Hello everyone. This is my first time attempting to grow grass is my backyard. It is very shady and the soil is quite compact. Fast forward, it’s been 2 weeks since I seeded and about a week after I saw some germination. I used of mix of tall fescue, chewing fescue, and perennial ryegrass. I’ve heard to wait 3-4 weeks after germination to let the grass get some roots before mowing, but I’ve also heard to cut it when it gets to around 4 inches or the grass is falling over on itself which is already happening. So now I am conflicted as to when to give it its first cut. I feel it’s too early but the grass has grown quite fast. Also, when should I stop watering multiple times a day?
by Potential_Plankton70
25 Comments
Not yet.
What state?
Wait for 6 inches of growth, don’t more than 1/3 at a time. This is what I did when I planted cold weather grass.
Way too soon. I’d give it another 2 weeks
No one addressed your watering question so i will
Now that its germinated you can slow things down to 2-3 times a week at 6AM, for ~30 min or more depending on tuna can test
This will encourage the grass to put out deeper roots to find more water as the water gets scarcer. That will help the grass become better established and resiliant to traffic.
Fast forward another 3 weeks to a month and you can step it back to one watering at 6AM for ~30 min or more.
Watering at night is problematic because pools of water wont evaporate and itll encouage fungal growth
Watering at midday is problematic because 99% of all the water you put down will evaporate.
Watering at 6AM is the perfect balance. Enough evaporation will occurr during the day that it will discouage disease, but also not so much that what you put down wont be absorbed by grass and soil.
No matter what, avoid excessive pooling.
If the grass is falling over you’re waiting too long. How are you going to cut it if it’s laying flat? I mow new grass to 2.5″ once it gets to 3″. Mowing promotes tillering, which will thicken it and help it mature. I’d back off on the watering, let things dry a bit and mow. Just be careful when turning the mower. If needed, overseed later in the summer/early fall.
Give it another couple of weeks to fill in, longer you can stay off it the better, 3” or taller , make sure your mower is set high
Not even close to mowing. Minimum another 3 weeks
Not yet. Probably at least another full week minimum
Jealous
Not any time soon.
I’d make sure the ground is dry and hit it with my lightest weight push mower on like a 3 or 4 setting. Just because the ground looks kinda wet still and I wouldn’t want to dig it all up.
That’s like a bald man asking the barber what hairstyle he should get.
Stop watering after week 4. Then you can look at maybe once a week. You want to force the grass to grow deep roots which infrequent but length watering does. Daily watering cause short roots.
You can start mowing now. It won’t hurt the grass at all and will promote good lateral growth.
The reason people say to wait to mow is because they don’t want you crushing really tinny new grass blades but ultimately you really won’t hurt it unless you are crushing it with a roller or something like that.
It looks really wet. I’d let it dry out and start bunching, then give it a cut.
Whatever watering you’re doing, just taper off by half that amount every 4 days until you get to your normal watering schedule.
As someone else said, WAIT…. give it another 2-3 weeks. Don’t worry about it “being 4 inches or flopping”, when it’s LONG in a few weeks cut it. Let it get those roots established a little longer
Anyone saying it’s fine to mow now is clueless, don’t listen to them
Cut you’re watering back to 2 times per week but for longer, you want about an inch of rain/watering per week
Looking good, nice start
https://preview.redd.it/cpijpttvhy5f1.jpeg?width=398&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e8bb1956c6e39eb59ef7072e2d2da1c6e1e93e65
Wait a little longer see if it thicken up
Give it 3 cuts at 2″ once it hits 2.5″. After than, it will tiller out and feel free to grow it to whatever height you prefer.
When it looks like a jungle. Wait.
HODLLLL
My KBG is at roughly the same stage (Southern WI). Would you consider fertilizing? It seems to have almost stalled out
TLDR: my experience, cutting tall fescue down does not help promote tillering unless its mature tall fescue. Leave the tall fescue longer so it has more blade length.
I have tall fescue as well. if all the growth is around the same age. I’d wait a bit until it’s 5″. it will allow it to photosynthesize more. To those who say cutting promotes tillering. My experience is not the same. Mowing mature tall fescue promotes tillering. Mowing newly grown tall fescue does not promote tillering. I have seen that in plugs as well as in the soil. I grow my plugs longer now with deeper soil. I used to cut it 4″ but I noticed that it NEVER grew tillers. Also interesting.. i had some tall fescue grown in the flower bed. i just left it.. never cut it. but over the season… it grew tillers on its own.