Results of Cylinder mower and PGR use

I’ve always watered, mowed, and generously fertilized my lawns. They looked good, but never quite great. I could never mow as low as I wanted without scalping or creating ugly patches.

That changed when I switched to a reel mower and started using a PGR a couple of months ago. Now, each mow looks much cleaner, I can cut significantly lower without scalping, and overall, my lawn looks better than ever.

Just a heads up about the liberally fertilized idea. Heavy or frequent fertilization can lead to issues, especially with a PGR.

A PGR slows down top growth and shifts growth more towards lateral growth, which can increase thatch production along with root growth. That’s a good thing, but it’s a balance.

Heavy fertilization can limit root growth, boost top growth, and promote more lateral growth and thatch.

When these factors combine, you get a few outcomes:

  • Lots of lateral growth, which leads to increased thatch.
  • Faster leaf turnover, meaning new leaves come up frequently while older ones die off faster. This rapid cycle can create food sources for diseases.
  • Simply put, combining heavy fertilizer with a PGR can cause diseases to emerge quickly and be more destructive.

So, in short, it looks great, just avoid over-fertilizing and overwatering, and keep an eye on thatch and diseases.

@Ridley
Thanks for sharing this thoughtful and helpful advice. I appreciate it

Landry said:
@Ridley
Thanks for sharing this thoughtful and helpful advice. I appreciate it

:hugs:

@Ridley
To clarify, even though I’ve just started using PGRs, I’ve known about them for a long time and have researched it thoroughly.

For the last decade, I’ve worked in agriculture, focusing on agronomy and horticulture, so I have a good handle on the basics of growing. When I mention liberally fertilized, I don’t mean too much; I just monitor things more closely than most people do like soil pH and trace elements.

@Landry
I’m new here. What does PGR mean?

Hadley said:
@Landry
I’m new here. What does PGR mean?

PGR stands for Plant Growth Regulator. It’s a product used on lawns to control growth. PGRs can be natural or synthetic and work by mimicking the hormones that plants use for growth control.

@Landry
Good to hear!

Just keep that warning about quick disease spread in mind when using a PGR. And be aware that herbicide injuries can get worse too. I’m sure you know what you’re doing, but it’s good to highlight the worst-case scenario just in case. It can feel overwhelming if an issue arises while using a PGR. If that happens, the best move is to stop all inputs except water, and consider using a product like Daconil for disease if needed (just be careful if you have kids or pets around).

Also, no need to stress about trace elements too much. Spike aeration can help manage thatch without harming the lawn’s look. Unlike core aeration, it won’t solve compaction, but it does allow oxygen to reach the soil for the grass roots and helpful microbes.

That turf looks amazing. Awesome job!