Best dethatching clean up, rake, pushmower w/bagger?

[adam.neusbaum]

Or both?
Also what's the power rake assembly that looks like a bunch of edger blades, a verticutter? Never used one before & just bought yesterday. Came with the spring tine assembly also. Which one for SA & which for zoysia?
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[adam.neusbaum]

My current aeration ads are bringing in lots of Zoysia dethatching request. I'm thinking of performing the service in this order:
1. Nearly scalp & bag the clippings with a Walker Mower & back up trailer ramp to dump.
2. Dethatch with Power-rake.
3. Use Walker bagging mower to pick up loose thatch.
4. Collect $235 for average 1/8 acre job.
Thoughts?
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[Florida Gardener]

You must have bought a bluebird. Those are flail blades. A delta blade assembly is for Verticutting. Why are you not scalping with a reel? Are these zoysia lawns level? What height do they get cut at? Don't use the tine assembly on either zoysia or st aug.
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[adam.neusbaum]

Originally Posted by Florida Gardener

You must have bought a bluebird. Those are flail blades. A delta blade assembly is for Verticutting. Why are you not scalping with a reel? Are these zoysia lawns level? What height do they get cut at? Don't use the tine assembly on either zoysia or st aug.
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I'm not mowing these lawns but only advertising aeration. The power-raking calls I've received have all complained about the excessive brown in the turf & would like to thin it out for a fresh spring start. These are northern folks that have retired down here & I suppose they don't normally see the dormant grass when it's covered by snow? Most of the zoysia lawns have the checkered green/brown leopard spot look right now. I really wasn't planning on offering this service but since I already have the Husqvarna machine which I purchased last fall & I'm getting plenty of request I figure I might as well jump on it. I'd prefer to have a good method for my first service. The last time I dethatched was pulling a tine attachment behind a Dixie chopper Flatlander 15 years back then switching to an Agri-fab lawn sweeper to pick it all up, was mostly Bahia turf.

[Florida Gardener]

Well, is the zoysia being cut high? With a rotary? Are they bagging clipping? I would explain to these people that they need a reel mower cutting it no more than 1.5" depending on cultivar.
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[adam.neusbaum]

Originally Posted by Florida Gardener

Well, is the zoysia being cut high? With a rotary? Are they bagging clipping? I would explain to these people that they need a reel mower cutting it no more than 1.5" depending on cultivar.
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Most of the zoysia is on average 2.5-3.25 minimum height and all being cut with a rotary mower. I've never seen anyone using anything your standard rotary around here. Some mowing company's have made it big by offering only push-mow service(again rotary) compared to the 700 #+ riders that everyone else uses, lots of Gravelys & Hustlers. Secondarily, everyone mulches it in, well tries to anyway. A friend of mine complains about Zoysia in that it is such a struggle to mulch in the clippings. 20 years back when I was 13 all the guys were bagging the SA & Bahia clippings & that was way before Zoysia down here.

[Florida Gardener]

Ok, that's the problem. It will be a complete waste of money for these people to have you dethatch due to poor mowing practices by lawn Jockies.
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[greendoctor]

It is ok to "mulch" regularly mowed zoysia if the mowing is done with a front throw reel set to cut at 11/2" or less. A reel chops up clippings pretty fine. The mowers designed for St Augustine and cool season grasses cannot be expected to mow zoysia. Thankfully, I mostly see rotary mowers on St Augustine and weed areas.

When the zoysia has been mowed incorrectly, even a reel will have problems cutting it down. I use either a Landscape Blade counter rotating cutter or else a carbide tipped saw blade brush cutter. A reel mower is to do the final clean up after the grass has been cut down to below 1".

[Exact Rototilling]

Originally Posted by Florida Gardener

Ok, that's the problem. It will be a complete waste of money for these people to have you dethatch due to poor mowing practices by lawn Jockies.
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For northern grasses this is the dirty secret in the industry that is NOT well understood by LCO and the clients who think this really needs to be done.

These clients are hard to please, expect you to work for cheap and are difficult to educate on proper turf care.


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[greendoctor]

This is also the dirty secret for warm season grasses as well. Too high or to low causes problems. On the other hand, when lightning strikes and people realize that their cheap service provider is doing it wrong, that is an opportunity. Some people are highly teachable once they see how good things can be.