Choosing the right topdressing brush: Topdressing has been an essential greenkeeping technique for over 150 years, since the days of Old Tom Morris.  It serves multiple purposes; to help maintain a true surface, to balance and dilute the buildup of organic matter, to fill coring holes, and to maintain a free-draining surface.

Modern topdressers can apply both heavy and light dressings

Topdressing is spread in different thicknesses, from just a frequent light dusting, to a heavy dressing after hollow coring. Over the years various methods have been used to incorporate the topdressing into the turf canopy.  For many years metal link drag-mats were the norm, but these tended to scrape the dressing across the surface, and were particularly aggressive on the crowns of undulations.

Choosing the right topdressing brush

In recent years, brushes have become accepted as the optimal tool for working-in topdressing.  However, even these have significant subtle differences between different types.

Which type of brush is best for different greens?

Since its introduction in the 1990’s the Greens-Groomer has been recognized as one of the most effective topdressing brushes ever invented. It has 16 separate brushes mounted in a triple zig-zag pattern.  As the Greens-Groomer passes over the turf, the brushes move the sand forwards and sideways in three directions, making it ideal for filling coring holes. The absence of power-driven rotating brushes ensures that the turf is not bruised and unpleasant dust is not generated, even when operating at speed.

The Greens-Groomer is fast and very effective, and doesn’t bruise the turf

The Greens-Groomer’s large 1.8 x 1.2m (6’ x 4’) footprint has a luting effect, keeping the surface of the green flat and true.

However, if your greens are intentionally undulating, you need a totally different type of brush that will accurately follow the contours and evenly brush-in the dressing.  This is the purpose of the Thatch-Away topdressing brushes.  These fit into the Thatch-Away interchangeable cassette system, and attach to all popular greensmowers.  The three individual brush units run on their own front and rear guide wheels to accurately follow the contours of the green without scraping the crowns or filling up the hollows.

Thatch-Away topdressing brushes accurately follow the contours of the green

Topdressing technology has come a long way since the days of Old Tom, but were he still here he would surely be pleased to see the way that the correct choice of topdressing brush can help to maintain the original characteristics of the greens.

For a free demonstration of these innovative brushes, contact GreenTek on 0113 267 7000.

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