This newer model is not built
for St. Augustine grasses
The original Verticutter worked
very well in St. Augustine grasses.
Sadly it died.
The first Verticutter built for St. Augustine grasses (SuperCLEAN)
Oct. 15th will be the debut of this new machine (SuperCLEAN). About 5 months ago, the idea came to me too build a Verticutter capable of cutting any lawn. Personally I have never seen a Verticutter built for St. Augustine grasses.
With a shop full of landscape equipment, we needed very few outside parts, except a new motor for the walk-behind. Also luck has it my neighbor a automotive repair shop, has years of experience building race cars and all the tools to cut and weld my project.
We are slowly working out the bugs, and then off to it's first real St. Augustine test. The beauty of this machine will be:
More than double the HP of the original machines
Much better maneuverability
Able to fit threw most gates
A 4 speed gearbox
With the wide rear tires, there will be no slippage in thick, wet grasses.
Much more speed for ball fields
A much more efficient cut
The ultimate goal is a more efficient Verticutting, and the best removal of thatch possible. To open the soil for better movement of water, fertilizers and pesticides.
Regardless, of where you live Verticutting will improve any lawn, and make mowing much easier.
Verticutting, when done properly should not damage your lawn.
With today's news that Burger King may buy Tim Hortons, and move it's business to Canada, for huge tax breaks, creates big news. This news brought me back to discussions with Albert. The discussion was about a 'Liquid Tax Shelter Program', many years ago.
You may ask who is Albert? I will say, only this, Albert came before Google, Albert came before iphone, Albert came before Bit Coin.
This program is just in the planning stages, also if Burger King had this 'Liquid Tax Shelter' they would not have to leave for tax reasons.
If any one knows about 'Liquid Tax Shelters' please let me know your thoughts?
There are so many different types of grasses, and every type of grass will benefit from Verticutting. Benefits:
Thinning
Aeration
Removal of thatch
Decreasing the density
Decreases compacting
Improving the movement of water into the soil
Allows fertilizers and pesticides to penetrate the surface better, reaching the root system, encouraging deeper root growth
Prepares a lawn for over-seeding, not St. Augustine grasses
Improves mowing, especially in St. Augustine grasses
In the first photo, you will see this Ryan Verticutter does a beautiful job on this Bermuda soccer field.
Pictures 2 & 3 show excellent results on St. Augustine, because they were kept mowed low. But the Ryan Verticutter was never designed for St. Augustine grasses with 4-6 inches of layering, top growth.
Truthfully, I have never seen a Verticutter designed for St. Augustine grasses.
In photos 5 & 6, you see lawns that have so much top growth/layering, it is difficult to get the best result, and should be Verticutt twice that first year.
At the bottom of the page our original Ryan died, sadly parts are no longer available. ( Please offer a moment of silence for this wonderful machine )
With over 30 years and hundreds of all kinds of lawns Verticutt, this year 2014, I decided to put forth a new program? This includes building a much better, and more efficient and more powerful Verticutter (looking for a name). Honestly the old Ryan had to be modified just so it could handle St. Augustine grasses. While improving the quality of each lawn is the goal, this is exactly why building a new Verticutter is necessary.
While the Ryan Verticutter with small wheels struggles on a wet lawn ( from rain, sprinklers or morning dew, the operator works much harder and does not always attain the best result. So in Oct. we will debut the new, faster, stronger, Verticutter to achieve a much healthier lawn. Plus we don't damage your lawn!
Starting this season, we hope to reach more customers weeks in advance of the actual Verticutting. With their help, we will be-able complete most of the goals listed at the top of this page, more efficiently. Our goal a beautiful clean healthier lawn.
Important a power rake is not a Verticutter
See blog: What is thatch? Why a Power rake is a waste of time.
Our customer training program
So how do we get our lawn ready? We train our lawn?
Because of the new Verti-cutter we can cut year around.
This year we going to make a efforts to help improve the Verticutting experience?
First we want the lawn as dry as possible for Verticutting. Sprinklers should be turned off 3 days before Verticutting.
Sprinklers cleaned around, grass mowed, sprinklers off 3 days before. Running the system to mark sprinklers, must not be done with-in 3 days.
My goal will be to reach the customer early enough so they are able to start lowering the mower 1/4 or so at each mowing, or even mow more often to bring the grass down to 2.5 or 3 inches.
A good combination of less Nitrogen fertilizer, less water, and cutting back that excessive top growth, will prepare the lawn for the best possible Verticutting.
To help maintain perfect health, all lawns should be Verticutt yearly, some twice the first year.
When lawns are Verticutt yearly, and kept mowed at around 3" they will require less water, besides being much easier to maintain.
York Landscape: Winner of 4 City of St. Petersburg, City Beautification Awards
Save or earn $25 with referrals, for jobs completed
When you have your lawn Verticutt, you are helping keep my free youth speaking program free. At: www.youthspeakingtoamerica.com, please see why this program is so important.
York 727 455 7337 york.ysta@gmail.com Blog: www.verticutting.blogspot.com
Among the greatest nemeses of a lush lawn is thatch, a layer of dead, organic debris that develops between the blades of grass and the soil surface. While contractors commonly turn to power raking to tackle thatch, Pinellas Park, Fla.-based York Landscape takes the high road with its verticutting service, removing thatch and excessive top growth from turf using a machine to slice rows into the ground for new seed to drop in. Owner York Somerville has been verticutting for about 30 years, and says he’s seen only a sliver of the Green Industry adopt the add-on, too.
“Customers don’t understand what it is or what it does,” says Somerville, who first learned the practice in Long Island, N.Y., where he used a verticutter for overseeding lawns. “It’s something golf courses do all the time, but it’s not as common for residential landscape.”
The buildup of thatch can occur on many turf varieties, but it’s especially prevalent in creeping-type grasses like St. Augustinegrass, which Somerville often maintains. Thatch accumulation can increase disease and insect problems, cause watering issues and create an undesirable “spongy” feel to the grass, among other complications.
Compared to power raking, Somerville chooses verticutting because it opens up the soil so well.
“Contrary to popular belief, and even information you may find on the Internet, a power rake will not remove thatch,” he says. “It only will remove surface debris. The best way to remove thatch is by investing in a verticutter.”
Getting started
Somerville notes some verticutters simply make cuts into the ground while others (overseeders) make cuts and drop seed. He operates a machine that doesn’t distribute seed. Those in the South may have trouble finding a suitable machine, he says.
“The verticutters seem to be built for Bermudagrass or grasses you find up North,” he says. “I’d been using a machine that was more than 30 years old and it just recently broke. I bought two newer ones but had to modify them to work on St. Augustine.”
York Landscape puts a two-man crew on its residential verticutting duties for the four months out of the year it offers the service (typically two months in the spring and two months in the summer). “Larger commercial sites certainly could use verticutting and you’d need a bigger crew,” Somerville says.
You can’t do much damage to a lawn with a verticutter, he says, but there are some hazards to look out for.
“You just need to be careful to always mark your sprinklers and be prepared to fix one if you break it,” Somerville says, adding that’s a practice most maintenance companies likely are already familiar with.
Somerville prices his verticutting jobs based on the size of the lawn. In other areas, companies will give consideration to weather variances and whether their verticutting involves seeding. Although he didn’t disclose financials from the add-on service, Somerville says it’s proven to be popular among clients and a bit of a revenue booster for the company.
Even so, York Landscape doesn’t heavily market verticutting outside of its mention on the company website and through upsells to existing customers.
“You don’t need to be a wonderful salesman to pitch this,” Somerville says. “It’s one of those things that can have a pretty dramatic effect on how a lawn looks and that’s always an easy sell to people who are already investing in their lawn.”
In addition to being a sure way to remove thatch and thin a lawn, Somerville says verticutting also allows a lawn to breathe, stimulates new growth, aerates and prepares it for seeding. “Verticutting is important to all types of grasses because all lawns create thatch,” he says. “It’s really a no-brainer.”
Company: York LandscapeLocation: Pinellas Park, Fla.Service: VerticuttingWhy: It’s the best way to remove thatch, Somerville says, which is a huge problem in his region.Biggest Challenge: Finding equipment. “I have yet to find a piece of equipment built to work well on St. Augustinegrass,” he says. “I’ve always had to make modifications.”Best Tip: “Look for the best machine you can find,” Somerville says. “If you’re in a region where St. Augustine is not your primary grass, you shouldn’t have an issue with finding a piece of equipment that works great on your lawns.”
Photo: Schiller Grounds Care
We are building a better more versatile verticutter for the fall 2014 season york.ysta@gmail.com
There are so many different types of grasses, and every type will benefit from Verticutting. Benefits:
Thinning
Aeration
Removal of thatch
Decreasing the density
Improving the movement of water into the soil
Allows pesticides to penetrate the surface better
Prepares a lawn for over-seeding
Improves mowing,especially with St. Augustine grasses
Some grasses like Bermuda and Zoysia are quite dense and should be Verticutt more often.
A very interesting fact about Bahia grasses, is Verticutting will double it's growth. Bahia grass has rhizomes that grow on the surface and when you split the rhizome, it's reproduces. Just be sure the lawn has no Mole-crickets. The problem with Bahia, as in the photo, when the areas die, only weeds or weedy grasses will grow back, unless you verticutt. Remember a power-rake is not a Verticutter.
St. Augustine grasses offer very different problems from other grasses, those who have experienced the lush thick and dense St. Augustine lawn can really struggle in the growing season, with mowing.
Here in Central Florida and anywhere St. Augustine grasses grow, it seems in the last 5 years, the lawns are out of control, with excessive layering.
Reasons:
Over-watering, and reclaimed water, it adds more nutrients.
Over fertilizing.
Excessive top growth, the grass grows on top of it-self, making mowing very difficult with home-owner type mowers.
Occasionally, we run across the perfect St. Augustine lawn, meaning it's mowing height is around 2.5 inches, not 4 inches.
So how do we solve this problem, we train our lawn?
First we want the lawn as dry as possible for Verticutting.
Our Verticutting season here is the middle of Oct. to maybe middle of Dec. Spring Feb. 15th to May 15th.
This year we going to make a effort to educate the customer?
My goal will be to reach the customer early enough so they are able to start lowering the mower 1/4 or so at each mowing, or even mow more often to bring the grass down to 2.5 or 3 inches.
A good combination of less Nitrogen fertilizer, less water, and cutting back that excessive top growth, will prepare the lawn for the best possible Verticutting.
To help maintain perfect health, all lawns should be Verticutt yearly, some twice the first year.
The goal is to reduce the number of stolons on leaf blades that grow laterally, says Ron Wright, certified superintendent at The Country Club of Mobile (Ala.)."Every time a plant grows new shoots, it takes energy," Wright says. "If you cut off some of the lateral plant growth, it forces the plant to use that energy elsewhere. The plant will use the excess energy to grow upward, creating a more upright and dense stand of turf." There are myriad benefits to verticutting, which has also fueled its popularity. Jeff Buchko, a product manager for Jacobsen, says more university researchers have concluded that verticutting is a cultural practice that's critical to turf care. Turf that is verticut can withstand the threat of disease and harsh weather better. Simply put, verticutting stimulates growth.Not only does verticutting remove thatch, which is a breeding ground for turf disease, but it also provides channels to allow moisture and oxygen to get into the rootzone, says Tony F.
What Causes Thatch?
Although thatch forms naturally, some situations promote rapid thatch formation:
Over fertilizing with too much nitrogen
Over watering
Always mowing too high
Certain grasses tend to form thicker thatch layers. Creeping turf types that spread by above- and underground stems often rapidly form thatch; this includes St. Augustine grass, Bermuda grass and zoysia grass. Cool-season grasses, such as bent grass and aggressive Kentucky bluegrass varieties, also can quickly form thatch, especially if soil is compacted and turf hasn't been properly fertilized for a few years.
If you use a mulching mower and leave grass clippings on the lawn, that does not lead to thatch formation. Those are healthy practices that can help prevent thatch formation. Typically grass clippings decompose readily. Thatch arises from grass stems and roots in the top inches of soil that die and don’t fully decompose.
This spring, one Sat. we traveled 110 miles one way for two verticutting jobs. In this beautiful place Maitland, Florida, we found a 8,000 sq. ft. Zoysia lawn, and a 6,000 sq. ft St. Augustine lawn. Exquisite lawns, cared for by owners who care. They control the mowing, fertilizing and irrigation.
Rarely do you find a St. Augustine lawn, that is kept mowed at 2.5 inches. 90% of the St. Augustine lawns we verticutt are 4" above the sidewalk after mowing.
The thatch is on the surface and top inch of the soil
A while back in a speech I gave about verticutting, I told this true story. It was Sat. morning, John set out to mow his lush St. Augustine yard. After mowing, it was so peaceful, with the wife and kids of to the park. John decided to take a nap under a big oak. With that 4 inches of top growth and a mat of
thatch
thatch, John fell fast asleep. Then he thought he was dreaming, when he heard a voice " i'm dying, i'm dying" verticutt me, verticutt me, his lawn was crying out! The moral of the story 'train your lawn'.
In conversation with the gentlemen in Maitland, he explained how he trained his lawn, by just mowing it down a little each week. But the secret is just not more then a 1/4 inch at a time, and the drier the better. Start here in Florida in early fall, or in the winter season. This will get it ready for fall or spring verticutting.
Reasons for verticutting:
Help remove the thatch
Thin the top growth
Prepare lawns for seed
Thin the runners, cut the rizomes
In some grasses like Bahia, cutting the rizomes will double it's density
Aerates the lawn
Improves the lawns ability to take-up water, fertilizer and pesticides
Regular verticutting stimulates branching and tightens the turf
If you have any more questions, see all the posts here. Than ask why are golf courses verticutt multiple times a year?
Factors favorable to thatch development include excessive growth and conditions unfavorable to the microorganisms that decompose decaying plant parts. Rapid and excessive growth is likely to produce a heavy thatch because plant material is being produced more rapidly than it can be decomposed.
Grass clippings from mowing do not contribute to thatch. However, once a thatch layer has developed, clippings may speed its formation.
Thatch buildup varies among lawns. Moderate to aggressively spreading species such as Kentucky bluegrass, zoysiagrass and bermudagrass have greater potential for thatch buildup than turf-type tall fescue and perennial ryegrass. Some lawns never develop a thatch layer, and others become thatch-bound within a few years after being established. The best lawn grasses are those that constantly reproduce new plants to renew the lawn. As old plants age and die, they decompose into fine-textured humus that becomes a part of the surface soil.
When about 1/2 inch of thatch develops in bluegrass, remove it before the grass is damaged. Thatch is best removed by power raking, verticutting or coring with a machine that may be hired or rented. Coring causes less lawn stress than dethatching with a power rake or vertical mower and provides the additional benefit of reducing soil compaction.
The best lawn grasses are those that constantly reproduce new plants to renew the lawn.
The goal is to reduce the number of stolons on leaf blades that grow laterally, says Ron Wright, certified superintendent at The Country Club of Mobile (Ala.)."Every time a plant grows new shoots, it takes energy," Wright says. "If you cut off some of the lateral plant growth, it forces the plant to use that energy elsewhere. The plant will use the excess energy to grow upward, creating a more upright and dense stand of turf." There are myriad benefits to verticutting, which has also fueled its popularity. Jeff Buchko, a product manager for Jacobsen, says more university researchers have concluded that verticutting is a cultural practice that's critical to turf care. Turf that is verticut can withstand the threat of disease and harsh weather better. Simply put, verticutting stimulates growth.Not only does verticutting remove thatch, which is a breeding ground for turf disease, but it also provides channels to allow moisture and oxygen to get into the rootzone, says Tony F. while
As I search and read around the internet, I find articles from University Horticultural programs on thatching, many are recommending power raking?
I have to ask these questions?
What does a power rake do? Yes it beats the surface, making a big mess. Cleaning off access surface debris only.
How does that remove thatch? Some one please tell me?
If the thatch is present in the top inch of the soil, how can a rake remove it? This machine does not penetrate the surface?
Never put a power rake on St. Augustine, unless you want to carry away the lawn!
Don't waste your time using a power rake.
Like many plants, grass has a below ground root system topped by a living, above ground shoot that’s green and growing. In between lies a layer known as thatch. Some thatch is natural and good for a lawn, but too much can usher in problems.
Comprised of leaves, stems and roots – some living, some dead – thatch forms as a natural part of turf’s growing process. It lies on top of the soil, a tightly woven layer beneath the visible grass blades. As long as it doesn’t get thicker than 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch, thatch actually contributes to lawn health in these ways:
Mulching soil and slowing water loss
Cushioning soil and decreasing compaction
Insulating grass crowns from soil temperature swings
Improving turf tolerance to foot and mower traffic
A problem arises when thatch develops into a thicker layer and forms a wedge between grass and soil. Too-thick thatch diminishes lawn health by:
Forming an impervious layer that prevents water, fertilizer, and insect or disease controls from reaching soil
Blocking sunlight from reaching lower grass blades
Holding moisture against grass blades, which can foster disease
Blocking soil so that grass roots grow into nutrient-lacking thatch, which forms a shallow-rooted lawn
Creating an uneven lawn, which leads to uneven mowing and scalping
What Causes Thatch?
Although thatch forms naturally, some situations promote rapid thatch formation:
Over fertilizing with too much nitrogen
Over watering
Always mowing too high
Certain grasses tend to form thicker thatch layers. Creeping turf types that spread by above- and underground stems often rapidly form thatch; this includes St. Augustine grass, Bermuda grass and zoysia grass. Cool-season grasses, such as bent grass and aggressive Kentucky bluegrass varieties, also can quickly form thatch, especially if soil is compacted and turf hasn't been properly fertilized for a few years.
If you use a mulching mower and leave grass clippings on the lawn, that does not lead to thatch formation. Those are healthy practices that can help prevent thatch formation. Typically grass clippings decompose readily. Thatch arises from grass stems and roots in the top inches of soil that die and don’t fully decompose. http://www.bayeradvanced.com/
If you live in the north
and don't have St. Augustine
Verticutting is so easy.
Perfect when certain controls are followed
Perfect when cut every year
30 Days until Verticutting? Most of the country will still be frozen in February, but not here in central Florida. We don't own ice scrapers or snow shovels? One time we did endure 1" of snow! eke
Thatch:
Thatch is defined as an intermingled layer of dead and living shoots, stems, and roots that develops between the zone of green vegetation and the soil surface. Thatch consists of a loosely interwoven collection of plant matter that leaves the turf feeling spongy or puffy. When excessive (1 inch or more), thatch causes serious problems in all lawns. Thatch is not caused by grass clippings. Also insects love living there. If you Verticutt they will be homeless?
This machine verticut the top two , but not the lawn on the left without modification.
This style Verticutter is used on golf courses (photo below), this blade spacing will destroy a St. Augustine lawn.
Why is Verticuting important to all types of grasses? Because all lawns create thatch. Read below what the experts say about thatch! ( photo below ). Then my thought's on the environmental impact of Verticutting.
Thatch:
Thatch is defined as an intermingled layer of dead and living shoots, stems, and roots that develops between the zone of green vegetation and the soil surface. Thatch consists of a loosely interwoven collection of plant matter that leaves the turf feeling spongy or puffy (Figure 1). When excessive (1 inch or more), thatch causes serious problems in lawns. Thatch is not caused by grass clippings.
Grasses like Bermuda and Zoysia, will benfit from Verticuting twice a year. See what golf course superintendents do and why?
Promote growth (Turfgrass maintenance) FEATURES - FEATURE, TURFGRASS
Done at the right time, verticutting improves turfgrass health.
Golf course superintendents have no magic bullet at their disposal for their ongoing battle to maintain the best turfgrass conditions possible. 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.
Verticutting is the thinning of turfgrass by blades or wire tines that cut perpendicularly to the soil in a shallow swath or a deep cut. Both methods can promote lateral and vertical grass growth. Yet, a deeper cut removes more material to allow moisture and oxygen to reach the root zone more easily.
“In this area, verticutting is fairly common,” says Tom Johnson, golf course superintendent of New Richmond (Wis.) Golf Club. “I’ve been doing it regularly for about 15 years, and I’ve seen good results in the overall health and quality of our greens. People on the green committee comment if we miss verticutting for one reason or the other.”
Verticutting is an important turf management tool to reduce thatch, says Tim Haines, golf course superintendent at Binks Forest Golf Club in Wellington, Fla., a KemperSports-managed facility. Thatch ties up chemicals and reduces efficacy, making it difficult to move water into the soil profile. Verticutting helps alleviate those problems, Haines says.
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 varieties.
“Today’s ultradwarf Bermudas and new varieties of bents seem to produce more thatch,” Haines says. “Thus, the frequency of verticutting should be increased. With fairways that have bentgrass and Bermudagrass, thatch is also an issue. I will verticut a couple of times a season on both types of grasses.”
David Phipps, golf course superintendent at Stone Creek Golf Club in Oregon City, Ore., says many of the new bentgrasses, like the As and Gs and Ts, are extremely aggressive and require a lot of cultivation. Heavy verticutting can be used in conjunction with light topdressing to help incorporate sand into the surface.
“I verticut my greens to enhance a more vertical growth habit,” he says. “Regular verticutting stimulates branching and tightens the turf.”A388
Always remember blade spacing is critical to your overall goal. If you use the same spacing for Bermuda on St.Augustine, you will destroy that lawn.
Is it just for fall reseeding? Or spring clean-up, maybe seeding.
Will Verticutting have an impact on CO2 levels?
See the complete article: http://goo.gl/Vut2wB
How soil health, economical land use, and how modern agricultural practices affect our environment.
For example, did you know that our modern agricultural system is responsible for putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than the actual burning of fossil fuels? Understanding this reveals an obvious answer to pressing global problems.
There are only three places for carbon to go: land, air and water. Our agricultural practices have removed massive amounts of valuable carbon from land, transferring it into air and water. By paying greater attention to carbon management, we have the opportunity to make a dramatic difference in this area, which is having major negative consequences to our agriculture, and the pollution of our water and air.
As explained by Judy, early this past summer, concentrations of atmospheric CO2 crossed the 400 parts per million-threshold—the highest it's been in thousands of years. According to an organization called 350.org, scientists believe our CO2 levels need to be around 350 parts per million in order to maintain favorable living conditions on earth.
Carbon management is a critical aspect of environmental health and the growing of food.
That said, CO2 levels are not constantly or continuously rising in a straight line. The level rises and falls, and this is a clue to what's going on.
"Depending on the season, depending on how much photosynthesis is happening, it dips down, and then goes up again," Judy explains. "When we've got a lot of plants, as we get towards the warmer part of the year, more photosynthesis is happening, and the CO2 levels drop slightly.
That's so important to know, because photosynthesis is key to what we're talking about.
When I talk about bringing carbon back into the soil, I'm talking about supporting and stimulating the process of photosynthesis – in other words, growing more plants. Those plants then take in the CO2. They make carbon compounds. Those carbon compounds are drawn down, and they go into the soil."
Sequestering carbon in the Earth's soils is a good thing. There's actually more carbon in our world soils than in all plants, including trees, and the atmosphere together. However, due to modern agricultural methods, we've lost between 50 and 80 percent of the carbon that used to be in the soil... This means there's plenty of "room" to put it back in.
"It's useful to understand that the notion of bringing carbon back into the soil, one thing that it does is withdraw carbon down from the atmosphere. That's hugely important," Judy says.
"Carbon is the main component of soil organic matter. That's the good stuff that you want in soil anyway for fertility. It also absorbs water. When you have carbon-rich soil, you also have soil that is resilient to floods and drought. When you start looking at soil carbon, the news keeps getting better and better."
Does Verticutting stimulate the process of photosynthesis?
In Florida we have Bahia grass, now mostly used along road ways, fields etc. Before St. Augustine, it was the dominant grass in Florida. Important; Bahia, is deep rooted and requires much less water that other southern grasses. It should be fertilized only spring and fall. In central and south Florida, it may grow 4-6 inches every week in the summer months. If you control the Mole Cricket, it can be a beautiful lawn.
.
Many years ago we power-raked Bahia lawns, before st. Augustine became popular.. It was a big production, a big show. You had to have a big truck to haul and the stuff you power-raked. A power -rake is a machine that may look like a Verticutter, but it's just a glorified hand rake. Then we Verticutt a Bahia lawn, 30 days later it was like some miracle happened, we had improved density by 50%, with less than half the work.
What happened? With out knowing we opened the lawns up for better breathing, cut the rhizomes, helped eliminate thatch, while aerating. Also cleaning away excess debris. All this allows the lawn toallow moisture, pesticides, fertilizer and oxygen to reach the root zone more easily. And stimulated the process of photosynthesis. See the list of grasses below, they all can benefit from Verticutting.
So will Verticutting have an impact on CO2 levels, your pocket book, while doing your part to save the environment?
Yes! Some final thoughts.
Fall clean-up and re-seeding, allow enough time before frost. Blade spacing 2-4"
Spring clean-up & seeding.
Bermuda & Zoysia, better when the weather is warmer. Blade spacing 2-3"
St. Augustine grasses; personally I am not aware of any Verticutter that was designed to Verticutt these grasses. My machines are modified. See my original blog: What is Verticutting?
Personally I know only one person with St. Augustine Verticutting experience. That's because we share the same machines, for over 20 years. I believe all the grasses listed below can be Verticutt with much success.
But you will destroy a St. Augustine lawn without the proper machine and lots of experience.
If you have pictures and experience, lets share.
The Lawn Grasses
There are four ways to plant a new lawn: seed, sod, sprigs, plugs. Seed is the traditional way, and has the advantage of relatively low cost. If you're planting a large area seed is probably the way to go. Over the last three decades of so, turfgrass sod has become widely available. Somewhere, somehow, most grasses are available as sod. Sod is a good choice when the planting area is smaller, or where time or resources to nurse a seedbed until germination. Think of sprigs and plugs as pieces of sod: they're essentially the same as sod, but divided into smaller units. Plugs are actually small squares of sod, and sprigs are pieces of mature lawn grass that can form roots and grow. There are a few lawn grasses, such as hybrid Bermuda, St. Augustine, and some zoysia varieties, that are available only as sod, plugs, or sprigs. For a basic introduction to lawns, see "Lawns 101." Here are brief descriptions of the different kinds of lawn grasses. The kinds that you can plant as seed include bahia, bent, Bermuda, blue grama, buffalo, centipede, fescue (all kinds), bluegrass, ryegrass (both annual and perennial), and some zoysias. Bahia grass(Paspalum notatum) isa tough, coarse grass that is popular in the Southeast as a low maintenance and generally low quality lawn. It is drought and shade tolerant, but requires frequent mowing. Improved varieties such as 'Pensacola' are more cold-tolerant and somewhat more attractive. Seashore paspalum (P. vaginatum) has a fine-textured leaf blade, but is most notable for its tolerance of salty soil and water. Bent grass, creeping(Agrostis stolonifera) is a fine-textured perennial grass that forms a soft, tightly-knit turf. A favorite for golf course putting greens in northern regions. Top varieties include 'Penneagle', 'Penncross', and 'Seaside'. Bermuda grass(Cynodon dactylon) is the most important lawn grass of the Sun Belt. It has all the essential characteristics a lawn needs for those regions—heat and drought tolerance primarily. The very aggressiveness of Bermuda is also it's key disadvantage. When creeping Bermuda invades flower beds and ground cover, it's called "devil grass" by frustrated gardeners. Bermuda grass is tough and fast growing enough to be one of the most popular grasses for sports fields. It's good for pet owners for the same reasons: damage from whatever cause will repair quickly. Bermuda tolerates little shade and will thin quickly in shade; and it becomes dormant and brown through cool seasons. There are many varieties of Bermuda grass. Common Bermuda or "Arizona common" is widely available. It's a relatively coarse-bladed form. Medium textured varieties available as seed include 'Cheyenne', 'Guymon', 'Jackpot', 'NuMex Sahara', 'Sonesta', 'Sundevil', 'U3', and 'Yuma'. The softest and finest blade Bermuda—the kinds used for southern and tropical golf greens—are hybrids that are available as sod only. These include 'Tifgreen', 'Tiflawn', 'Tifway'. Blue grama grass(Bouteloua gracilis) is a North American native grass that is well suited to the northern plains. Like Bermuda grass, it grows best in summer and is drought tolerant. But unlike Bermuda grass, it is very cold hardy and able to survive a North Dakota winter. Blue grama spreads slightly, but ultimately produces a clumpy, uneven lawn. Mowing it 3 or 4 times a year will make it more lawn like. Buffalo grass(Buchloe dactyloides) is, like blue grama, a North American native grass, a once dominate grass of the vast American short-grass prairie. For obvious reasons, it makes good sense as a lawn grass in much of the low-rainfall West. The look is similar to Bermuda: slightly blue-green in the summer, then straw brown through winter. Several improved varieties are available; some sod only. The best seed varieties are 'Cody' and 'Tatanka'. A close runner-up is 'Topgun'. Top varieties to grow from sod are '609', 'Prairie', and 'Stampede'. Centipede grass's(Eremochloa ophiuroides) prime virtue is its ability to survive and even thrive in acidic, poor soils. Because temperatures below 5°F kill centipede grass, only gardeners in the southeastern United States (and parts of Hawaii) grow it. A warm season grass, it turns brown in hot and dry weather, and is quick to enter dormancy in fall. Fescue, fine- or needle-leaved. There are three types:chewings fescue(Festuca rubra commutata), creeping red fescue (F. rubra), and hard fescue (F. longifolia). Chewings fescue is desirable in low maintenance situations. It is particularly tolerant of sandy, acidic, and infertile soils. Hard fescue is very cold hardy and low maintenance. A naturally short grass, it requires less frequent mowing. Creeping red fescue is used most widely. All three are often mixed with Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass, adding greater shade and drought tolerance. Named varieties include 'Aurora', 'Bighorn', 'Claudia', 'Flyer', 'Ensylva', 'Longfellow,' 'Marker', 'Medallion', 'Reliant', 'Salem', 'Scaldis', 'Shademaster', 'Spartan', and 'Victory'. Fescue, tall or broad-leaved (Festuca arundinacea). Traditional varieties, such as 'Kentucky 31' and 'Alta', are tough and coarse-bladed pasture grass. But now many improved varieties are available that nearly match Kentucky bluegrass in look and feel. Tall fescues are more heat and drought tolerant compared to fine fescues. Varieties to look for include 'Amigo', 'Avanti', 'Aztec', 'Bonsai', 'Cimarron', 'Cochise', 'Crewcut', 'Crossfire', 'Duster', 'Guardian', 'Monarch', 'Ninja', 'Pixie', Rebel Jr.', 'Shenandoah,' 'Tomahawk', 'Tribute', 'Twilight', 'Virtue', and 'Wrangler'. Some—such as 'Rebel III', 'Earth Save', 'Shenandoah', 'Titan II', and 'Tarheel'—are endowed with natural pest repellents, calledendophytes. Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis). By far the most popular type of lawn grass for most of the northern half of the country. It is also planted further south, usually in areas with significant coastal influence, such as coastal southern California. It grows there, but long term survival is rare. Notably, it does not thrive in the Pacific Northwest, west of the Cascade Mountains. Cold-hardy, soft-textured, attractive dark green color. Look for named varieties—such as 'A-34', 'America', 'Asset', 'Blacksburg', 'Blue Star', 'Chateau', 'Classic', 'Eclipse', 'Glade', Julia', 'Loft's 1757', 'Midnight', and 'Princeton 104'—on seed label. Ryegrass, annual (Lolium multiflorum). Annual ryegrass has one redeeming virtue: its low cost. For that reason it is often used to overseed dormant warm-seasons grasses in southern regions. Because it prefers cool temperatures, most will die out of a warm-season lawn once hot summer days arrive. Ryegrass, perennial (Lolium perenne). The best varieties of perennial ryegrass have a desirable fine, soft texture, and dark green color of Kentucky bluegrass. While occasionally used alone, they are most often combined with Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescues. Look for varieties such as 'Commander', 'Dimension', 'Manhattan II', 'Palmer', 'Pennant', 'Pick 715', 'Riviera', 'Saturn', 'SR-4000', and 'SR-4100'. 'Manhattan II' is notable for being endowed with natural pest repellents, called endophytes. Seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum) is a native of South African sand dunes and is well adapted to similar environments in the United States It is noted for its tolerance of salty soil and irrigation water. It can survive on ocean water, and is well suited to partially recycled gray water. Its look and feel is similar to Bermuda grass, and it similarly spreads with both above- and below-ground runners. It is planted by sprigs, plugs, or sod. St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) is one of the most important grasses of the South and West. It's fast-growing, deep-rooted, and coarse-textured with broad, blunt-tipped blades. It is a spreading grass via above-ground runners. Seed of this grass is not available; plant it from sprigs, plugs, or sod only. Top varieties are 'DelMar', 'Floralawn', and 'Jade'.
Zoysia grass (Zoysia species) is often touted as a miracle grass, and while many of the claims of its virtues are true, there are also drawbacks. Three species available: Japanese lawn grass (Z. japonica), Manila grass (Z. matrella), and Korean grass (Z. tenuifolia). Korean grass is more a ground cover than lawn grass. It's wiry but fine-textured and creates interesting mounds as it grows. Only Japanese lawngrass is available as seed. While tough and resilient once established, it is notorious for its poor germination, short green season, and long dormant season. The newest varieties 'Zen 300' and 'Zenith', improve upon all three traits. Hulled and treated seed germinate in 2 weeks and can make a lawn in 2 months. The color of Japanese lawngrass is similar to bluegrass, but blades are much stiffer. Vegetative selections of Japanese lawngrass include 'Meyer' and 'El Toro'. Manila grass has stiff and flat leaves with a fine texture and deep green color. It makes a high quality lawn in tropical areas, but is planted from sprigs, plugs, or sod only. Other zoysias to plant in the same way include 'Cashmere', 'De Anza', 'Emerald', and 'Victoria'.
