Is it better to mulch grass or to use regular blades and blow the grass out the side chute?

best lawn mower mulching blades image

Jeff M

I own a John Deere Z225 mower with a mulching kit and mulching blades. I mow 6 to 8 lawns a week and lately I've had a lot of problems with the cutting quality. I've had to mow over the grass twice because it's so long and afterwards there are still clumps. Is it better to take off the mulching deck and blow the grass out the side chute of the mower or will this make an even bigger mess? I'm tired of going over the grass twice. Also, if I were to take off the mulching kit, would I put the regular blades on?

Answer
The beauty of mulching is that you don't usually have to do any raking or clean-up. And also you are blasting the chopped up nutrients back into the lawn.
If you are having to go back over the lawn twice, it sounds as if your blades are not sharp enough and maybe you are not mowing often enough.
I always make sure my blades are sharpened - I do it myself - because there is nothing more frustrating than trying to mow with dull blades. I mow 8 lawns and sharpen my blades at least once a week.
I don't mow my lawns once a week ; I mow when needed, weather permitting, and try not to let the grass get ahead of me. Another thing, make sure that the underside of your deck is kept clean. Blow out any accumulated clippings with a hose as often as needed ; preferably when the clippings are still "fresh".
I would never go back to side discharge. Too often you have to rake and dispose of the clippings. This is not only time consuming and a pain in the neck , it also robs the lawn of good nutrients.
If you take off the mulching kit , you can leave the mulching blades on. They work fine.
Hope this helps you out !

Can I sodder a bar to my lawn mower?

Mike

I bought an used lawn mower that has the option of bagging what you mow but it didn't come with a bag. I have a bag from a different lawn mower that would work great if I can attach a metal bar to my mower so the bag has something to keep it in place.

I've tried using JB Weld glue and it holds the bar in place for about 3 times mowing, but then the glue breaks. Wire welding the bar onto the mower would be a great option but I don't have a wire welder and I don't know anyone that does. Could I sodder the bar to the mower?

Answer
Probably not. Like the JB weld, it will not last.

You might try wrapping wire around the joint you're trying to establish, THEN use the JB weld. That way the JB is doing more of a job of keeping the wire wrapping in place while the wire does the job of holding the metal in place. OR make or buy a clamp that can hold the bar in place.

But why not get a mulching blade for your lawn mower? That way you don't have to worry about catching grass and filling up the land fill.

Hope this helps.

'av'a g'day mate.

'')

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how do the shades on the baseball fields come to appear on the grass?

best zoysia lawn mower image

benedict k

i'd like the grass on my yard to look like a baseball field..by using just my push lawn mower how can i make shaded lanes on my yard?

Answer
I just ran across this webpage the other day which will answer your question. Part of the answer is here, but check the source for the web address for the full article and other links.

"The designs are created through a process called lawn striping. To create lawn-striping designs of your own, you only need two pieces of equipment: a lawnmower and a roller. Many professional groundskeepers use old-fashioned reel mowers to cut a stadium's grass. Attached just behind the blades of the mower is a lawn roller that bends the grass down. Some lawnmower manufacturers are beginning to make riding mowers with full-width rollers mounted to the rear of the mower to make this task easier.

Whatever pattern you make is revealed by the light shining off of the bent grass. A checkerboard design is created by passing over the grass in side-by-side rows, first going north to south, then making east-to-west stripes in the grass that intersect the north-south stripes. In this way, you alternate the way the grass bends. When you look at your lawn, the stripes of grass leaning away from you will look lighter. This lighter green is caused by the sunlight reflecting off the entire blade of grass. In the darker green stripes, formed by the blades of grass leaning toward you, the sunlight is reflecting only off the tips of the blades.

Different grasses can be used to accentuate the striping effect, including rye grass, fescue and bluegrass. You won't see such a big contrast between the stripes' colors if you have a warm-season grass, such as Bermuda or zoysia. Watering the grass after mowing can make your pattern stand out even more. "

What happens if my Zoysia grass lawn is cut/ mowed too short?

magast91

My father-in-law was in town last week. He took it upon himself to mow our lawn, but failed to realize our mower has a flat tire. My poor lawn received the punishment. I know Zoysia grass is not supposed to be shorter than 1- 1.5 inches. But none of the information I find actually says what happens if it gets cut too short! Will my lawn die? What's going happen exactly? How long will it take for the grass to grow back and look healthy again? Please, your help is needed.
The current height of the grass is about 1/2 an inch.

Answer
The grass will probably grow back it is pretty persistent. I would say just give it a dose of fertilizer if yo haven't done so this spring and don't worry about it . As long as it is not cut that short on a regular basis it will survive.

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