UPDATED: IMPRESSIVE RESULTS: Fraze Mowing Bermudagrass

The impact of fraze mowing bermudagrass is beginning to show.  Fields that were “cleaned off” at Maryland SoccerPlex and at FC Dallas Park are all setting themselves apart.

Maryland SoccerPlex fields that were “cleaned off” are illustrating improved wear tolerance, even just 6 weeks after fraze mowing.  During a lacrosse tournament last weekend, SoccerPlex Patriot bermudagrass fields hosted 34 lacrosse matches per bermudagrass field in rainy, humid conditions.  The durability from the fraze mowed fields was far superior.  The treatments have been the same; no fertilizer and 1 pass w/ 3/8″ hollow coring tines on 1″ centers; accept that the non-fraze mowed fields were scarified to promote recovery. The results follow….

Fields Not Fraze Mowed:

Day 1: Bermudagrass Field That was Not Fraze Mowed

Day 7 of Recovery on Fields Not Fraze Mowed

UPDATED

Non Fraze Mowed: Day 14 of Recovery From 34 Lacrosse Matches

Because bermudagrass is so quick to recover, it is accepted before such a lacrosse event that the bermudagrass will nearly be completely worn away.  The bermuda is able to recover completely within 2-3 weeks even at this pace.

Then that is compared to the fields that were fraze mowed 6 week prior to hosting 34 lacrosse matches in 4 days.  Results:

Day 1:  Field That Was Fraze Mowed

Day 7 of Recovery on Fraze Mowed Field

UPDATED

Day 14 of Recovery: Fraze Mowed Field from 34 Lacrosse Matches (W/ Soccer Camps/ Clinics All 14 Days)

The results speak for themselves.  Yes, in both pictures the field is extremely worn initially on Day 1.  However, look closer and compare the amount of green tissue remaining on the ground in the fraze mowed picture compared to the field not fraze mowed.  The field not fraze mowed is nearly all dirt where new bermuda will need to push back up through the soil or have sprigs added to the area.  The fraze mowed field still has nearly 75% cover, so the plants can quickly grow back in the worn area.

Keep in mind that fraze mowing took place only 6 weeks prior on 3 fields:

Fraze Mowing w/ KORO Universe Field Topmaker

Field Comparisons In 6 Weeks Before 34 Lacrosse Games

Because of the increase in durability of the fraze mowed bermudagrass, it is recovering in only 1 week.  Not only does this allow the field to recover faster, but it can allow for the fields to sustain even more play.  Win. Win.

So WHY is the difference so vast already?

1)  Re-growth is more durable:  Just 6 weeks after the field was cleaned off completely, the re-growth back up through the soil is much stronger.  The number of growing points has multiplied and the cleats go into the soil instead of thatch to reduce shearing/ tearing/ increasing traction.

2) Organic removal reduces moisture and compaction potential:  During the 4 day lacrosse tournament, wet and rainy conditions prevailed.  The drying speed of the fraze mowed fields was much faster than the non-fraze mowed fields, and the 3 fields that were “cleaned off” historically hold water the longest.  WHY?  The organic layer was removed, so water was not held in the organic layer as long and allowed to soak into the native soil faster.  The organic removal also reduced the compaction potential at the soil surface.

The FC Dallas Training Field is also experiencing similar superior wear tolerance:

FC Dallas 1st Team Training Field:

Organic/ Thatch Build Up in 2012

Thatch/ Organic Build Up AFTER Fraze Mowing in 2013

The pictures also illustrate the difference in the quality of the bermudagrass re-growth.  Without having to grow up through thatch and having more growing points, the picture illustrates how much stronger the bermudagrass is after fraze mowing.  Additionally, the poa is removed as well.

The FC Dallas Training field has been in use daily for nearly 3 months and is illustrating superior wear tolerance, especially through the high traffic areas:

 

Demo Day Thank You!

Simon Gumbrill & Jerad Minnick Share at Demo Day

THANK YOU to everyone that took part in the demonstration at Maryland SoccerPlex on Monday, June 3rd.  Heavy rains Sunday night limited to the amount of work that was able to take place, but that did not limit the discussions and information sharing between the nice sized group that gathered.

Special thanks to Mr. Simon Gumbrill of Campey Turf Care (Manchester, UK) and Mr. Hans DeKort of Imants (Reusel, Netherlands) for taking the time to be with us.  And special thanks to them for building and providing the turfgrass market with such well build and precision machines.  The relationship between Campey and Imants is absolutely “Perfecting Play”.  

Also, thank you to Mr. Niels Dokkuma from SGL  (Netherlands) for joining us.  The age of growing grass year round w/ lights for even non-shaded fields is coming… and SGL is leading us there.  Exciting things ahead!!

And additionally, a thank you for Mr. Yousef Bagdady for joining us from Garden & Farm (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia).  Garden & Farm is one of the finest turfgrass equipment distributors in the world, and Mr. Bagdady being with us illustrates why.  The idea sharing was beneficial for us all!

More to come w/ the re-growth of the fields.  We are absolutely on track to re-open by 1 week from today…  June 15th.  A sneak peak at the results so far:

Patriot Bermuda Greening 5 Days After Cleaning Off

Thinnest Area Prior to Patriot Bermuda Being Cleaned Off 6 Days Before

Evolving the Practice: Fraze Mowing Bermudagrass Comes To Maryland SoccerPlex

Fraze mowing bermudagrass w/ the KORO Universe® Field Topmaker rotor became an active practice on dormant bermudagrass at FC Dallas Park in March.  Now for the 1st time, the practice has been used on bermudagrass greening up and starting its summer growth at Maryland SoccerPlex (NW side of Washington, DC).  The Patriot bermudagrass on  7 fields at SoccerPlex has been actively growing for about 3 weeks…  so fraze mowing is taking place right at the time of transitioning the rye grass overseeding out of the bermudagrass.

Fraze mowing 2 fields took place on Thursday of last week, May 30.  The top 1/2″ of the field was removed w/ the benefits being:

1) rye grass removal

2) poa annua and weed seed removal

3) thatch/organic build up removal

4)  smoothing the surface of the top of the field

With all the removal, the bermuda stolons and rhizomes were exposed to the sunlight to be allowed to green up completely and actively grow across the field instead of fighting to get up through the shade of the thatch/organic and competition of the rye/ poa.

Fraze Mowing w/ KORO Universe Field Topmaker

Bermuda Plants Exposed w/ Removal of Rye, Poa, Weed Seed, and Thatch/ Organic Build Up

Stolons & Rhizomes Exposed

Following the “cleaning off” via fraze mowing, the fields were scarified at 1″ deep w/ a verticutter in 2 directions to cut the stolons and rhizomes to increase the number of plants and promote lateral and leaf growth.  Each point the bermuda is cut will promote growth and increase density as the fields fill-in.

Results of Fraze Mowing w/ KORO Universe & Double Scarifying w/ Verticutter

Following fraze mowing and scarifying, the fields were put into a heavy watering cycle to keep the bermudagrass soaked down in the soil… much like sprigs would be soaked when they are planted from sprigging.  The water will help the remaining dormant plants to green up and start to grow.. and reduce the stress of the fraze mowing.

In 5-7 days time when leaves have re-generated and can be foliar fed, foliar bio-stimulant will be applied to promote more leaf and shoot growth.  Because the leaves were removed from fraze mowing, the photosynthetic surface has been removed.  Thus the additional of carbohydrates, amino acids, and plant hormones will provide food and energy to promote quicker regeneration .  1/2 lb of ammonium sulfate will also be applied, along granular polymer coated nitrogen (N) to release at 1/10th lbs N a week for the next 18 weeks and polymer coated phosphorous (K) to also release at 1/10th lbs K for the next 18 weeks.

The 2 fields clean off on May 30th re-open on June 15th to full play.  (so closed 16 total days) Stayed tuned to track the re-establishment!

Fraze Mowing Patriot Bermudagrass

Fraze Mowing Patriot Bermudagrass at Maryland SoccerPlex w/ Universe® rotor on KORO Field Topmaker