What Happens When You Mow Grass Paint?

Why Paint Grass If You're Just Going to Mow It Off?

Most people do not paint grass if they're going to mow it off. In fact, most people add color to grass because it is brown, dormant, drought-stricken and/ or not growing. Or, it may be growing some, but is semi-dormant. Therefore, most people are not mowing the lawn after painting grass.

FAQ: What Happens When You Mow a Painted Lawn?

Typically, colorants are used in situations where something has caused the turf to either go off color and/or stunted the growth. Thus, with the reduced vertical growth of the grass, adding a colorant gives optimal results and lasts. 

So, normally, agronomists, home owners, landscapers, golf course superintendents and others turn to turf colorants during drought, heat stress or winter dormancy. In these circumstances, where vertical growth is hindered, colorant remains on the grass for weeks or even months. So, even if they are mowing, they’re not getting any or many clippings.

Longevity of turf colorants, particularly grass paints, is based most on vertical growth. (See the related question: How Long Does Endurant last?)

What If You Do Want to Add Color to Actively Growing Grass?

What If You Do Want to Paint and Mow the Lawn?

You can used colorant in the Endurant Landscape Colorant line that address color for actively growing turf. They’re more applicable in professional settings such as golf courses and sports turf. However, even home owners and landscapers can enjoy the pigments, such as Endurant Turf Enhancer (TE) and hybrid pigment-paint combo, Endurant Flex (FX).

Lawn care companies generally go for the economical staying power of paints versus pigment. Paints can be an effective tool to keep in their tool shed, so to speak. In this case, they may simply apply at lower rates. (but always keep mix ratios at or above the 15:1 mix rate of 15 gallons water to one gallon product or more. See these related topics about application rates and how to paint grass.)

But, if interested, you can enhance the color for actively growing grass, too. Vertical growth of grass does reduce the longevity of colorants. You will be mowing off the color if the grass is growing and you are mowing it.

However, the product will remain unaffected if there is no vertical growth. That's often when colorant is most needed-- when the grass is not growing.  

So, in conclusion, most colorant users will use a paint— but you can use TE or Flex — it just doesn't last that long. The reason why sports field managers and golf course superintendents enjoy pigments and Flex is because they're often spraying the turf weekly or biweekly for other reasons. Thus, it can be easy and economical for them to add colorant, including pigments, such as TE or Flex, to actively growing grass.

If you are using foliar applications, such as foliar nutrition, you can certainly use TE or FX as indicator pigments that will give some added aesthetic appeal during use.