Scalping has several rather negative connotations, but the art of scalping your lawn is entirely different!

Scalping doesn’t sound positive…

Scalping your lawn just means that at the end of winter, you lower the blade on your mower and give your grass a really good cut. It won’t look pretty, but it serves a great purpose. 

Just think of it like good skin care. You are “exfoliating” all of the tough, dead “skin” that has built up over the cold winter. 

Scalping is preparing your lawn for the spring sun and new growth that is lurking just under the soil. In technology terms, it’s a reboot for your lawn.

What happens when you scalp?

When you mow down low, just one inch from the ground, you are removing the accumulation of winter that can cause thatch. Once you have mowed down to the stalk more light can get to your grass. More light on your grass means warmer soil. 

All of this adds up to stronger grass that turns green earlier. Your healthy lawn is just waiting underneath!

Is now the time?

Almost! If you scalp too early, your tender grass stems will be exposed to extreme cold. The best time for scalping in our region is middle to late February. 

Scalp after the last big freeze. If you wait until your grass has already started growing, scalping will only cause your grass stress. Stressed out grass means slower growing grass.

What kinds of grasses can be scalped?

Scalping works best on warm-season grasses like Bermuda and Zoysia. Never scalp Centipede, St. Augustine, or cool-season grasses like fescue.

Quick tips for scalping your lawn:

• Sharpen the blades on your lawnmower. Dull blades damage grass and expose it to diseases.
• Wait until your lawn is pretty dry, mud covered grass stems don’t get enough sunlight.
• Bag up your clippings from scalping! Debris left on your lawn is basically an “undoing” of the scalping.

Your lawn is a large part of your home investment. We can help you keep that part of your investment looking its’ best. You can easily spot our uniformed employees in their white Lawn and Pest Solutions trucks. Contact us here to get a quote on your lawn, you can text, email or call us just by clicking this link. We serve the North Mississippi and Memphis,Tennessee areas.

Scalping your lawn sounds a little dramatic for what is really just a good spring “haircut” for your lawn at the end of winter. What IS scalping my lawn?

A scalping cut

Scalping your lawn just means that you are removing the top layer of dormant (not dead) grass at the end of winter. Removing this layer allows for your lawn to warm up as the spring weather arrives. Warmer soil allows for grass to green up faster!

How low do I go?

According to our own #askpaul … you can mow as low as you feel comfortable. As long as you don’t mow all the way down to the dirt, you are good! When dealing with Bermuda and Zoysia in our region of the South, you are pretty safe to mow low. Don’t forget to bag your clippings!

When is the best time to scalp my lawn? 

Wait until the last of the sub-freezing temperatures to pass. If you scalp too early, your tender grass stems will be exposed to extreme cold. The best time for scalping in our region is middle to late February. 

Think of scalping your lawn like good skin care. You are removing all of the tough layers of thatch that have built up over the cold winter. Scalping is preparing your lawn for the spring sun and new growth that is lurking just under the soil. 

Less thatch means more light on the grass. More light means warmer soil. Warmer soil means stronger grass that greens earlier!

Your healthy lawn is just waiting underneath! 

Scalping your lawn is just one part of having a beautiful lawn. Keeping your lawn beautiful is a year round job and we are here to help. Your lawn and landscape are a huge part of the investment of your home. Our certified lawn technicians serve North Mississippi and the Memphis, Tennessee areas. You can easily spot our licensed and trained employees in their Lawn and Pest Solutions trucks. Contact us here to get a quote on your lawn. We are available 24/7 by messaging us on our website, texting, or emailing us. You can always call Lawn and Pest Solutions just by clicking this link. 

Here are some quick tips for scalping your lawn:

• Sharpen the blades on your lawnmower. Dull blades damage grass and expose it to diseases.

• Scalp when your lawn is pretty dry. Mud covered grass stems don’t get enough sunlight.

• Bag up your clippings from scalping. Debris left on your lawn is basically an undoing of the scalping.

• Don’t forget to use the clippings in your compost pile.

Scalping your lawn is just one part of having a beautiful lawn. Keeping your lawn beautiful is a year round job and we are here to help. Your lawn and landscape are a huge part of the investment of your home. Our certified lawn technicians serve North Mississippi and the Memphis, Tennessee areas. You can easily spot our licensed and trained employees in their Lawn and Pest Solutions trucks.

Learn more about the #lpsdifference and contact us here to get a quote on your lawn. We are available 24/7 by messaging us on our website, texting, or emailing us. You can always call Lawn and Pest Solutions just by clicking this link. 

“The art of scalping” seems a little dramatic for what is really just a good “haircut” for your lawn at the end of winter. Some may remember learning about scalping in history class. Others may have learned that scalping involves an expensive ticket to a big event bought from a less than scrupulous character outside the venue.

Ticket scalping is a prevalent undercover activity that has strong ties to the upcoming Super Bowl this Sunday. NFL coaches and players are even known to get involved. Yard scalping on the other hand, is a good thing. 

What IS scalping my lawn?

Scalping your lawn just means that at the end of winter, you lower the blade on your mower and give your grass a really good cut. It won’t look pretty, but it serves a great purpose. Just think of it like good skin care. You are removing all of the tough, dead “skin” that has built up over the cold winter. Scalping is preparing your lawn for the spring sun and new growth that is lurking just under the soil. 

Scalping is a reboot for your lawn

When you mow down low, just one inch from the ground, you are removing the accumulation of winter that can cause thatch. Once you have mowed down to the stalk more light can get to your grass. More light on your grass means warmer soil. All of this adds up to stronger grass that turns green earlier. Your healthy lawn is just waiting underneath!

Should I scalp my lawn now?

Timing is everything with lawn scalping. Wait until the last of the sub-freezing temperatures to pass. If you scalp too early, your tender grass stems will be exposed to extreme cold. The best time for scalping in our region is middle to late February. 

Again, timing is critical. Don’t wait too late to scalp. If you wait too late and your grass has already started growing, scalping will only cause your grass stress. Stressed out grass means slower growing grass.

What types of grasses need scalping?

Scalping works best on warm-season grasses like Bermuda and Zoysia. Never scalp Centipede, St. Augustine, or cool-season grasses like fescue.

Quick tips for scalping your lawn:

Sharpen the blades on your lawnmower, dull blades damages grass and exposes it to diseases

Scalp when your lawn is pretty dry, mud covered grass stems don’t get enough sunlight

Bag up your clippings from scalping, debris left on your lawn is basically an undoing of the scalping

Don’t forget to use the clippings in your compost pile

As we say here almost every week, having a beautiful lawn is a year round job and we are here to help. Your lawn is part of the investment of your home and we can help you keep that part of your investment looking its’ best. Our certified lawn technicians serve Mississippi and Tennessee. You can easily spot our uniformed employees in their white Lawn and Pest Solutions trucks. Contact us here to get a quote on your lawn, you can text, email or call us just by clicking this link.