Scalping Bermuda Collars Cancel The title field is required!

1. Stephen Okula

   

   3 posts
   
   5/2/2012 3:05 PM

   These 328 bermuda collars are being mowed at 9mm (3/8") with a Toro 3100 greens triplex and are consistently showing scalping lines. The mower does fine in straight lines on the approaches, but scalps as it turns. I'm no mechanic, but I can't find anything obviously wrong with the cutting units.
   
   [img">http://i453.photobucket.com/albums/qq258/Sokula/DSCN1676-2.jpg[/img">
   
   Any ideas?

   
   
   
   
2. Wahlin Scott B

   
   5/2/2012 3:05 PM

   I am going to go with it is not the mower; it is the turf. I believe if you verticut and/or scalp the collars out you will get a good cut until it needs it again.

   
   
   
   
3. Wahlin Scott B

   
   5/2/2012 4:05 PM

   It has been a long time since I grew 328, but when it was this happy it loved the Ryan Mataway!

   
   
   
   
4. Sandy Clark

   

   0 posts
   
   5/2/2012 5:05 PM

   We can see the same pattern if we get lax on the verticutting. I would guess that Primo usage would also help reduce the pattern once the thatch has been reduced. It doesn't take much for this to happen. We have 419 but the characteristics with thatch are very similar.

   
   
   
   
5. Steven Huffstutler

   

   11 posts
   
   5/2/2012 7:05 PM

   Its been awhile since I had 328, but I would go slow with the verticutting and scalping for a little while. Increase the hoc and increase the top dressing frequency along with light verticutting. When the chance presents itself, aerify the hell out of them, top dress heavy and I believe you will see a decrease in the edge scalping. Whenever I see edge scalping in my Bermuda, it usually means that it needs to be thinned out and top dressed.....but you already knew that, didn't you?
   
   Regards,
   
   Steve

   
   
   
   
6. James Schmid

   

   1 posts
   
   5/3/2012 6:05 AM

   Steven Huffstutler, CGCS said: Its been awhile since I had 328, but I would go slow with the verticutting and scalping for a little while. Increase the hoc and increase the top dressing frequency along with light verticutting. When the chance presents itself, aerify the hell out of them, top dress heavy and I believe you will see a decrease in the edge scalping. Whenever I see edge scalping in my Bermuda, it usually means that it needs to be thinned out and top dressed.....but you already knew that, didn't you?
   
   Regards,
   
   Steve

   
   
   I have found that once I get into that situation you have to verticut as much as you can. Primo will also help. If you verticut aggressively it will get worse before it gets better, but I have always founf that backing off and not addressing the problem immediately makes it worse in the long run

   
   
   
   
7. Steven Huffstutler

   

   11 posts
   
   5/3/2012 8:05 AM

   Well, that may be true, but the last time I messed with 328, I found that it went backwards pretty rapidly if I got too aggressive with it and I always try to remember that people are playing on it while I'm working on it, so it may be better for my career to approach it a little less aggressively.
   
   Regards,
   
   Steve

   
   
   
   
8. Stephen Okula

   

   3 posts
   
   5/3/2012 10:05 AM

   Thanks for your input guys. I figured a thatch problem too, but I wanted to confer with my colleagues here and tap into the Infinite Turf Wisdom that is GCSAA. That's why I pay my dues.

   
   
   
   
9. James Smith

   

   112 posts
   
   5/6/2012 6:05 AM

   I am surprised that no one has asked you what mower you are using?
   
   I had 328 for my greens for about 5 years and we would see this type of cut out of our Jacobsen mowers. Jake has been know to scalp cleanup laps due to their cutting units being a non floatation type. When in turns the inside of the reels are being pushed down and causes these types of scalping. Also what type of blades are on your mower? 11 blade reels work the best but you may have to cut a lot more often to keep them from scalping. a seven bladed reel generally is better for higher heights of cuts like your tees.
   
   In my experience collars have never been a big issue but we cut ours at .600 like our fairways. Every now and then we would get a lip as I call them from the mower head basically running on the top of a hill (slope)and the next being flat, but we generally slide the mower over with the next lap the clean it up.
   
   P.S. the rest of the area looks great!

   
   
   
   
10. Stephen Okula

    

    3 posts
    
    5/7/2012 10:05 AM

    The collar was mowed with a Toro 3250 greens triplex, eleven blade reels. I mistated that it was a 3100 in my original post.