In GA, with .25 acre of centipede, I'd say it's about 2 hrs/wk with heavy rain & sun (like recently). Less rain, 2 hrs / 3 wks. Push mower, slow & steady pace

In GA, with .25 acre of centipede, I'd say it's about 2 hrs/wk with heavy rain & sun (like recently). Less rain, 2 hrs / 3 wks. Push mower, slow & steady pace (it grows so thick, I can't just power walk it). Maybe St Augustine is very different from centipede. Mulching seems to be fine if you cut along the rule of third (cut less than 1/3 of the thing at a time). Even side discharge seems ok, especially as you spiral over the discharge, re-mowing it. I used to let it grow out, but thatch became an issue. Which is why raking them up makes sense (or dethatching). Now I cut slightly on the short side, more often, which seems to naturally favor centipede over dandelions almost anywhere there's good sun & water & drainage. Nothing really beats mowed centipede, for me; letting it grow wild invites snakes et al, and paving it would be hot.