Bermuda Grass Mowing Height
The turf at Indian Palms Country Club during the summer months is hybrid Bermuda. This turf was developed for Sports turf applications which require lower heights. The recommended mowing heights for hybrid Bermuda is 1/2 “ – 1 1/2”. Ideally you should never remove more than 1/3 of the leaf surface when mowing to reduce thatch buildup and promote lateral growth. The higher the mowing height the more thatch develops. If we want a height of 1” then we would mow when the turf reaches 1 ½ inches. In the Coachella Valley during July and August hybrid bermuda can easily grow 1 ½” in a week which means it would need to be mowed 3 times a week to not remove 1/3 of the leaf area. Most high-quality sports turf is mowed multiple times per week. Mowing once a week removes most of the leaf blade, exposing the underlying thatch, resulting in a scalped appearance for a couple of days after mowing. Increasing mowing heights just makes the scalping problem worse by promoting more upright growth and increasing the thatch layer. The grass still will be scalped with each mowing only now at a higher height.
If hybrid bermuda is maintained at heights more than 1 1/2’” there will be an excessive amount of material that will have to be removed in order to lower the turf to ½” in the fall to prepare for overseeding. It is recommended to leave the grass clippings for the health of the turf, however we removing the clippings per customer request.
Al Hollinger
BS Horticulture