I
s it "Fraze," "fraise" or "fraize" mowing? These are
all spellings used for the word that means aggressive
thatch removal, field leveling, and weed removal from
sport fields. This magazine uses "fraze."
HISTORY
This maintenance process was originally referred to as
"fraise" mowing by Ko Rodenburg. In the early 1990's,
Rodenburg developed this process of field renova-
tions, while he was the leading parks superintendent
in Rotterdam, Holland. He invented this process to
help clean up/minimize thatch and to control organic
buildup. Rodenburg found that this process also con-
trolled and removed the Poa annua plants and seed
accumulation while leaving the crown of the plant intact
ready for regeneration.
Fraze mowing has been implemented all across
Europe for decades to renovate soccer pitches. The pro-
cess is used to "clean" the organic build up for the soccer
pitches that used the Desso GrassMaster system. This
process removes all the material so the groundsmen
could reseed the pitches and still keep the Desso fibers
intact.
Fraze mowing was first introduced to the United
States in 2013 by Jerad Minnick, who conducted his own
stateside research while at the Maryland SoccerPlex. Jerad
discovered the benefits to warm season turf and declared
that "Grass Can Do More" when fraze mowed. (Read
Jerad and Allen Reed's article in the August 2013 edition
of SportsTurf.)
16 SportsTurf | February 2016 www.sportsturfonline.com
IS FRAZE MOWING
RIGHT FOR YOU?
FIELD SCIENCE
■ BY DARIAN DAILY
Fraze mowing has been implemented all across
Europe for decades to renovate soccer pitches.
