Uneven grass

[Steve]

After I mow my lawn, the grass seems to grow back unevenly such that after a couple days, it looks a bit shaggy and unkempt. Part of the problem seems to be that different portions of the grass grow at remarkably different rates. Part of the problem is that all the grass doesn't seem to grow straight up; rather, some of it tends to be matted down so that if I rake it after mowing, portions of it stick up like a bad haircut. Other than this, the lawn is in pretty decent shape.

Any ideas on how I can get my lawn to actually look like I mow it regularly every week (which I do)?

[Larry]

I'd mow one direction and then mow again from the other direction. I'd also see if you can get a 'high lift' blade for your mower.

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[Steve]

Larry, thanks for the info. What does a high lift blade do?

[Larry]

In my case it sucks up leaves better and allows me to mow when the grass is 'wetter' than I could with a regular blade.

In your case I think it will tend to 'lift and separate' (sounds like a cross-your-heart commercial) the grass blades for a more even cut.

(¯`·._.· £ãrrÿ ·._.·´¯)

[Steveo]

Cut it twice a week.

[Dan Hartung]

Grass will grow unevenly no matter what, but it sounds like you may have different patches with different varieties. If you overseed this fall and next, you may be able to get the lawn to have a more even distribution of the different grasses.

Some attention to fertilization and drainage may also help, as may top-dressing. It's possible that parts of the lawn are just not as fertile as parts right next door, and gradually amending the soil could help this. Filling low spots will ensure that they don't collect water (or all your grass seed, or fertilizer), which can affect lawn health.

One thing to try is mowing a little higher. It may be that some of your lawn is stressed and cutting it back means it has a hard time returning to growing at full strength. A higher mowing height will improve the situation.

[Chet Hayes]

It sounds as if the real problem here could be different varieties of grass in different areas of the lawn. If you have a fast, high growing grass like tall fescue in one area, and a lower, slow growing variety in another, it will never look the same. If that is the problem, either overseeding with the faster growing grass, or killing the whole thing and reseeding are the solutions.

[Peter H]

Sounds like creeping bentgrass is infiltrating your lawn. It's a hassle to deal with. Do you live in the northern US or Canada?

Peter H

[Bob]

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My experience is that many mowers do not lift the grass as they cut. Thus, the grass lays over and grows horizontally. You can rake these areas with a metal leaf rake with a circular lifting motion, and stand the grass stems up. Cutting them then will remove the long stem, and a couple months of fall growth should have it looking good again. There are "thatchers" that lift the grass with wire tines, as opposed to the ones that slice the thatch. If you can find one of these to rent, use it to stand the grass up, then mow, to make an easier job of it.Hi lift mowers, such as the snapper, wil produce less of this problem. Regular raking helps a lot. Mowing in different directions helps.

Bob