This year you will likely be fine. When the bermuda comes out of dormancy next spring, the grass in the shade of the oak will not come out. That opens up all that area to some bad boy weeds. Among the weeds to watch for are clover, black medic (looks like clover), dichondra, and horse herb. They are innocuous looking at first, but become prolific. As they spread quickly into the shade-weakened bermuda, they will continue to spread into the dense bermuda shading it out as it goes. By the judicious use of Weed-B-Gone next spring, you can hold off the weeds until the rest of the bermuda comes out. Worst case is if you get crabgrass started in there, but that is unlikely because it is a sun loving plant, too. Dallis grass is another possibility. It has no trouble on the fringe of shade and sun. One thing that we're seeing happen is owners get anxious for their bermuda to come out in the spring. Just about the time the grass is starting to pop, they will drop bermuda seed. Or if they waited long enough to see it pop, they will see a weak spot (like I'm expecting in yours) in a hybrid bermuda and toss some bermuda seed in to build it up. The problem with that is the seeded varieties of bermuda are all common bermuda and not nearly the same quality of grass as the hybrid Tiff grasses. Even the Tif 419 variety of hybrid is not the same quality as your sports model bermuda. In the long run, the only turf grass that will survive under a southern live oak tree is St Augustine.

I have been eyeballing one of these reel mowers since December but had a hard time pulling the trigger to purchase one when my push mower still worked. Well, I just "happeend" to be walking through the Lowes lawnmower dept a week or two ago and spotted it sitting on display - at $190 how could I NOT buy it! :) First of all, let me say that I only have approx 7000sqft of lawn to mow. The front yard is full KBG and the back is a mix of KBG and Tall Fescue. I love having a nice lawn and mowing my yard, but have always had a hard time telling my children "I can't play tonight, daddy has to cut the lawn again and you can't be in the yard when I'm doing it", so this was one of the main reasons I purchased the Fiskars. Here are my bullet points on likes/dislikes so far: LIKES 1. It is very quiet! I goofed around and talked with my children as I mowed the lawn right next to them last night. I now can also cut my lawn when my children are asleep or taking naps. 2. It is no more difficult to push than my "non self propelled" craftsman mower, and may possibly be easier. 3. It cut right through my 4-4.5" high KBG down to 3" without breaking a sweat, and the fine clippings it kicks out just drop into my lawn, unlike my old gas mulcher which tended to clump. The grass in my back yard is extremely dense and thick and really should be mowed every 2-3 days as fast as it grows. The Fiskars cut right through it with only a little more effort than the front lawn. 4. It gives a very nicely groomed and level cut. This style of cutting is also healthier for my grass 5. It is so easy to just brush off and roll into the garage when i am done. Less space needed to store it as well. 6. No gas fumes or exhaust! 7. Love that it cut's up to 4" high. 8. It is fun (at least right now)! I enjoy the looks I am getting from neighbors and cars driving by :) DISLIKES 1. I am 6'5" tall and have had a little bit of trouble getting used to the height/angle of the handle. But, I have this trouble with all sorts of things, so it's just a matter of getting my back and muscles used to the new positioning compared to my old mower. 2. I miss not being able to cut the grass on the "pull back" of the mower. it obviously only cuts when being pushed forward, but this is a small complaint. That's it - I love everything else about it! I'd be happy to answer any questions if you have them.

I just registered here after reading all the posts regarding the fiskars and bermuda at the lower settings. I purchased a fiskars a couple of weeks ago and noticed the chopping look and the grabbing of the grass at the lower settings too. I laid my bermuda 419 in my front yard a couple of months ago and have been trying to keep it at the lowest setting like it was from the sod farm. When the mower does not jam up and stop dead it its tracks I get a rippled look like someone else mentioned earlier. I was going to post a couple of pics but can't seem to figure out how. I have sent an email with pics to fiskars explaining the difficulty with my bermuda and will post a follow up if they can offer a fix. I don't want to have to send it back since I ordered it online and I think it is a nice mower, but if it won't glide through my bermuda, what's the use? Someone mentioned that it needs a roller on the front instead of the two little wheels, what do you mean by that? I also have scott's classic 20" but didn't notice a roller on the front. I have read this explanation somewhere else too, but would like some clarification. Thanks, so far I love the advice given here.

It's bulk soaker hose. I've have poor luck with hoses near 100'. Works better on shorter runs. Make sure you use a pressure regulator. I'm not crazy with the snap on coupling. I use hose repair couplings. I've found the hose made to a specific length (25', 50', etc)are easier to use and come with all fittings installed.