Green Aerification Time

 

 

 It is that time of the year for our fall aerification.  I know this is not a popular cultural practice.  It is not popular with my staff either.  It is hard work for everyone.  It is one of the most important cultural practices we do.  With out aerifying greens would slowly deteriorate.  They would become spongy, would not hold golf shot, and ball roll would be very inconsistent.  Maintenance wise Isolated dry spots would increase disease and insect damage would go up. That means more money spraying chemicals to control all these problems that would arise from not aerating.
      Bentgrass is a huge thatch producer and the only way to eliminate thatch is to core aerate.  When we core aerate we remove the core and open a channel into the root zone of the green.  This allow air and water to flow freely to the root zone.  Turf needs air for two thing, 1.  Turf needs oxygen to grow it absorbs oxygen from the root system.  2.  Air  help dry the roots system out which encourages deeper roots. Deeper roots firms greens up to accept golf shots.  A dryer root system has less disease and insect pressure. 
     We will aerate all greens except 10, 11, and 12 on 9/6/16 and 9/7/16.  Greens 10, 11, and 12 will be done at the end of September or early October.  I want to give these greens more time to heal and fill in.  We have been very busy seeding and plugging.  Seeding is taking but in the bigger voided areas seed is not as dense as I would like to see. At the time of aeration we will again over seed all greens.  We are introducing a new bentgrass variety into our older bentgrass/Poa greens.  The newer bentgrass varieties are a lot more heat, disease and insect tolerant.
     If you remember in the spring Rob Bardot made a new tool for us.  It helps open up the aerification holes after we aerate greens.  This new tools enables us to punch more holes with a smaller diameter tine.  The results are a quicker heal time for our greens.  Within 10 days you could not tell we even aerated greens.  I know some of you hate aerification time. It will be over before you know it and our greens will thanks us.

Here is video our new Greens broom.  This helps open up aerification holes.