Football Pitch Verticutting

Verticutting the grass sward will help to keep the sward clean and relatively free from decaying leaves and grass sheaths, as well as contribute to a more upright grass.

Depending on staffing and available equipment, this activity might only be carried out on pitches of a higher standard, primarily professional league pitches or where pitches are used for higher class cricket outfields.

Verticutting blades can be more closely spaced than scarifying blades, increasing the intensity of impact and stress on a grass plant. This activity doesn’t, or wouldn't normally, penetrate into any thatch layer or soil profile, but just into the sward canopy. Incorrect settings for a verticutter can put undue strain on machines engine and transmission, as well as excessively thinning out a sward.

It might be carried out on a weekly basis during the main growing period to fortnightly under other growing conditions. However, this activity should not be carried out during prolonged dry spells as this will be detrimental to the grass plant.

Where a metal tined rake is used on a routine basis then, in the majority of situations - especially for lower quality pitches, there should be no (or little) need for additional verticutting of pitches.