. Maybe it's the types of grass we use? Tall or Fine Fescue, Rye, Kentucky Blue Grass, Kikuyu, Couch, New Zealand Browntop, and clover. Or various mixtures of them. Thanks for your video, it's interesting to see how others do it.
"Mom, the weird guys cutting his corn field again..."
That grass is nuts, it’s like a lawn of mini palm fronds 😁
Looks great 👍🏻
Where I live in England (UK) the grass stays on the top of the lawn for weeks in lumpy layers if left there. It also does the same if left on the driveway tarmac. So I guess that being in a hot climate like in the USA, means you benefit from the grass turning to dust etc. Most people here like myself, tend to use electric mowers and those with more time and money use petrol mowers.
Perhaps this is a dumb question, but can you mulch thatch after bringing it to the surface? Would it break down or just compact again? Thank you!
Mike J. I wouldn’t do that, I would have it removed since that is dead grass.
It’s dead grass. It won’t decompose anymore. Remove it
WOW! US grass is thick looking stuff. Good video for the US market. I get Americans griping on my videos about height of cut etc. UK grass is very fine seed mix. Even our broad leaved grasses don't come close.
my one concern about the mulching position is the reduction in suck. it seems to reduce the vacuum draw (lift) on the grass blades. if you are cutting short all the time, this might be ok, but cutting 6" down to 4.5" it can make a difference. I do agree that it decomposes just fine if you only cut off an inch or less at a time.
I'm having a soil sample done for my yard. I'm interested to see what each item that is tested how the micro-nutrients effect the lawn. I watched your previous video about this but it mostly goes into NPK values and Iron only.
You don't go too fast in your movies keep it up your movies look good to me
If you ever revisit this topic, it would be nice to see you do your “clippings on the sidewalk” test twice...once at a relatively quick pace, and once moving very slowly.
Always enjoy your videos, Eventually my lawn will be there. Getting myself ready to seed a new lawn in the back yard, but with temps being over 100 degrees in California I'm very scared I won't have much of a shot. Doing all the soil prep now, LCN you're an inspiration.
Jesse McGill
I saw there's a heatwave in Cali, crazy stuff.
Hey what type of soil prep are you doing? I'm new at this. I laid my Saint Augustine over my previous grass a lot of it took and a lot of it didn't. It was 100 degrees back then in Texas. Should I have tilled it
@@bumpythomas6932 I had an already well established lawn at this point. The only real soil prep I had done was kill off any weeds, used a scarifier to remove some of the thatch off the top of the soil and starter fertilizer. After laying down the sod, I made sure the lawn had a nice long drink, then made sure the soil was always damp for 2-3 weeks.
Depending on how big the dead spots are on your lawn, you could be alright. St. Augustine will grow over those dead spots and eventually fill in. If it's bad you might need new sod. It's all about how well you keep the grass water and fed during the time you lay down new sod.
Can't believe how thick your grass blades are! It's no wonder you need a high cc mower. Here in New Zealand we have fine grass which makes for a finer looking lawn but most of our average mowers are around 150 to 160 cc.
Just want to say I've been watching your videos for weeks and I love them. Thanks for putting them up. I have no idea what I'm doing with my lawn but I've been trying to make it look nicer and your videos are helping. I just seeded a few weeks ago and I'm waiting to do a weed and feed until the 4th mow for the season. Is that a good idea?
When you brushed your hand over the lawn to look for clippings the grass sounds like plastic artificial turf.
New home owner to a 1901 Victorian, and I bought the adjacent lot next to me. (Hey, the dogs need their play/running space too)
I love the stripes! It doesnt take much to outshine my neighbors as they wait until its a hay field before they mow...and no, they dont mulch let alone pick up their multiple clumps of grass. But they're nice enough to blow it into my yard! I have the worse neighbors as they tried to put a trampoline in my yard and then tied out their dogs in my yard. The trampoline has been moved as well as the dogs, but the dogs are still 2-3 feet in my yard. But at night, they let them out to use my yard. They never pick up their trash, but then mows over it and blows that into my yard.
Cops called repeatedly, but nothing...and Landlady does nothing.
North neighbors tried to take over my driveway, and since it was taken from them I get trouble from their kids, friends, and family members. Same landlord.
Thought it was a nice neighborhood.
Glad I found you though!
Alan, great vid! But, not to be critical, but if your mower has those features, they are not “indicators that you may have a mulching mower” - you DO have a mulching mower. Those features are what make a mower a mulcher.
Hi, I like my grass to be 3 inches, is it ok to use a rake machine on a high setting at any time to clear and untangle matted down grass ? Or will this damage the lawn ?
What if you already have a decent amount of thatch and you dont plan on dethatching until fall. Will mulched grass clippings have a hard time getting down to the soil?
Bought the Honda twin blade mower it's awesome... Can really tell the difference between my really cheap mover I bought before and this one
I bag my clippings during spring and early summer to give the roots of the grass room to breathe and spread. After that I switch to mulch until the grass goes dormant
So if you are dealing with a house that is overgrown grass and you are following the 1/3 rule for cutting length, how long would you have to wait before the next cut? For example if I have a 6+ inch grass and wanted to work it down to a 3" height to detach, aerate, fert, etc what step wise approach do I need to do on the cut? Or do I just cut to the needed height and bag it?
Great video as always 👍. So I actually listened to your video, I got the notification of the new video as I was driving to work. I know most of your material is visually based, but listening to it was very enjoyable. Have you ever thought about doing podcasts where you can do some Q&A?
Yes, I will go back and watch the video in its entirety when I get home.
If you mow frequently aka at least weekly thatch is not an issue here in FL. Down here in fl its so hot and so wet that the clipping break down very fast. A little Milo, cut your grass high, mulch those clipping and you will have a great looking lawn in no time.
I have an Ariens self-propelled mower. It came with a gator blade. I always cut closed chute and never had problems. As for this being a mulching mower? It can open chute and bag too. Most newer high end mowers do.
Neighbors calling cops "he's talking to the grass clippings and then looking at the sun so I think has planning something" lol
Throwing that blade in the grass and turning it really puts it in perspective. Like to show that to my neighbor who like to cut his "lawn" down to pretty near bare dirt once every two weeks.
2yrs on, do you still find this to be the same?
After the previous owner left some thick thatch in our Bermuda couch lawn, we have always bagged.
I spoke to the Briggs rep. He said they don't put HP anymore because it was inaccurate and they were sued for it. Basically they make a motor that has 4hp at (I can't remember the numbers but let's say) 5500 rpm so they slap it on a mower and call it a 4hp mower. But the mower has a governor limiting the engine to (say) 2400rpm and the motor isn't making 4hp at 2400rpm. The 4hp mower you bought will only have 2.5hp at full throttle. Just the motor has the capacity to put out 4hp if it were used in a different application where it revved higher.
That's not Grass - it looks like a green cornfield after cutting - tough as nails.
I think I actually saw little chucks of corncob in the closeup shot.
I've read good things on the Toro Recycler. Im a life long Snapper fan myself. I get a grin on my face when its time to mow. How often do you have to mow to keep clippings so minimal??
So something people need to remember in the north about thatch is over the winter a certain amount of the turf has winter kill. And this will seem like you have excessive thatch in a yard best way to keep it from becoming thatch is to mow once the lawn starts to grow and not wait till the lawn “needs” mowed. Seems like every year I have customers that think I am mowing too soon even though if I wait another week the yard mows like a hay field causing excess thatch
DAMM YOU ARE just teasing everyone with your beautiful grass😩😩👍👍👍👌👌
Easiest way to find out if your mower is mulching capable? Read the owner's manual, that's why your mower came with a manual. Many will say 3 in 1, 2 in 1, etc.
Many mowers sold today are capable of doing mulching, but the wrong blade won't work so well. On the other hand having a mulching blade doesn't side discharge or bag as well either...so you may have to swap blades depending on what you need to do.
Lol @ "aww, crap"
I felt this. It never fails that I blow out the garage, then ruin it all when a random blob of grass falls out of the mower.
Aww crap moments.
Did you get rid of the Super Recycler? This is a good video. I've had many people who see me mulching ask me if it will add to the mulch layer if I do so. Also on a side note, that Timemaster seems to cut much better than the World Lawn, especially in terms of mulch and clean cut.
I can't abide direct mulching even if youre cutting a quarter of the blade length. I go through an extra step of composting clippings with dry leaves and use that as a top dressing. Yes, Bacarrat Churchils and yuengling lager for me! I use 21-7-14 for tall fescue here in zone 10a but there's a lot of good in using organic. Gro-Power plus is a good one here in So. Cal.
Funny, I used to have 4 Draft Horses, they were a pulling team. I'd watch them work, then after I'd have them all fed and happy, walking into the garage, I'd see my mower and it said 6.5HP on it. I don't think so....LOL.
Now that I've moved, the lawn and pasture hasn't been kept in about 6 years. While it's a job, (about 7 acres), it is coming back nicely. Now about getting all the poison ivy out...
Smiles!
I mulch all the time. Never had issues. I mow when dry and no more than 1/3 of the blade at a time. Otherwise, I enjoy the side discharge and make a 2nd pass mulching.
I always bag the first cut of the summer, mulch the rest.
My 1st was a craftsman/honda..a friend. Gave me a toro 22inch recycler with side discharge or rear. Bagger.
Hp conversion is 28cc to 1hp.
So 540cc is equal to 19.4hp (roughly)
Anyone else have mowers WAY too big for your property?! I live on .25 acres, much of that land being my house, driveways, workshop etc. I cut with a 48” Z255 John Deere residential zero turn! Still have to break out the 24” pushmower and line trimmer each time. Takes me about 25 minutes start to finish for a fresh cut and complete edge job! I love mowing!
That's some pretty flash lawns you got there here in New Zealand we have diffrent types of lawns but to the point I always mulch
‘...Oh crap...’ lol!!!!!
I hit the like button straight after that!!!!
Made my day!!
Just wanted to say that I thoroughly enjoy your videos. They are relevant, entertaining and addressing the exact questions I have. Thank you for sharing!! Can't wait to dominate my neighbors :D.
I know that it was just a lil joke but I bet if you made a full length asmr video of spinning the blade like that, it would be HELLA POPULAR.
"Too much mulch"... I've been saying that in the late Spring this year.
I like your videos and think that you are a great professional.
Great explanation of mulching.
Keep 'em coming.
On old fashioned reel push mower cuts the best. Scissor like cut on each blade. Looks awesome when done.
Your St Augustine grass looks similar to our Sir Walter Buffalo grass we have around Sydney, Australia which is as broad in the leaf & dense in growth. I am always mulch cutting our grass too, but there are weeds like clover, summer & winter grass I haven't really put much effort into clearing.
I started reading the comments right when the video took off couple of them had me laughing the ones with "honey" but I didn't quite understand them then later in the video he pulls out the tape measure haha I was weak🤣🤣
Now I know why my lawn is so crappy. I'm throwing the blade on the grass and turning it by hand.
Same. Here. I threw it in the grass and it slid about 4 inches.
What do you think of keeping the front of the mower a little higher than the rear? I think it seems to help if my grass is real long and cuts it twice, at different lengths as I walk along.
Bb1100
Think I'll be picking up a Toro Timemaster next year. Can you review it?
Keep the deck set pretty high, and mow regularly=
Healthy grass!
I have always bagged my grass.
I’ve personally always done that because My lawn for the most part is a hill. Higher deck =
Less friction and wear and tear on the mower.
Recently switched from a Honda HRX real wheel drive, to the Toro 22 inch recycler all wheel drive...
Always loved my Honda but want to try out the all wheel drive for my hill.
Along with that, I’ve decided I want to try to use the mulching function because it’s less weight and less work. 10 days in,looking good and working well. Would you recommend bagging every once in a while to keep the thatch down? I’m thinking like every fourth mow?
I know all of these things.. why am I watching this video... Lol great video btw. Very informational. Sharp blades saves on wear and tear on your mowers engine and belt. If you can press hard on the blades edge with a bare finger it's time to sharpen them to a 40 degree angle (ish). And those fins he talked about at the beginning? Put your blade in a vise grip and Use an angle grinder to lightly tap them back a square shape.
I have a Toro recycler, how do you go about sharpening the blade with those little notches. Are you required to sharpen the notches in some sort of fashion with a round file or something like that?
The #1 thing that causes massive thatch buildup is not cutting the grass frequently enough or too much at a time!! My weekly customers only need the yard dethatched every couple of years. My biweekly customers have thatch monster lawns that really need to be dethached at least once a year.