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If you are wondering what are anti scalping wheels are good for, what they do… If you wonder if you need them on your mower and what the heck is scalping anyway… If you have wondered why after mowing you get brown, dead-looking patches in your lawn… then this message is just for you. Here’s why…
Cutting your lawn down to low is called scalping which is bad.
The use of anti-scalping wheels will help to control the height of your cutting deck, give you a more even mow keeping the height set at your choice and stop you from scalping the lawn giving it the dead look.
First of let me explain a bit about lawn scalping and why you need to avoid scalping your lawn.
What Is Scalping a Lawn?
In a nutshell, lawn scalping is cutting your grass way to low and causing the stems of your grass exposed to the elements. Basically you are cutting the base of the blade rather than the tips.
By cutting your lawn so low, this dramatically reduces the growth of your lawn, reduces the amount of energy the roots receive, and this makes your lawn weak and more susceptible to stress, insects and disease.
So try not to scalp your lawns unintentionally
What are anti scalping wheels
Anti-scalp wheels are mainly used on higher-end ride-on mowers and most zero-turns. They help you to control the height of the cutting deck on uneven and rough terrain.
What do anti scalp wheels do
They help stop the deck making contact to the ground when you are going over high spots in your lawn.
This then prevents the cutting deck bottoming out, and the blades cutting the lawn at ground level “scalping” another word.
This can range from large clumps of grass area size of your deck to little tops, depending on how up and down your lawn is.
Depending on your mower, some offer anti-scalping deck wheels as a standard item where others have it as an added extra up-sell. Most should have the provisions so that you can mount aftermarket or genuine scalping wheels for your model and mower
If you are looking for a new mower that has anti scalping wheels make sure to check out our 8 Best Riding Lawn Mowers Reviewed, plus Buyers Guide article here.
Best Mowing Practices
Because scalping causes damage to your lawn, stick to a regular mowing routine if possible. Try to mow your lawn on a weekly basis or when possible.
In the spring you may find you might need to mow more than that in a week. This is when your grass will really start to kick off and grow.
You could if want to cut your first spring cut bit lower than you normally would, but don’t scalp it tho or you will be going backward with the growth.
How High Should You Set Your Mower Blades
This depends on the grass you have. Each variety has different recommended cut heights.
Grass Type
Several grass species have different suggested mower blade heights. Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), for instance, can be cut with the blade set within 1 1/2 inches to 3 inches.
Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) should be cut at 1/2 inch or lower.
The variations are the result of differing plant structures.
Some lawns have more extensive stem structures over others.
Cutting these types of lawns too short removes much of the grass blade which is the key part of photosynthesis.
Grass Height
The height of your grass now also plays a role.
To prevent potential damage to your lawn, try to not cut any more than one-third of its height during any mowing session.
If you have long grass and you want to get it to a lower even height, this may take you a few cuts to bring it down to the height you want.
By decreasing the height by one-third during the first session and then lowering the blade and mowing again two or three days later.
You won’t cause any stress to your lawn nor allow it to be acceptable to diseases and most of all NO scalping.
Wrap Up
So there you have it. Now you know what are anti scalping wheels are for and what they do. Happy mowing and be safe