By Darian Daily, Head Groundskeeper at Paul Brown Stadium and the Cincinnati Bengals
Five years ago, I had never heard of fraze mowing. Today, it is a widespread practice that my team and I have implemented at the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals’ natural grass practice fields.
For those not familiar with the term, fraze mowing is a technique employed by sports turf managers which removes weeds, organic matter and vegetation from the top of the field. Initially made famous by European soccer superpowers Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Real Madrid, the process is becoming more prevalent in the U.S. Wimbledon even utilizes the method on its natural grass tennis courts near the end of its month-long tournament.
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Founded in 1996 by Ko Rodenburg, field maintenance superintendent in Rotterdam, Holland, the KORO Field Topmaker is the most common fraze mower and is what my team uses at our training facility.
Requiring about four to six weeks of recovery time, the process is fairly lengthy, but produces excellent results.
One of my industry colleagues and a member of the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA), Jerad Minnick recognized the power of fraze mowing and became the first American to bring the practice to the U.S. Now, many professional sports teams have adopted it, such as the Dallas Cowboys, FC Dallas and LA Galaxy.
Although it has proven to be a cutting-edge method, the technique isn’t a fit for every field.
When to Fraze Mow
Deciding when to fraze mow is largely dictated by the climate.
Fraze mowing is starting to become more common with cool season fields. Thus far, data suggests that it can yield similar results to that of warmer climates with bermudagrass.
Watching the process for the first time made me very skeptical of whether it would work for the Bengals. The machine violently sucks grass off the ground and shoots it into an adjacent tractor, appearing as if it is destroying the field. The ultimate goal is to chop off the top half-inch of the field, which in a few weeks will grow back and rebound as a healthier field than before.
It’s also not feasible in every situation. For example, some parks and recreation complexes can’t afford to shut down for almost six weeks due to high traffic areas and community involvement. However, for those sports turf managers who can rotate their fields, they may be in luck.
Why Fraze Mow?
The revolutionary idea is an important process because it inhibits an organic layer from developing, ultimately preventing bermudagrass from growing on top of itself. If that happens, the field becomes softer and creates divots, which provides less stability for players. A few benefits are listed below:
- Cleat stability
- Control of organic matter
- Removal of weed seeds (poa, rye grass overseeding)
- Patch control (helps with playability)
Considerations
Of course, there are a few things to consider before investing in a fraze mower.
First, you need a skilled professional operating the machinery. I wouldn’t recommend throwing anyone on the back of the mower as it requires a certain level of expertise. STMA is a great resource to find sports turf managers with exceptional experience.
Second, the average fraze mower costs roughly $40-$50,000. With sports turf departments battling budget constraints, this often presents an obstacle.
Conclusion
Once you get over the initial visuals created by fraze mowing, the piece of equipment reaps a plethora of benefits. One field can grow into three, or even five, fields due to its efficiency.
At the Bengals, the practice has increased field productivity, sustained healthiness, and promoted playability to all of our natural grass fields.
Although change is hard to embrace, the sports turf management industry should adopt this new technology, which will help many fields flourish for years to come.
About Darian Daily
A member of the STMA, Darian Daily is the Head Groundskeeper at Paul Brown Stadium, home to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Recipient of the STMA’s 2011 Dick Ericson Founders Award, Daily has 25-plus years of sports turf management experience. He is the former Director of Stadium Grounds for Columbus Crew SC and holds a bachelor’s degree in plant and soil science from Middle Tennessee State University.
Daily will be presenting “Should You Fraze Mow” at the 2016 STMA Conference & Exhibition January 19-22 in San Diego, Calif. The event is a prime opportunity for sports turf industry leaders to network, exchange ideas and learn from one another.