mowing late season new grass


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Old 10-28-19, 05:45 AM
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mowing late season new grass

I planted some late season grass seed a few weeks back. Its grown nicely and is ready for a mow. However, the weather is on the verge of turning cold/freezing this week. We havent had a frost yet but its coming.

Should I mow the grass now and head directly into winter or should I let it stay over winter without mowing?

 
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Old 10-28-19, 09:23 AM
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If it needs cutting do it, cutting prior to frost is not going to make a difference one way or another!
 
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Old 10-28-19, 09:51 AM
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I agree. If the grass needs cutting then mow it.
 
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Old 10-28-19, 01:54 PM
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The grass is new and still fragile... i always assmumed that new grass needed a chance to heal itself after the first mowing
.. i fear it will go dormat and die off instead.
 
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Old 10-28-19, 04:47 PM
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Honestly you are over thinking, grass is no more fragile when new (other than fewer grass plants) or several years old.

All grass goes dormant in the winter or when drought occurred.

There is no "healing" of cut grass, it grows from the bottom unlike a tree or shrub that grows at the tips!
 
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Old 10-28-19, 05:48 PM
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I wouldn't bother mowing. This is because you want newly planted grass to put as much energy as possible into establishing a deep root system for next season. A plant has a limited amount of sunlight-driven growth - at this time of year, you want it to be pushing down roots for water and nutrients. Mowing redirects the energy into healing cut tissue, instead of developing a root system.

if you DO mow, use a NEWLY sharpened blade, or an old fashioned reel mower, this is because you do NOT want to "snag" the plant with a dull blade, because this rips off the delicate side roots that hold the grass in the ground and also provide nutrients and water.

Quick summary of 400 million years of plant evolution
Grasses evolved to co-exist with herbivores, i.e. deer, groundhogs, horses, sheep, etc.

This is why GRASSES grow from their BASE (meristem cells at the bottom) in contrast to trees and shrubs, where new growth is concentrated at the tips. (meristem cells at the distal parts of the plant). ESTABLISHED grasses can be mown, without much problem. They just grow back, bushier and greener; ASSUMING that they have the root system to provide sufficient water and nutrients. However, mowing newly planted grass can break the roots, and the smaller side roots which collect water and nutrients, thus preventing the grass from "coming back".
 
 

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