Topdressing, brushing and rolling become the primary surface preparations rather than aggressive mowing and verticutting. If you are new to this then check out “Changing the Nature of your Greens” at
www.stri.co.uk for the proper induction. The use of stress will come to you later.
Fine and dandy
This article is about mowing. Mowing is the fundamental greenkeeping treatment and the one thing we must all do to prepare the final surface. It fines down the sward and evens out the surface to (ideally) give a free running and smooth rollout of the ball. Mowing has the most significant impact on playing quality of all greenkeeping treatments. The difference between the fast and the woolly could simply be the height of cut. We must consider our mowing height to suit the demands of the game.
Changes the nature of your greens
The intensity of mowing also has a significant influence on the sward species composition. Disturbance is defined as the physical damage or removal of living plant tissue. Mowing is disturbance and can
Inconsiderate mowing is as bad as overfeeding
impart significant selection pressure on the sward. All plants have evolved to thrive
under different levels of disturbance. The browntop bents and red fescues prefer a less disturbed environment and don’t respond well to overly aggressive treatments. Annual meadow-grass, on the other hand, thrives under disturbance. So, when trying to favour the finer grasses the DT way, you should be trying to find ways of easing the disturbance pressure. Your mowing strategy is crucial for the development of the finer grasses and it cannot be ignored. Inconsiderate mowing is as bad as overfeeding.
The crown is king
To set your mowing strategy considerately you need to understand how the grass
Grasses are unique within the plant kingdom because their growing point is hidden in the basal crown
plant functions. All the turfgrass species have evolved their anatomy and physiology over time and they are able tolerate close cropping. The grasses are actually unique within the plant kingdom because their growing point is hidden in the basal crown rather than at the end of the leaf tip. This is why turfgrass can be mowed regularly and still grow happily. Growth continues from the base of the leaf
after the top of the leaf blade has been clipped off. Plant functioning is driven by energy conversion within the leaf, fuelled by sunlight and by the roots drawing water and nutrient from the soil. We must protect the functioning of the plant. Undue damage to any of the key components to growth has a massive impact on the plant’s ability to perform its growth strategy.
Mowing pressures
Disturbance pressure from mowing can vary considerably in its intensity. The intensity is governed by frequency of mowing, height of cut, sharpness of blades, the design of the mower and how it is handled. In recent decades the race for ever increasing green speeds has undoubtedly forced greenkeepers to focus on more intensive mowing practice. This is not helpful if we want to favour the finer grasses. Too much pressure, in whatever form, always becomes destructive.
Too much pressure, in whatever form, always becomes destructive
Take, take, take
The most obvious form of intensive mowing is cutting too low and for too long. Defoliation from constant overly close mowing damages the proper
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