[etc02]

When I mow I get areas where the grass just lays down and is not cut. It seems to be mostly where the ground has a small depression or on hills, but I have noticed it on the flat areas. I have a John Deere with a 48 in deck, mow at 3 1/4 inch height. The blades are gators with only 4 hours. They are sharp. Is it the gator blades?

 

[LLigetfa]

Try slowing down the ground speed. There may be a buildup of clippings weighing down the grass.

 

[davidg]

both my L130 and my X500 will do it.

if it is in dips only it is because the deck height changes as the tires go in and out of the dip.

if it does it in other areas it is because of high ground speed, cutting too much grass at once(over 1" being cut off), clogged/dirty deck, dull blades or any combination of the above. if you are cutting 2" or more off the grass you cna crawl along and it won't get anybetter. i found that when i need to cut really long grass it is best to cut with 1/2 the deck and let the other 1/2 cut back over where you jsut went.

and no, the x500 does not do it AS bad as the L130. with the x it does not happen until i am cutting 3-4" or more off the grass. and then only in thick moist grass/weeds.

 

[LLigetfa]

What happens in the dips is that there is an excessive amount of clippings being juggled by the blades and the dip causes a wider gap at the lip of the deck letting in too much air upsetting the juggling act.

 

[etc02]

both my L130 and my X500 will do it.

if it is in dips only it is because the deck height changes as the tires go in and out of the dip.

if it does it in other areas it is because of high ground speed, cutting too much grass at once(over 1" being cut off), clogged/dirty deck, dull blades or any combination of the above. if you are cutting 2" or more off the grass you cna crawl along and it won't get anybetter. i found that when i need to cut really long grass it is best to cut with 1/2 the deck and let the other 1/2 cut back over where you jsut went.

and no, the x500 does not do it AS bad as the L130. with the x it does not happen until i am cutting 3-4" or more off the grass. and then only in thick moist grass/weeds.

I cut twice a week, but I probably cut 1 1/2 to 2 inches a time (I need to cut down on my irrigation time and/or fertilizer). It is strange because the grass looks like it is being blown down flat. When I make another pass, it still stays down. Day or two later I have stripes and spots of uncut grass. Should I try different blades?

 

[LLigetfa]

Ja, it sounds like the clippings are weighing down the grass. Are you cutting at max RPM? Do you side discharge or mulch?

 

[etc02]

Ja, it sounds like the clippings are weighing down the grass. Are you cutting at max RPM? Do you side discharge or mulch?

Yeah, max RPM, it never bogs. I use gator mulching blades, so the clippings are small, with side discharge. What is the cure for heavy clippings? I am already mowing 2X a week!

 

[davidg]

typical Deere 3 blade cut issue. i had the same problem with my L130 and i never did resolve it. the deck is blowing the grass flat due to the build up of clippings underneath changing the air flow. i could scrape, cut 2-3 passes and scrape again, but that was just not worth it! gators are actually WORSE for long grass, at least on a Deere 48" deck. they hold the clippings underneath longer and this adds to the problem.

if you are cutting 2" of grass off 2x a week you need to quit fertilizing!

 

[etc02]

typical Deere 3 blade cut issue. i had the same problem with my L130 and i never did resolve it. the deck is blowing the grass flat due to the build up of clippings underneath changing the air flow. i could scrape, cut 2-3 passes and scrape again, but that was just not worth it! gators are actually WORSE for long grass, at least on a Deere 48" deck. they hold the clippings underneath longer and this adds to the problem.

if you are cutting 2" of grass off 2x a week you need to quit fertilizing!

I wish I knew about the Deere 3 blade cutting problems before I bought it. Its not too bad, hope it doesn't get worse.

I water 20 minutes a day, 6 days a week and fertilize once a month, whether it needs it or not. Guaranteed to keep it green.

 

[davidg]

dude, i hope that 20 minutes a day is not the same zone! 1" of water per zone 1x a week for good deep roots. too frequent water and you get shallow roots and a possibility of mold. how often you fertilize depends on the type of grass and soil conditions. around here we usually fertilize 1x every 3 months.

another thing that will help is to change your direction of travel. since you cut 2x a week, simply go clockwise one day and the next time go counter clockwise. this way if the grass had laid over pointing north when you come along heading south it will stand back up and get cut.

it sounds like you have a small yard, so why not try teh cut with 1/2 the deck i mentioned earlier. the first pass is a full deck width pass, btu after that only 1/2 is in uncut grass.

 

[etc02]

dude, i hope that 20 minutes a day is not the same zone! 1" of water per zone 1x a week for good deep roots. too frequent water and you get shallow roots and a possibility of mold. how often you fertilize depends on the type of grass and soil conditions. around here we usually fertilize 1x every 3 months.

another thing that will help is to change your direction of travel. since you cut 2x a week, simply go clockwise one day and the next time go counter clockwise. this way if the grass had laid over pointing north when you come along heading south it will stand back up and get cut.

it sounds like you have a small yard, so why not try teh cut with 1/2 the deck i mentioned earlier. the first pass is a full deck width pass, btu after that only 1/2 is in uncut grass.

20 minutes for one zone, but just the front yard. Backyard gets 10 minutes. I wish I could deep water but all I get is puddles and sponge. Our friendly neighborhood developer stripped off all the back dirt and laid the sod right on clay. Grass roots can't grow in, all superficial. I will try reverse direction and 1/2 deck.
Thanks!

 

[davidg]

yeah, i know how it goes with clay! the thing is clay will hold water for longer so once it gets saturated you can actually wait a few more days before watering again. you just have to get past the puddles that can stay there a while! once fall rains hit us, my clay yard will have some areas that get 3-6" deep in water and will stay that way until near about summer.

one solution is to topdress with organic amendments or even just plain old sand. it eventually will mix in the clay and bring it close to loam in consistency. do not add sand to red clay though, that will make it worse. this is just an idea for a long term plan, so you may want to look into it if you plan on being there a while.

 

[WVdeerehunter]

Etc,

What I would do is aerate your lawn this
fall (Sept., Oct.). This will help break up
your clay and allow water to penetrate.
Do this every year.

You're also over fertilizing. Once every 3
months is more than enough.

Make sure it's moist ground before you aerate
like after a rain or after you water. Also don't
pick up the plugs. The thatch layer that is in
the plugs will eventually break up and help your
clay. You could also top dress with some manure
or soil after you aerate, this will also help.

1" of water per week is all your lawn needs.

Later
Steve

 

[etc02]

typical Deere 3 blade cut issue. i had the same problem with my L130 and i never did resolve it. the deck is blowing the grass flat due to the build up of clippings underneath changing the air flow. i could scrape, cut 2-3 passes and scrape again, but that was just not worth it! gators are actually WORSE for long grass, at least on a Deere 48" deck. they hold the clippings underneath longer and this adds to the problem.

if you are cutting 2" of grass off 2x a week you need to quit fertilizing!

davidg,
I have been studying this and notice the 48" deck seems to leave an uncut strip in the middle, where the center blade is. It only occurs when the mower is turning, both left and right. Is this the same issue that you have with your 130?