# Bermuda Dethatching too Aggressive?



## Browdis (Jul 19, 2017)

Can you get too aggressive dethatching bermuda?

I have another thread about a cutting with a GM1600 and the cut being unlevel. I sent the mower to get sharpened and while it has been away I have been bored...

In that thread it was recommended to verticut or dethatch. Hard to find a verticutter in OKC so I decided to detatch.

I pulled a significant amount of thatch off my yard. Keep in mind I scalped at .250". One thing I quickly noticed was it was scalping the high spots aggressively. Which is part of the reason I am unhappy with my cut. So I dethatched two directions and am beginning to wonder if it was too aggressive.

Here are some pictures:







The zoomed in picture is the most aggressive part.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

You'll be fine. If anything, the dethatcher probably helped shave down some of the high spots.


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

No

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sBwkOEWqu4c


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Ware said:


> You'll be fine. If anything, the dethatcher probably helped shave down some of the high spots.


+1 I verticut my lawn in 4 directions last year and it did just fine and it really got rid of the mat layer bermuda can develop :thumbup:


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

@J_nick That's an awesome process, and I can see how that would definitely scare some turf managers.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Colonel K0rn said:


> @J_nick That's an awesome process, and I can see how that would definitely scare some turf managers.


I would fraze mow my lawn in a heartbeat if I could :thumbup:


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## Browdis (Jul 19, 2017)

Ware said:


> You'll be fine. If anything, the dethatcher probably helped shave down some of the high spots.


It is definitely doing a great job of shaving down the high spots...


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Browdis said:


> Can you get too aggressive dethatching bermuda?
> 
> I have another thread about a cutting with a GM1600 and the cut being unlevel. I sent the mower to get sharpened and while it has been away I have been bored...
> 
> ...


That's not aggressive at all. By my standards, it is fairly conservative. I do not stop until I see dirt in most places.


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## Flynt2799 (Oct 17, 2017)

I have the same issue right now. Started to rehab my lawn this year and went two directions as well with the dethatcher leaving multiple bare/thin spots in my yard. They have not filled in yet but everyone seems to agree that it should.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Flynt2799 said:


> I have the same issue right now. Started to rehab my lawn this year and went two directions as well with the dethatcher leaving multiple bare/thin spots in my yard. They have not filled in yet but everyone seems to agree that it should.


What are daytime temps? I need to preface my lack of fear cutting a lawn down with not doing it when conditions are not ideal for it to grow back quickly. There is a period between October-May when I will not thing or scalp a lawn. No frost or ice in my area, but a lack of sun and suboptimal temperatures is normal for that part of the year.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

How long before someone just uses a power rake to do the poor man's fraze mowing on their lawn or fabricates their own fraze mowing equipment?


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

I wonder how deep one can set the Verticut reel on a GM 1000? This is not the groomer, this is the kit with a special rear shield, special front roller brackets, and, of course the Dynablade reel. Fraze mowing is a Verticut set to go deep and with very close cuts.[media]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dk-eKVKoPKk[/media]


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

I wonder how deep one can set the Verticut reel on a GM 1000? This is not the groomer, this is the kit with a special rear shield, special front roller brackets, and, of course the Dynablade reel. Fraze mowing is a Verticut set to go deep and with very close cuts.[media]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dk-eKVKoPKk[/media]


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Greendoc said:


> I wonder how deep one can set the Verticut reel on a GM 1000? This is not the groomer, this is the kit with a special rear shield, special front roller brackets, and, of course the Dynablade reel. Fraze mowing is a Verticut set to go deep and with very close cuts.[media]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dk-eKVKoPKk[/media]


I had one, but recently passed it on to @Redtenchu to free up some space in my garage. It had the standard non Dynablades on it when I bought it. I got a set of Dyna's for it but never got around to installing them. Anyway, Redtenchu has it now and could probably answer those questions. I think a new conversion kit is somewhere on the order of $1500. They are pricey.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Movingshrub said:


> How long before someone just uses a power rake to do the poor man's fraze mowing on their lawn or fabricates their own fraze mowing equipment?


I think it's a little more involved to create your own fraze mower as it basically removes the top layer of soil and discharges it to a trailer being towed along side of it. It could be done on your own but it would be a lot more labor intensive.


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## Redtenchu (Jan 28, 2017)

I still have the standard blades on the verticutter now, and have only ran the unit at zero. I planned to go deeper, but life keeps getting in the way!


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## Redtenchu (Jan 28, 2017)

When I get it set up, I'll only be using it a handful of times each year. I'd like to share the unit with people in my area. I just haven't figured out how that would realistically work.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Ware said:


> Greendoc said:
> 
> 
> > I wonder how deep one can set the Verticut reel on a GM 1000? This is not the groomer, this is the kit with a special rear shield, special front roller brackets, and, of course the Dynablade reel. Fraze mowing is a Verticut set to go deep and with very close cuts.[media]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dk-eKVKoPKk[/media]
> ...


Only other machines I think are equivalent are Gradens or Sisis. Around $10,000. A $1500 kit becomes very attractive to me.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Greendoc said:


> Only other machines I think are equivalent are Gradens or Sisis. Around $10,000. A $1500 kit becomes very attractive to me.


There were a couple used Graden machines in the last Weeks auction. I think they went for about $1k each.


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## Browdis (Jul 19, 2017)

Any concerns with a low temp of 28-29 degrees in the forecast after dethatching?


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Still dormant? Then you should be ok.


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## Browdis (Jul 19, 2017)

It's in the process of coming out of dormancy. Maybe 25% green...


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

You should be ok. It will eventually warm up and stay that way. Right? I do not have that kind of predictability here. Any month of the year it can be cloudy and less than 80 for weeks on end. It is very hard on warm season grasses, but it is too humid and warm at night for cool season grasses.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Browdis said:


> Any concerns with a low temp of 28-29 degrees in the forecast after dethatching?


Nah, maybe if temps were going to stay that low for an extended period, but a few hours won't be long enough to freeze the ground.


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## Rockinar (Jul 21, 2017)

Browdis said:


> Any concerns with a low temp of 28-29 degrees in the forecast after dethatching?


Nothing will kill 419, Bermuda. Its the T-2000 Terminator of grasses. Short of no sun and Roundup...it will bouce back and come back stronger.


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## raldridge2315 (Jul 1, 2017)

> Nothing will kill 419, Bermuda. Its the T-2000 Terminator of grasses. Short of no sun and Roundup...it will bouce back and come back stronger.


Truth.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

raldridge2315 said:


> > Nothing will kill 419, Bermuda. Its the T-2000 Terminator of grasses. Short of no sun and Roundup...it will bouce back and come back stronger.
> 
> 
> Truth.


I'm not even sure Round Up will kill it


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

That weed is tough to kill.


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

g-man said:


> That weed is tough to kill.


Hush you, before you get a package of mystery blue seeds in the mail, that when opened, will respond like a glitter bomb.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

@Colonel K0rn That is just wrong on so many levels. Pure evil to be spreading craft herpes around all willy nilly like that!


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