# Verticutting Bermuda



## sfairchild (Oct 4, 2019)

I live in Round Rock, Texas (just north of Austin) and over the winter I purchased a used Classen TS-20 Overseeder from Home Depot. It came with a fixed Multipurpose Blade (c900026) and I purchased a thinner Slicing Blade (c900027) from SLE Equipment.

c900026








c900027









In two or three weeks I plan on scalping my Bermuda-419 lawn down to 3/8" (the lowest setting on my Tru-Cut) and then maintain at 3/4" to 1" for the rest of the season. I want to Verticut it as well around the same time. I plan on Core Aerating and leveling with sand in May. With all that said, I have a couple of questions...

1. For the first verticut of the season, should I use the Multipurpose Blade or the Slicing Blade? I plan on going into the soil 1/4"
2. When should I verticut? When the grass is still dormant, after the third mow or only when the grass is growing vigorously?
3. Should I verticut again before leveling the yard in May?
4. How many times a year should I verticut? After the first verticut I plan on using the Slicing Blade for the rest of the year

Thanks,
Scott


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## gpbrown60 (Apr 7, 2018)

1. For the first verticut of the season, should I use the Multipurpose Blade or the Slicing Blade? I plan on going into the soil 1/4"
2. When should I verticut? When the grass is still dormant, after the third mow or only when the grass is growing vigorously?
3. Should I verticut again before leveling the yard in May?
4. How many times a year should I verticut? After the first verticut I plan on using the Slicing Blade for the rest of the year

Thanks,
Scott
[/quote]

Congrats on the purchase! You will find over the long haul having a Verticutter will make for a healthier lawn. 
1. Either blade would be fine but my choice would be the Multipurpose Blade to tease out all of the dead stuff
2. I would wait until the grass is growing vigorously, like May. Scalp the lawn first. I have verticut in April but it takes longer for the turf to recover
3. Verticut before leveling and once should be sufficient. Make two passes North/South and then East/West 
4. I have never used my verticutter more than 2 times a season, Spring and Summer. Last year I only used it once.
Hope that helps - :thumbup:


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## gpbrown60 (Apr 7, 2018)

Congrats on the purchase! You will find over the long haul having a Verticutter will make for a healthier lawn.
1. Either blade would be fine but my choice would be the Multipurpose Blade to tease out all of the dead stuff
2. I would wait until the grass is growing vigorously, like May. Scalp the lawn first. I have verticut in April but it takes longer for the turf to recover
3. Verticut and aerate before leveling and once should be sufficient. When verticutting, make two passes North/South and East/West
4. I have never used my verticutter more than 2 times a season, Spring and Summer. However, I have a groomer on my greens mower.
Hope that helps - :thumbup:


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

The more you verticut during the growing season the more thatch is created. Verticutting is great for combing out dead stuff. Be aware that slicing into growing stolons and rhizomes triggers thick growth. Not the most desirable thing if you want to maintain a reel low turf. Short and thin are words I live by for reel low grass.


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## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

I had a really knowledgeable member share this with me a couple years ago. 

"What I would do in your area is verticut once very severely in the spring before green up. Then, another verticut in summer not nearly as severe. Once a month during the growing season is too much unless the lawn is really getting too much N and P. IOW, drop the Milorganite and spoon feed lower rates of NPK with Iron. Lawns getting too thick for a reel mower to cut them is a sign of overfeeding.

Set it 1/8" deep and water often for the next seven days."


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## sfairchild (Oct 4, 2019)

Thanks for the feedback. I'll go with the Multipurpose Blade for the first verticut and then switch to the slicer blade for later in the year. I'm putting down Carbon X this year for the first time but will go easy on the app rate. Thanks again


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