FIELD SCIENCE
18 SportsTurf | February 2016 www.sportsturfonline.com
Six weeks after fraze mowing.
completely filled by the beginning of training camp, just 6
weeks away.
We managed the field as if we were growing in sprigs.
We applied lots of water and high fertility to push growth.
Once the sprigs took hold, we backed the water off and
lowered the fertility. Within 4 weeks, we could have played
football on the field.
Going into the process, we knew that fraze mowing
would remove all the thatch that we had and help remove
the organic layer we had started to build up. This process
got the field down to a firm footing. This was done not
only by the removal of the thatch, but also as it allows
the bermuda to grow laterally instead of vertically. This
happens because the plant is a juvenile and will grow vig-
orously. After 6 weeks, the field was as tight as I had ever
seen and there were very little damage after practices.
Something else we found was that we were able to
"level" out some of our high spots due to spot sodding.
The fraze mower would go over high spots and then mill
down the spot to match the surrounding area. We also wit-
nessed that, like Rodenburg, we had less weed issues. The
process limited a great deal of weeds in the areas that were
renovated and the areas that were not, we had more weed
issues.
MOVING FORWARD
This process is revolutionary. Everyone I've spoken with
that has tried this process has all said the same thing after
the first pass: something like, "Holy crap! What have I just
done!?" But what we have learned is that natural grass is
a tough plant and the more we beat it up, the better and
more resilient it becomes.
Like anything new, it will take time before fraze mow-
ing will be a standard in the States as much as it is in
Europe. People may think you've lost your mind when
they see the process the first time, but 6 weeks later you
will look like the professional you are.
One note: After the great result of the 2014 season, we
bought our own machine (KORO Universal Topmaker)
and this past year we fraze mowed two of our three fields.
This will be a yearly maintenance program at Paul Brown
Stadium moving forward.
As Jerad Minnick says, "We need to think different so
grass can do more!"
Darian Daily is head groundskeeper for the Cincinnati
Bengals.
Thatch/organic matter buildup in July 2013.
Following fraze mowing compared to 5 weeks after mowing.
