Light vertical mowing should begin in midsummer and continue through fall when bermudagrass growth slows. Frequent vertical mowing so that the effects are not noticeable after several days is the most successful program to follow. Vertical mow golf greens weekly and sports fields monthly during this period. The use of grooming mowers several times each week may substitute for vertical mowing on golf greens. Infrequent and severe vertical mowing results in unsightly turf and poor playing surfaces during late summer.
Aeration is also important to seedbed preparation.
Late spring and summer are ideal times to aerify to alleviate compaction, reduce thatch and help develop a seedbed. Overseeded sites should not be aerated after September 1 because it promotes germination of annual bluegrass. Core aeration within a month of the date of planting also results in the seed emerging in clumps rather than in a uniform stand over the site. Light and frequent topdressing also helps prepare a bermudagrass turf for overseeding. Topdress turf growing on native soils with soil similar to that which exists at the site.