For serious landscapers, or simply those who have a significant interest in making their lawn as attractive as possible, there are few things more desirable than striping. It’s the effect that dominates baseball and football stadium turf throughout the country, and it’s often the star of the show during any golf matchup. Bringing the effect home isn’t as complicated as it might seem, and the whole process is actually really easy to do with add-on stripers designed for Scag mowers and competing models. So, how is striping made possible and how can even the typical homeowner bring baseball-style lawn designs down to a residential level?
Understanding the Stripe: Three Factors that Determine a Lawn’s Appearance
The important thing to understand about striping is that it isn’t as complex as rumors, urban legends, and perceptions make it seem. There is no need to cut grass to different heights, plant different kinds of grass in side-by-side striped patterns, or pursue anything else that is more complicated than effective when producing a great-looking lawn all year long. Instead, a great striping pattern comes down to three primary factors and processes that determine the final appearance and its endurance.
Direction
Striping comes not from grass height, but from grass direction. The default behavior of any kind of grass is to grow straight up, at least until it gets long enough that it falls over thanks to gravitational pull. When striping is pursued with short grass, the mower is actually pushing that grass toward the viewer or away from them. This is what results in the darker or lighter appearance of stripes at baseball and football stadiums, at country clubs, and probably at a few homes down the street.
Pressure
A bolder striping effect comes from more downward pressure during mowing. Essentially, the intensity of darker or lighter stripes is determined primarily by how significantly bent those blades of grass are. More downward pressure will result in greater contrast between the stripes and the opposite is also true. Often, this can be adjusted based on the mower operator’s taste and personal preference.
Pathways
Since striping is determined by the mower itself, using the help of a striping attachment, the actual pattern produced for public appreciation will depend on how the mower is used to cut the grass. Simple, straightforward stripes are produced by simply walking the mower back and forth and turning it around each time. More complex mowing can result in checkerboard patterns or something that resembles a diamond pattern. In fact, the number of striping patterns and designs is largely endless and entirely up to the mower operator.
Scag’s Tiger Striper: A Look at What it is and How it’s Used
Generally, a homeowner looking to stripe their lawn will require a striping attachment that works with their particular mower model or manufacturer. For Scag owners, that striper is the Tiger Striper. It offers a few unique features that make it among the most convenient and effective attachments on the market when creating an attractive, unique lawn.
Attached to the Back of the Mower
The Tiger Striper is spring-loaded and designed to be attached to the rear of the mower. That means it’s the last piece of the equipment to meet the ground, after all of the wheels and the cutting deck have already passed over the grass. The result is an uninterrupted stripe of a higher overall quality, designed to last longer than a competing option might allow for.
Easy Removal or Lifting to Prevent Striping
Scag’s Tiger Striper attachment is pin-attached, allowing it to be removed from its holder without taking the entire striping mechanism off the back of the mower. That’s good for cleaning or storing the equipment, and also for preventing striping in areas where it’s not needed. Of course, the striper doesn’t have to be fully removed to avoid contact with the ground. The mechanism holding the equipment in place can easily be lifted up or down. When placed all the way up, the striper will make no contact with the lawn. When placed all the way down, it will provide an intense striping effect for bold results.
Durable Rollers Designed to Stand the Test of Time
Finally, Scag’s rollers are designed to stand up to the rigor of everyday mowing, with highly durable oil-lite bushings and an easy attachment process that makes them easy to clean, repair, and replace. Homeowners will find it easy to keep their rollers in great shape, often with little to no effort at all over the long-term. That’s good news for people looking for great results with minimal added effort.
ScagOEMParts.com Can Get Homeowners Started with Striping
With a great selection of OEM parts and striping equipment, ScagOEMParts.com can assist homeowners with finding the right striper and attachments as well as installing and using the equipment throughout the year. Be sure to visit the company’s website to begin the process of turning any home’s lawn into an outdoor attraction.
Image Courtesy: www.freedigitalimages.net and nuttikit