# When should you verticut ?



## Hapa512 (Mar 22, 2020)

Hey guys, I hope your having a great week !!

I'm planning on over seeding this fall with some Perennial Rye Grass. (Champion Gq)

I'm also on planning on having some leveling done as well in the coming weeks, unless I feel the urge, I may do it sooner myself. I was hoping this contractor that I used last time would be able to do it for me.

My question is ? when do you actually need to verticut your lawn ? I use a pretty heavy duty back pack blower after I'm done cutting my lawn. Most times when I'm doing it, I will blow up some runners in the lawn lawn.

I have a Swardman Mower so I know its just a matter of buying a cartridge and I'm on my way.

I really don't know if that is an indication that I need to verticut or that's just the way bermuda grows and is ?

In any case, any pearls you can share would be greatly appreciated.

I was actually planning on doing a whole series of video's from start to finish in dumb dumb terms...LOL like I am. To show what is all involved with the entire process of prepping your lawn to over seed with Rye Grass if you have Bermuda?

Thank you guys !!

-Marshall


----------



## JayGo (Jun 13, 2019)

Excellent question, @Hapa512. I'm curious myself.


----------



## Hapa512 (Mar 22, 2020)

JayGo said:


> Excellent question, @Hapa512. I'm curious myself.


Thank you Bro, I guess with the "Lawn Guru here" they don't know answer either?

I guess I'll just figure it out myself.


----------



## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

I verticut to thin the canopy when it starts to get puffy and/or develops a grain - both evidenced by aftercut appearance issues that develop midseason.


----------



## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

I just verticut mine because the canopy was getting too dense and I was getting scalp streaks as the reel floated and then dropped throughout the canopy (ie. aftercut appearance like @Ware said). I needed to do a HOC reset and thinning the canopy made that go way easier. Regular use of a groomer would be the best option but I'm wondering if I can get away with just doing a lighter verticut regularly instead of trying to add a groomer to my GM1000.


----------



## bradleymichael (Jun 3, 2020)

I just verticut mine using the SunJoe. Before doing it I was noticing after a fresh mow my lawn was looking "bumpy" and I believe it was from the canopy being to thick and my push mower resting on in in some places and dropping down in others. After I verticut the first thing I noticed when I mowed was how smooth the lawn looked.


----------



## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

@bradleymichael did you use the dethatcher or the scarifier?


----------



## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

Gilley11 said:


> @bradleymichael did you use the dethatcher or the scarifier?


I used the SunJoe with the scarifier blades on -10. Honestly, I wish it would have gone lower.


----------



## RangersFC (Jul 29, 2019)

Ware said:


> I verticut to thin the canopy when it starts to get puffy and/or develops a grain - both evidenced by aftercut appearance issues that develop midseason.


What machine do you use to verticut, and how low of setting do you use?

I have a Swardman and when I use the verticutter attachment, it seems to just pull up all the runners, and not really cut them. Do I need to sharpen the blades? Or just use the scarifier attachment?


----------



## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Any day ending in "Y" 

I typically like to verticut after/during my scalp in the Spring and I tend to go as deep as I can and remove as much material as I can. I like to give it a good base to start off the year so it will take longer for all the stolons and rhizomes to build up. I have done a mid season verticut when the lawn started to get puffy and spongy.


----------



## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

Could regular verticutting replace the need for a groomer on a reel mower. Based on my internet research (just enough information to make me dangerous), my issues could be remedied by using a groomer regularly with mowing. I know that a groomer is very different and works in conjunction with the reel blade. I also know that a verticut is going to be more aggressive than a groomer, but could I get away with just doing a light verticut regularly in different directions and get similar results? I'm thinking of doing it every couple of weeks during the season.


----------



## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

RangersFC said:


> Ware said:
> 
> 
> > I verticut to thin the canopy when it starts to get puffy and/or develops a grain - both evidenced by aftercut appearance issues that develop midseason.
> ...


I use a Classen TR-20 with Vertical Slicing Blades.


----------



## RangersFC (Jul 29, 2019)

Ware said:


> RangersFC said:
> 
> 
> > Ware said:
> ...


Wow, that setup looks amazing and is exactly what I'm looking for. I'm now going to be on the hunt for the same setup :lol:


----------



## cutigers08 (Aug 16, 2019)

Redtwin said:


> Gilley11 said:
> 
> 
> > @bradleymichael did you use the dethatcher or the scarifier?
> ...


I sharpened my SunJoe scarifier blades and went at -5 along with a HOC reset. It beat the lawn up pretty good but pulled out about 11 gorilla carts worth of junk. The cut is much smoother but I have some pretty crappy looking spots. Fortunately we got about 1/2" rain last night and it is recovering.


----------



## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

cutigers08 said:


> Redtwin said:
> 
> 
> > Gilley11 said:
> ...


This is the sunjoe at -10 for me. I also did a hard scalp the following day. I'm thinking of routinely running it at -5. It didn't cause too much damage at -5 but was pulling up lots of stolons at -10.


----------



## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Redtwin said:


> Could regular verticutting replace the need for a groomer on a reel mower. Based on my internet research (just enough information to make me dangerous), my issues could be remedied by using a groomer regularly with mowing. I know that a groomer is very different and works in conjunction with the reel blade. I also know that a verticut is going to be more aggressive than a groomer, but could I get away with just doing a light verticut regularly in different directions and get similar results? I'm thinking of doing it every couple of weeks during the season.


I have been playing with my groomer on my Baroness for a couple of years now and still haven't figured out what the magic formula is just yet. I will say, over fertilizing your 419 will cause you more work then not doing but you kind of have to walk that line. ***If your 419 is thin or isn't fully grown in, disregard the last sentence*** I'm sure I will figure it out here in another year or two but it's kind of getting frustrating. I have noticed that my grass stands more upright while using it and I don't get that carpet effect very easily if at all.


----------



## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

@Mightyquinn, Mine has filled in all I need and I have backed off the N significantly. As you said, I was definitely overdoing it. I was having problems with regulating it and I was getting scalp marks the second mow after doing a HOC reset in May. It was crazy. I'm going to give the SunJoe a shot and run it regularly to do a light verticut. The blades are not as fat at a full-blown flail blade so I think I can do it with minimal damage.


----------



## mwemaxxowner (May 30, 2020)

If I use a Dethatcher periodically, would that do well enough that I won't need to verticut? Verticutting scares the bajeezus out of me &#128514;. Also I could pick up a pull behind Dethatcher pretty cheap compared to something that will verticut. Although the sunjoe corded scarifier isn't too bad. I'm just not thrilled at the idea of dragging a very long extension cord around.


----------



## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

mwemaxxowner said:


> If I use a Dethatcher periodically, would that do well enough that I won't need to verticut? Verticutting scares the bajeezus out of me 😂. Also I could pick up a pull behind Dethatcher pretty cheap compared to something that will verticut. Although the sunjoe corded scarifier isn't too bad. I'm just not thrilled at the idea of dragging a very long extension cord around.


Don't let verticutting scare you, it looks worse than it is and you would be surprised at how resilient Bermuda can be. I prefer the fixed blades of a verticutter over anything else as I feel it does more then the flail blade or the spring tines. I have had good success with the flail blades before so that would be my second choice if I had to choose between that and the spring tines.

Just FYI, you can literally beat the crap out of Bermuda and it will come back stronger and better then before. You can verticut heavily and it will be back to looking good in 2 weeks if not sooner as long as it's getting enough water.


----------



## mwemaxxowner (May 30, 2020)

My sod is centipede, I don't think it's as resilient as Bermuda, and I believe it's slow to recover from damage.

When I do my bi-annual fertilizing though it seems to spread pretty quickly!


----------



## bradleymichael (Jun 3, 2020)

Redtwin said:


> cutigers08 said:
> 
> 
> > Redtwin said:
> ...


I used mine on a -5 and I pulled out a bunch of material. It was my first time ever doing it so I was scared to go any lower!



The right side is at -5 and the left is before.


----------



## Hapa512 (Mar 22, 2020)

All these comments were super helpful. I too am a little intimidated about verticutting my lawn but I'm going to go for it !

I have contractors scheduled to level my lawn in two weeks, so I hope I'm not cutting it too close.

I really appreciate everyone's comment, Thank you very much for taking the time to chime in.

Have an awesome weekend !!


----------



## SunnyBermuda (Oct 16, 2019)

I don't verticut my bermuda yet, but I use the Scarfier/Turf Rake monthly. It roughs up the turf, but it settles back down within two mows.


----------



## mwemaxxowner (May 30, 2020)

Any thoughts on centipede recovery from verticut damage at the same time as a scalp and level?


----------



## Passat774 (Oct 9, 2018)

Ware said:


> RangersFC said:
> 
> 
> > Ware said:
> ...


I also have the TR-20 and verticut all the time. I do not go super deep but every ten days or so, it grows back so quickly and thick.

I went sub 1"- and then used the sprigs to grow in a week area on my side lawn.

Do it all the time no worries with Bermuda it grows back quickly and thicker!


----------

