How to Mow Your Lawn with a Reel Mower - Mowing Tips and Tricks

[@RonHenry]

How to Fix an Ugly Lawn: kzbin.info/www/bejne/amqyiaSOfLOYaJo

[@RonHenry]

Was this useful for you? Let me know!

[@1peradventure]

Ron, wow. Beautiful lawn, beautiful property, beautiful neighborhood.

[@RonHenry]

Thanks so much 1peradventure. I appreciate you watching. Let me know if I can help with anything else.

[@PrincessCutLawnCare]

Hey ron are you in the "Real mowers use Reel mowers" FB group?

[@RonHenry]

I didn't know there was such a thing so no. 😂

[@timborski1210]

Just had a few delivery guys and gals compliment me on my yard. It feels good to put in the effort and see results and hear the comments on it.

[@RonHenry]

That is the best isn’t it Tim? And just think. We’re only getting started this season. 1 month from now it’s going to look even better. 👍😎

[@PacificNorthwestLawns]

Great info Ron 👍🏻

[@RonHenry]

Thanks for watching man.

[@5thg5]

ZOYSIA IS THE KING OF WARM SEASON GRASSES HERE IN THE SOUTH!!! I bet your GRASS ON THAT!!! 😅😂🤣👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽 ANOTHER GREAT INFORMATIVE VIDEO!!!

[@RonHenry]

I can't agree on that one about Zoysia Wize Guy. 👍😎It's all warm season grass though so no love lost. 😂 Thanks for watching sir. 🙏😎

[@5thg5]

@@RonHenry 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽😅🤣😂

[@RonHenry]

@@5thg5 😉

[@dwayne3529]

Your lawn looks amazing.

[@RonHenry]

Thanks Money Bags. Thanks for watching. Appreciate the support.

[@james072492]

Just got a 180sl keep the guides coming I have a big learning curve to conquer

[@RonHenry]

I’ll do my best James! Thanks for watching and congrats on the new mower. 👍😎

[@rcolson74]

Looking good as always Ron! I got a double cut in this morning and now enjoying some sunshine and BBQ! Happy Sunday sir

[@RonHenry]

Nothing like getting the mow done early so you can just enjoy the rest the fresh cut lawn the rest of the day. 👍😎. Thanks for watching

[@Hondasonatta]

Hey brother it's starting to hit the 90's here in Texas is it too late to core aerat should I just wait till fall

[@RonHenry]

Not too late at all. You can still do it. It's early in the season.

[@TexasBroskiActual]

It was toasty in Corpus Christi this weekend. My goodness I am not ready for summer!

[@MurTEL]

Great videos and helpful tips. I am trying to find a Toro GM now, but nearly impossible in Oregon. I am able to get my manual reel mower down to 1" now so I am getting the lawn close to be able to handle short cuts. All of the info you give helps and makes me want to get a powered reel mower more and more.

[@RonHenry]

Glad the content is useful Mur-TEL. Probably more important than finding one locally is making sure there's a shop nearby that can service and repair it. There are options for getting a GM shipped to you but I'd only do that after you've identified there's a place that can handle maintenance. 👍😎

[@MurTEL]

@@RonHenry I will look into a shop locally. Might have to talk to a couple of golf courses. I am pretty handy so I might be able to maintain most of it.

[@RonHenry]

@@MurTEL It's more things like reel grinding. A local golf course should be able to take care of you though.

[@TheLawngineer]

Good tips Ron!! Do you have rotary scissors for the edges? I’ve seen others use them with good success.

[@RonHenry]

Heya Lawngineer. I don’t have rotary scissors as yet. They’re very loud which is what’s kept me from getting one.

[@TheLawngineer]

@@RonHenry LOL! I have heard that they are extremely loud! Like ear-piercing. Look cool though. Expensive too!

[@RonHenry]

Yeah. Very loud, expensive and I already have a way to mow the tight areas of my lawn. 😎

[@PaulJamison]

Nice video Ron!

[@RonHenry]

Thanks Paul! Appreciate you watching.

[@Terry11111]

Your property is lookin great Ron 👍

[@RonHenry]

Thanks Terry. It’s starting to get there slowly. Just need reps to get warmer. Thanks for watching man.

[@lawn2learn]

Happy Weekend Ron 👊🏼🤘🏼

[@RonHenry]

Thanks Lawn 2 Learn. 👊😎

[@juliomartinez8052]

Thank you!!

[@RonHenry]

Very welcome Julio. Let me know if I can help with anything else. Appreciate you watching.

[@juliomartinez8052]

👍

[@RonHenry]

🙏😎

[@sarge8133]

Hope you had a great weekend. Your lawn looks great. I have common Bermuda can I mow it around 1”? Most say 1 1/2.

[@RonHenry]

1 - 1.5" should work well Sarge. I wouldn't go much under that for common Bermuda. It can/will look great at 1 inch if mowed regularly. Thanks for watching sir.

[@sarge8133]

Thank you for all your help

[@jbragg2493]

Great advice. Exactly the way I do it!

[@RonHenry]

Thanks James! Great minds think alike. 👍😎

[@Szdday]

Great tip Ron!

[@RonHenry]

Thanks sir. I appreciate you watching.

[@willward1984]

Hey Ron! Have you ever considered moving because of your sloped front yard? Lol. I know I would have but of course it still looks great. I noticed you took out your trees in front. Nice, no shade and more vanity strip. Great tip on two trim passes (one before and one after). I will start doing the second pass after, because mine looks a little rough too after cut. Question is, the border passes are always the same (even if opposite directions). I have a TruCut with the heavy wheels so how would I avoid ruts caused by the time after time trim passes you think? Thanks as always!

[@RonHenry]

Heya Will. No not really the slope really isn't bad once you get used to it. At this point it wouldn't be a reason for me to use. You can alter the direction and the amount of overlap when making the trim pass. Yep the one of the trees got hit with something so the other one had to go too. Because of the way the weight is distributed with the TruCut, you want to avoid making passes on the same lin each time if you can help it.

[@willward1984]

@@RonHenry Thanks as always Ron. Have a great Saturday night!

[@RonHenry]

@@willward1984 No problem at all Will. Thanks again.

[@danmatlock7922]

Hey Ron, what is your thoughts on bagging clippings? Do you do it or return them to the lawn?

[@RonHenry]

Hi Dan. I don’t bag clippings. I return them to the lawn when I mow. It’s free fertilizer and organic material. I mow often enough that the clippings break down quickly.

[@AndrewDobek04]

Lawn looks amazing at the height your cutting at. Nice to learn about a reel mower on a slope even thought I own a rotary mower and my yard doesn't slope heavily

[@RonHenry]

Thanks Andy! The tips apply to a rotary too. Varying the mowing pattern and mowing diagonally on slopes. Appreciate you watching sir. 🙏😎

[@AndrewDobek04]

Oh 100 percent. In my part of Illinois no yards slope like that but good to know if I ever move into a house with a slope like yours

[@RonHenry]

@@AndrewDobek04 glad it’s useful sir. I imagine that a lot of Illinois is flat so probably not too many sloped lawns to contend with.

[@Striperman]

Totally agree with changing the mowing direction. Especially when using a mower that has a roller for striping. It's the best way to make sure all the blades of grass are getting cut evenly which is exactly what you want when mowing

[@RonHenry]

Most definitely Striperman. Thanks for watching sir.

[@michaelhamer1029]

The pros go diagonally on slopes so we’re definitely on the right track there. Great video as always

[@RonHenry]

Thanks Michael. Appreciate you watching.

[@Marco-uj5fq]

Great points on your front yard. I have the same sort of challenge with the front, but it’s not as bad as yours.

[@RonHenry]

I get enough questions about it that I decided to put a video together Matt G. Thanks for chiming in.

[@howitzercannon2713]

Man you keep coming out with good stuff. How do you do the edging around the house and sidewalks? Could that be a video?

[@RonHenry]

It most definitely can be howitzer. I can do that. No problem at all.

[@howitzercannon2713]

@@RonHenry Cool. I see all these lawn companies just have their hired hands use weed whackers to do the edging. I'd be interested in how to maintain the beautiful edging you have. Many of my issues I struggle with are the edging, and irrigation boxes littered across my lawn.

[@RonHenry]

I use a stick edger howitzer. For me it’s easier to consistently get a good edge with it.

[@glitterglistenglossfloss2530]

Question: is it ok to put Scott’s starter fertilizer + weed (safe for seeding) down after a washout? Explanation: 5000 sq ft regraded all down to soil, seeded, fertilizer w above mentioned and peat moss laid on a slope. Washed out during a downpour within 24 hours. New to actually caring for my lawn and doing my best. Just don’t want to risk burning out the seed. Also, I’m laying burlap over everything this time to hold in place. Seed matting is too expensive at this time since I already have $3500 in this project and it’s a LARGE area. Thanks so much for any responses and thank you Ron Henry for the excellent content and information!!

[@RonHenry]

Heya GlitterGlisten. Sorry to hear you're dealing with a washout issue. If you're going to fertilize, I would use something light like a 12-12-12. I would also avoid putting any herbicides on your lawn. Getting the seed to germinate and establish nicely is more important than any temporary weeds that may arise. Unless the weeds are already present, any herbicide you apply is likely to be less effective unless it's pre-emergent. We definitely don't want to apply pre-emergent when seeding. A good starter fertilizer option is this one. golfcourselawn.store/products/12-12-12-starter-fertilizer-with-3-iron-and-bio-nite%E2%84%A2-granular-lawn-fertilizer Apply at the bag rate of 3 lbs per 1000 square feet. No reason to go heavy. Thanks for watching. Appreciate the support.

[@glitterglistenglossfloss2530]

Thanks so much for your quick, super informative response! So glad I found your channel!! 🙏🔥

[@RonHenry]

Thanks so much for watching. Glad it was helpful.

[@stevewhitaker7545]

On the front section, how has mowing up and down (sidewalk to sidewalk) turned out?

[@RonHenry]

It doesn't work well. The mower tends to tip back every so slightly going up hill and goes downhill too quickly. The cut is uneven. I get the best results from mowing diagonally.

[@stevewhitaker7545]

I figured angles would be best, curiosity was just getting the best of me on the up and down

[@RonHenry]

@@stevewhitaker7545 Yeah the up and down can be a real challenge depending on how steep the slope is. That's my least favorite way to mow for sure.

[@MrMadeinthe80s]

Trying to mow the slope length wise will also have the reel mower slipping down the hill constantly. Its a struggle lol. I also just do diagonals with the occasional up and downs. I really gotta do some leveling too. Put down essential G yesterday ;)

[@RonHenry]

Very cool Mr Made in the 80s. Totally agree that diagonal mowing is the way to go for a great result on a slope. Nice job on getting some ESG down. 👍😎

[@torencesmithsr1387]

My yard is looking sweet with two reel cuts in 3 days. My question is if you cut everyday or every 2 days will that stress the lawn? I notice too on my Mclane the tires in the middle that engage if you let self propelled sometimes slip a little on a slope and rough up the grass. All in all the I love the cut at 1/2 inch. Your yard is sweet. I ordered some essential G.

[@RonHenry]

Nope. Won’t stress the lawn at all as long as the mower is sharp. With the way the McLane is propelled you definitely want to vary the mowing pattern so aren’t making passes over the same area all the time with the propulsion drum.

[@RonHenry]

Thanks for picking up some essential-g. It’s great stuff. Appreciate the support.

[@torencesmithsr1387]

Thanks for the advice. I had a question I emailed you. I’m going to top dress next month and over seed with Arden 15. My question is should I use a 70/30 mix or can I do it with sand? If I do the 70/30 mix I proud w top dress again in July with the sand. I know, a lot of work ahead.

[@randyvelarde7448]

Awesome lawn Ron! What type of Bermuda do u have? And what is ur watering schedule like for the growing season vs the dormant times. Thx

[@RonHenry]

It's Tifway 419 that's been overseeded with Arden 15. The front lawn has been getting water because of an overseeding project. Because we've been getting rain, I haven't needed to water the back lawn much at all. I talk about my watering program and share tips for watering your lawn in this recent video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/boi5ZIR9jciqmLc

[@timbales3652]

What's the solution for changing directions with a smaller yard.Maybe 1000 sf and narrow.

[@RonHenry]

Just mow perpendicular to the direction you mowed last time.

[@mauromarcillo7966]

Nice lawn Ron 👍. Out of topic Q: I have some ruts to fill in. What’s a good mixture of leveling material to use. I have a few bags of carbonized PN and a few 50lbs bags of Lowe’s premium play sand. I plan to do a full top-dressing in June. 🙏 ty sir.

[@RonHenry]

Hi Mauro. A 70 /30 mix should work great. Good blend of organic and leveling. 😎

[@mauromarcillo7966]

@@RonHenry 70 of sand / 30 of Carbinzied PN ? Or the other way around?

[@RonHenry]

70% sand and 30% CarbonizPN or top soil.

[@willward1984]

Hey Ron, how do you get your stripes so straight? I keep mine cut at 5/8 inch and can’t see the lines when I am mowing so it is tough to keep them straight. Is there a better time of day when the sun hits it or mow when grass is a little wet to see them? Thanks!

[@RonHenry]

Hi Will. Laying the first stripe is most important part. I pick a point in the background and just walk towards it. After that, I just try to keep the overlap as consistent as possible between passes. The more you do it, the better you get at it. If you mow in the morning when there's dew on the lawn that does make it easier to lay better stripes. You have a reel mower so there's no issue with mowing when the grass is wet. Just be sure to rinse it off once you're done mowing. Thanks for watching sir. I appreciate it.

[@willward1984]

@@RonHenry Thanks as always Ron!

[@RonHenry]

No problem at all sir. Happy to help out. 😎

[@tjohnson1673]

Hello Ron. Me again. I have empire zoysia grass, and how do you feel abt bagging clippings vs non bagging?

[@RonHenry]

Hi Tim. If you’re mowing frequently (twice per week or more) there’s really no need to bag clippings. Literally the only time I bag clippings is when I scalp the lawn at the start of the season.

[@2shotsofvaca411]

Hey Ron, what’s your height of cut? I think I’m cutting my Bermuda too low at a half inch.

[@RonHenry]

Heya 2shotsofvaca. My mower is set to 495” so just under half inch. The actual height of cut is likely a bit less than that. Figure .45” or so. The lower you’re cutting, the more frequently you’ll need to mow.

[@adamreed1750]

I’ve normally cut my Bermuda at about 3 inches by June or August. You’ll be happy to hear i’m down to 2 inches now. I have a zero turn and theres no way i can cut lower. I’m already cutting twice a week to keep it at 2 inches. Your yard is looking good. I almost passed out when i saw you take the wheels off your wheel mower. What is this sorcery? Lol

[@adamreed1750]

I also rotate my cuts. Usually just rotate clockwise.

[@RonHenry]

Heya Adam. The wheels on the GM are just for transportation. Glad to hear you're down to 2 inches. :-) Baby steps. Eventually you'll tell me you bought a triplex. Thanks for watching sir. 👍😎

[@Phxphenom]

Hi Ron, What are your thoughts around using the grass catcher? My HOC is 1/2" currently and I use my catcher on my GM1000. Be well, Marc

[@RonHenry]

Hi Marc. I don’t catch my clippings. I mow so frequently that now much comes off. It’s free fertilizer that you’re throwing out if you’re catching the clippings each time you mow. Thanks for watching man.

[@tonywilliams49]

I just purchased a greensmaster 1000 set at 5/8 of an inch. I dethatched with my sun Joe, but the lawn is not responding as it did last season.

[@RonHenry]

5/8s is a pretty good height Tony. How is the weather? Is it unusually cooler this year than last? Might also get a soil test done Judy to make sure nothing weird is going on.

[@richardgleason5953]

I understand the double trim pass idea but... those areas may tend to become more compacted over time. This may cause some extra maintenance (such as aeration, topdressing, etc.) to help the turf. Lawn looks great Ron.

[@RonHenry]

Thanks for the feedback Richard. I do tend to aerate at least once per year to help with this but you do make a great point. Also guilty as charged of applying more than my fair share of top dressing. 😂 Always great hearing from you sir. 🙏😎

[@frankgenner782]

So I can find a video on tips to weed wack the parts the reel mower can't reach

[@RonHenry]

Hi Frank. I just end up using a string trimmer for those areas. There are a few spots near the mailbox and the rocks in the back yard where I need use a string trimmer to really clean things up. Hope this helps.

[@eudessantana135]

Thank you for the advices Ron 👍👊 Question: my lawn is not growing much, like im cutting once a week and its a very little cut between each time. Should i still be cutting twice a week, or wait until “growing season “

[@RonHenry]

Heya Eudes. At this time of year, I would still mow twice per week. It's not going to be long before the lawn is growing actively. It won't hurt to get into the routine of mowing a couple times per week early.

[@johnblevins2248]

I work on a golf course and our mow patterns are left to right , right to left, and front to back... Mon, Wed, and Fri....

[@RonHenry]

Very cool John. So you guys change it up each time to prevent issues eh? Glad to know I’m on the right track. Appreciate the feedback sir. 👍😎

[@johnblevins2248]

Your video wise just common sense.... But I know some ppl lack that... Lol

[@RonHenry]

It’s obvious to you because you’re a pro John. A lot of people don’t think to vary their mowing patterns though. 😎

[@1975oldschool]

It’s almost like you made this for me 😉

[@RonHenry]

Glad it's useful Dad who mows low. Thanks for watching sir.

[@JBSpine007]

Can’t you mow the concrete?

[@RonHenry]

Doesn’t work well Jerry. 😂 I’ve done the research.

[@JBSpine007]

@@RonHenry phew! Glad I asked. One less thing to do today 🤪🤪🤪

[@RonHenry]

Savage level 11 Jerry. 😂