V-Cutting the Greens

V-cutter working sand down into the canopy


After picture, you can see the stolons disrupted



Last Monday, we vertical mowed the greens after the tournament. Vertical mowing is a cultivation procedure involving the use of vertically oriented knives mounted on a rapidly rotating, horizontal shaft. I like to call it grooming the greens. We are attempting to nick the turfgrass canopy and cut the stolons to help reduce the grain that occurs because of the bermuda grass growing habits. The vertical mower blades are set at even and then we proceed to make a pass in one direction across the green, we then turn around and come back down the same pass. We do this because the grain changes directions on the greens, so if you go down and back on the same pass you will have a better chance to disrupt the surface grain.

The process goes like this:

1. Topdress Greens (let the sand dry so it does not stick to the machines)


2. Vertical mow (at even, change directions every week)


3. Mow with reel mowers
4. Roll
5. Brush with mecanical broom
6. Spray and/or gypsum application

This is a process that is essential for our greens and is completed in about 5 hours on Mondays.