As a turf manager, turfgrass scalping can be a nightmare—especially when it seems like it always happens right before a big event. Immediately, your mind begins racing. What could’ve gone wrong?
Is the mower set up correctly? Do the bedknives, reels, or blades need to be replaced? Are we topdressing enough? Are we fertilizing too much? Are we just mowing too much grass?
That’s not it. After considering your lawnmower and reviewing your fertilizer schedule, you know it must be something else.
But nothing seems to be abnormal. What now? How can you prevent this from happening in the future if you have no idea what caused it?
Let’s think about the power of water in turf management. How could that affect scalping?
Water and Turf: What’s the Worst that Can Happen?
Let’s get down to the basics. What does water do to the inside of a leaf blade? When water enters the leaf blade, we know that it experiences turgor, which is pressure on the cell walls due to the inflection of water. When a plant is properly hydrated, the water pressure makes the leaves strong and sturdy. With that hydration, the turfgrass is dense, even, and strong.
But what happens if the opposite is true? What if the grass or plant doesn’t have enough water? The leaf tissue will slowly begin to wilt, causing it to shrink or shrivel. As leaf blades begin to wilt, the canopy opens and loses its upright position. With the gaps in the canopy, the mower sinks lower into the turf. Rather than gliding over the dense layer of leaf blades, the mower blades cut deeper, causing scalping.
So, we have our answer! We know what caused the problem in the first place. But why now? Right before your big event?
Why Now?
Sometimes, before big events, turf managers purposely dry out some turf to provide firmer greens, fairways, sports fields, or lawns. If that was your situation, we have all the answers we need.
Building Strong Turf
Today, turf managers like you have many resources available to help combat this problem. You could try automated irrigation systems, hand watering, soil moisture meters, or various wetting agents to help properly manage the moisture content in the soil and inside the plant.
The next time scalping shows up, and we have exhausted every mechanical, cultural, fertility, and chemical option, let’s consider what changed. The answer might be far simpler than initially meets the eye.
