A good rule of thumb to follow is to lightly verticut once a week during the growing season and as needed throughout the rest of the year. You can use your verticutting machine frequently to ensure the thatch has been removed fully and maximize the benefits.
Full Answer
What is verticutting on a golf course?
One activity that golf courses undertake on greens is a process called “Verticutting”. This may also be called “Vertical Mowing”. Unlike regular greens mowing, where the blades are horizontal to the putting surface, verticut blades are vertical to the greens.
How often should you verticut your golf course?
Gus Nelson, CGCS, at San Clemente (Calif.) Municipal Golf Course, verticuts several times a year depending on the growth of the turfgrass, but mainly it’s during the growth cycles of spring and fall. Johnson verticuts every 10 days to two weeks and follows that with regular mowing and rolling.
Do you need to dethatch when verticutting?
David Ramirez, Ariens Co. manager of product training, says a light, frequent verticutting will provide enough venting to alleviate the need for superintendents and maintenance crews to dethatch. The key word, though, is frequent. “If you wait too long, then the need for dethatching is necessary,” Ramirez explains.
What is verticutting of Greens?
In conclusion, verticutting of greens is a time-tested practice that encourages plant growth, dense turf and smoother greens. If you have any questions about verticutting or any other maintenance topic, please contact your Golf Course Superintendent.
How often do golf courses Verticut?
“The general rule of thumb is to verticut as often as recovery and improved turf health are noted,” he says. “I do it every 10 days in some areas of the course, but it might be wise to limit verticutting to two or three times a year in other areas.”
When should I Verticut?
When: The best time to verticut your lawn is during the turf's growing season. If your lawn is a warm-season turf, such as Zoysia grass or Bermudagrass, verticut in late spring or early summer. Dethatch your cool-season turf, such as Kentucky bluegrass, in early spring or early fall.
How often should you Verticut?
You can use the cartridge every two to four weeks or so from April to September to keep on top of thatch and lateral lying grasses. Start with the cartridge on setting four and gradually lower- the cartridge should not be penetrating the soil as it will damage your blades.
Is dethatching the same as Verticutting?
The primary difference is that the verticut is just going to lightly tickle the soil down below, while dethatching will aggressively dig into the root system and pull out thatch.
Should you Verticut every year?
We recommend verticutting services for your lawn once a year in the spring or summer, to remove thatch before the growing season. Certain types of grass in our area such as zoysia and bermudagrass need to be verticut annually each summer.
Should you Verticut and aerate at the same time?
Aeration is best done in the fall but can also be done in the spring. Never aerate and overseed. We at Hometown Lawn, suggest an alternating annual schedule of verticut and overseed one year, then aerate the next. I would never suggest doing both at the same time.
When should I dethatch my lawn?
The best time to dethatch your lawn is when it's actively growing and the soil is moderately moist. For cool-season grasses, that's early spring or early fall. For warm-season grasses, dethatch in late spring through early summer (after the second mowing). That's when your grass is growing most vigorously.
How deep should you Verticut?
The depth of the blades is typically adjusted 1/64-inch to 1/8-inch below the effective cutting height so that the blades penetrate the turf canopy. The goal is to thin the turf canopy while maintaining a proper balance of leaf growth and turf density.
What height should a Verticut be?
2-3mmDesigned to work 2-3mm above the soil surface, not impacting it. Many groundsperson, alternate directions of verticutting and also go against the grain, so up the lines you come down when cutting as they believe you get better results.
What is the purpose of Verticutting?
In essence, Verticutting is the process of removing the thatch buildup that is on the lawn, allowing the turf to breathe better. It allows the grass to absorb nutrients and moisture more efficiently. It does this by ensuring that all the moisture is absorbed by the fresh, young blades of grass instead of the thatch.
What is the difference between Verticutting and scarifying?
Verticutting also called vertical mowing is a refinement of scarifying, in that it is less aggressive. The blades are finer and are not designed to penetrate as deep as those on a scarifier. Verticutters have more blades (than a scarifier), with the spacings being closer together to leave a finer finish on the lawn.
Should you Verticut Bermuda grass?
You should verticut warm-season grasses like Bahia, Bermuda, centipede, and zoysia grass in the spring after new growth appears. Cold season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue, and tall fescue grasses in the fall.
What is thatch in golf greens?
Essentially, maintaining a good turf greatly looks into reducing and maintaining a good level of thatch. Thatch refers to the layer of organic matter that is accumulated below ...
What happens when you reduce thatch in your soil?
When the thatch within the soil profile is reduced, the locked-up nitrogen can start to release, and the greens can then commence self-feeding. This self-feeding would mean a reduction in nitrogen inputs, and a small cost saving can be made.
How does aeration help with thatch?
By getting air into the thatch, soil life would be increased and this, in turn, would help break the thatch down .
What is compost de thatcher?
The Compost De-Thatcher is a high-quality fertiliser made of a unique blend of slow-releasing nitrogen, naturally occurring soil digesting microbes, and powerful enzymes that work in breaking down components of organic matter in thatch . These elements work together to break down the high ratio of lignin and cellulose fibres in turfs. Additionally, the specific microbes formulated into the Compost De-Thatcher produce significant quantities of protease and cellulase that digest protein found in thatch and other organic compounds. Bacillus is also among the beneficial bacteria which produces cellulase, amylases, lipases, xylanases, and pectinases. They aid in breaking down organic matter into valuable nutrients. The right fertiliser can maintain the right amount of thatch, keeping your overall golf course healthy. Interested to know more about how the Compost De-Thatcher can benefit your golf course? Please contact Putra Fajar ([email protected]) for more details.
How does footprinting affect golf?
Footprinting on the golf course might even be more noticeable, thereby causing unevenness on the ground. Moreover, excessive thatch and organic matter will affect the growth of grass there. It will cause the greens to be saturated in the upper root-zone, reducing oxygen uptake and causing root decline. In other words, it will affect the firmness of ...
Why do you aerate grass?
It is done when the soil beneath the surface of the greens has become compact, which could suffocate the grass roots. In other words, aeration is essential to break the thatch layer on your turf. This will aid the movement of important nutrients within the thatch and soil zones, while also creating deeper root systems.
What are the main contributors to thatch?
One of the main contributors to thatch is shoot and stem growth. To ensure that stem growth is not excessive, nitrogen inputs can be evaluated to decide on the delivery of nutrients in a much more controlled manner.
What is verticutting used for?
Verticutting can be used to control graining, remove thatch, prepare for seeding, cultivate the soil or disperse core materials following aerification, says Anthony Williams, CGCS, at Stone Mountain (Ga.) Golf Club. Also, verticutting is useful on courses that have newer turfgrass varieties that might tend to form thatch quicker than traditional ...
What is the best weapon for a golf course superintendent?
But one of the best weapons superintendents have in their arsenal is verticutting, a process that has gained popularity and now is common throughout the country for all types of turfgrass.
Is verticutting good for turfgrass?
The long-term benefits of verticutting are considerable. “My goal, in terms of turfgrass health and playability, is customer satisfaction,” Phipps says. “If the greens are healthy and smooth, then my job becomes much easier.”. Haines believes verticutting improves mowing quality, which, in turn, improves ball roll and speed.
Do superintendents topdress greens?
Most superintendents will topdress greens and water heavily following verticutting. One of the benefits of verticutting, unlike aeration, is that the process has little impact on the playing surface, which is crucial to maintain to keep customers happy.
Can you verticut in severe weather?
The frequency of verticutting and the time of year the practice is done can vary according to weather conditions and grass type. Superintendents should consider the turf type they have carefully and avoid stress periods or being too aggressive with depths of cuts at times when recovery would be slow, Haines says. Superintendents should avoid any practice that will stress turf in severe weather, such as prolonged periods of heat or dry conditions. This will avoid making turf more susceptible to disease.
What is verticutting greens?
In conclusion, verticutting of greens is a time-tested practice that encourages plant growth, dense turf and smoother greens.
What is the process of making a green putt true?
Making our greens putt true. One activity that golf courses undertake on greens is a process called “Verticutting”. This may also be called “Vertical Mowing”. Unlike regular greens mowing, where the blades are horizontal to the putting surface, verticut blades are vertical to the greens.
Do verticut blades break up stolons?
The blades then break up the stolons of the plant, allowing the plant to produce more leaves for a denser turf. Older, dying leaf material is pulled up, giving room for new leaves. Also, the effects of “grain” are reduced. Occasionally, verticut blades are set lower when thatch removal is desired.
What is Verticutting?
Vertical mowing, or verticutting, is the process of mowing turf using a mower fitted with a reel that has short blades on it. The blades cut vertically through the turf canopy to thin it without compromising the leaf growth or turf density.
Benefits of Verticutting
Verticutting digs deeper than aerators and helps remove excess thatch and organic material around the plant’s crown area.
Verticutting Best Practices
Most sports fields benefit from annual verticut treatment. The ideal frequency largely depends on the weather and the type and condition of the grass. Some golf courses lightly verticut as frequently as once a week during the growing season.
