White Tips on Grass

[Connie]

Hi,

Does anyone know what causes white tips on grass. Our mower blade was just sharpened. We just fertilized. Could it be from that?

Thanks

[Tom The Great]

I've heard people complain about blades losing their edge after a few cuttings, if the grass is very wet, or the mower is left outside.

Might want to just check how sharp your blade is.

I remember something told to me, and I do it. I only mow in the afternoon, closer to evening. When a blade is cut, it should have time to heal/seal before full sun again. So don't cut in the morning.

Were you cutting in the morning?

hth,

tom @

[Alan Illeman]

Sounds logical but golf course greenskeepers cut early in the morning prior to a day's play. Can you explain that?

[Slim]

reel mowers that are very well maintained sharpened and backlapped often. not like your typical home owner.

[Tom The Great]

imho:

1. Golf courses have to cater to their customers, so afternoon lawnmowers running over old-guys is bad PR.

1. Golf courses HEAVILY water their grass, so the tips can heal without drying up.

kinda makes sense?

:D

tom

[- Tom -]

Agreed. Reels can be sharpened and adjusted to cut the thinnest and flimsiest of papers, finer than can be cut with many scissors. Rotary mowers usually have blades that are no sharper than the edge of a torn aluminum beer can. Yes, they're going to slide against the grass blade a bit before it finally cuts. I used to operate a National Triplex machine on a football field until a know-nothing supervisor wanted to spend 15k USD on a hydraulically operated rotary mower. The field has never been cut properly since the reel mower has gone.

Tom

[Alan Illeman]

Yeah.. true, I'd forgotten that.

[Chas Hurst]

A band -"The Tubes"- did a number titled "White Punks on Dope". Y'might google them up.