What Is Vertical Mowing And How Can You Use It In Your Yard

Vertical mowing (also called verticutting) might sound like some new method for trimming your grass, but in fact it's an advanced solution for dealing with an annual lawn-care task: dethatching. During the year a mixture of clippings, dead stems, roots, and bits of debris builds up in your lawn, known as thatch. A vertical mowing machine slices through this thatch using vertical mounted blades, and makes it easier to remove it.

Removing the thatch from your lawn can be a bit of a chore, but it's one of several simple habits of people who keep their lawns lush and well-manicured. Not removing it can actually lead to killing your grass without knowing it. Thatch prevents water, light, and nutrients from getting to the roots and can also harbor diseases.

Removal should be done in late spring or early fall. A common sign that it needs doing is that the grass feels springy when you walk on it. Many gardeners' go-to tool at this point is a basic rake, but that method can be very laborious. The good news is that there are a variety of powered dethatchers available to make life easier.

Vertical mowing takes things a step further. The machine's upright blades cut through the thatch and slightly into the ground. It's a technique that the United States Golf Association (USGA) recommends for smooth, healthy putting greens, and there are few places you'll find better cared for grass. Among numerous advantages, verticutting offers better penetration for fertilizers, reduced watering, and stronger grass. Plus it's great preparation for overseeding.

If you're shopping for your own verticutter, you need to be careful. Electric dethatchers and lawn scarifiers, or power rakes, are widely available but are not the same. It's actually quite challenging to find a machine for sale for home use because many are commercial and can easily cost several thousand dollars. It's probably a better idea to hire one; walk-behind models can be found at independent centers for around $75 a day.

Vertical mowing clearly has its benefits, but there are some potential dangers. Lawns should be verticut in one direction only, and there's a risk of damage if it's not done correctly. It's likely there will be a lot of material to deal with (more than other dethatching methods), and the lawn should be watered immediately after verticutting to prevent exposed grass roots from dehydrating.

There are a number of mistakes to avoid when dethatching your lawn, whichever method you use. If you are looking for the lush, pristine surface that vertical mowing can help you achieve, it may be a job best left to an experienced contractor.