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in the southern United States because of its excellent quality , stress tolerances , and rapid growth rate . However , bermudagrass can produce excessive thatch — a layer of living and dead plant material that forms between the green turfgrass shoots and the soil surface .
At moderate depths (< 0.5-inch ), thatch protects turfgrass crowns from traffic , moderates soil temperatures , and provides cushioning for falling athletes . However , turfgrass health and aesthetics , as well as soil physical properties ( how fields behave ) are compromised when thatch exceeds 0.5-inch depth . Excessive thatch reduces
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quality and soil physical properties , which can last for weeks to months . However , these effects and duration can be manipulated . Beginning in May 2016 , several studies were conducted to evaluate the influences of fraise mowing . Several of these studies were conducted on athletic fields in the piedmont region of North Carolina .
Fraise mowing produces an unsightly ( often bare ground ) surface for ≥3 weeks until bermudagrass recovers .
This downtime decreases facility revenues , and should be as short as possible . Fraise mowing timing is imperative to limit this downtime . Bermudagrass does not begin aggressively
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drought tolerance , increases localized dry spot potential , and slows water , air , fertilizer and pesticide movement into |
Aggressive fraise mowing . Be aware that there is very little to no green grass on the field following fraise mowing . Photo provided by Ray McCauley , Ph . D . |
growing until daytime and nighttime air temperatures exceed 85 ° F and 65 ° F , respectively , for more than one week . If |
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the soil . Excess thatch also increases the likelihood of winterkill and spring dead spot .
Sports field managers often employ various cultural practices to manage thatch . Topdressing — the broadcasting of a thin layer of sand or soil across the field — is the best cultural practice for controlling thatch accumulation ( Beard , 1973 ; Miller , 2008 ). To be effective , though , topdressing must be performed multiple times annually . If thatch levels become excessive , topdressing alone becomes ineffective . Instead , mechanical practices must be used . These practices are often laborious , expensive and disruptive of turfgrass quality . Hollow-tine aerification and vertical mowing have been the standard mechanical practices used to manage thatch . Although their aggressiveness may be adjusted , neither aerification nor vertical mowing impacts the entire surface , and multiple years of both are often necessary to effectively manage thatch .
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fraise mowing is performed too early in the growing season , the cooler temperatures will slow bermudagrass recovery .
This was evident in North Carolina when slower recovery occurred following fraise mowing at 0.5-inch depth in mid
May ( 6 weeks recovery ) compared to mid June ( 4 weeks recovery ). Caution should be exercised when fraise mowing in the late summer , as well . Bermudagrass goes off-color / dormant after the first killing frost , but its growth typically slows well before ( ≥1 month ) this date . If bermudagrass is fraise mowed too late ( and too aggressively ) in the late summer , bermudagrass decline or death , as well as increased winter weed pressure may result ( Stewart et al ., 2016 ). Therefore , give your bermudagrass fields ample time to recover by timing fraise mowing in the late spring to mid-summer .
The old adage “ garbage in , garbage-out ” holds true with fraise mowing . If a field has poor coverage before fraise mowing , bermudagrass will not spontaneously appear
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after fraise mowing . Instead , bare areas will persist . If bare | |||
FRAISE MOWING Fraise mowing is a highly disruptive mechanical practice that is not for the faint of heart . It enables sports field managers to ( potentially ) remove all thatch without the added time and expenses of gradual thatch reduction . Like other cultural prac- |
areas ( without any stolons or rhizomes ) > 1 foot in diameter are present after fraise mowing , they should be sprigged , plugged or sodded to speed up recovery .
Fraise mowing depth has a profound effect on bermudagrass recovery . Bermudagrass recovers from growing
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