Aerification, In Motion

In my last post I explained how aerification works in text, in this post you will see the team in action. This video goes behind the scenes of Aerification week.

 

Thank you to John Shearer for making this video happen. Our plan is to make videos throughout the year to talk about other elements of golf course management.

How did you do that?

Five-Eleven (5:11PM) April twentieth. That is the time I took this picture and greens aerification was complete.  Two days of team work, sweat, dust, and cooperation of Mother Nature produced a fantastic finished product.  Its a sense of accomplishment to watch your team work together to complete the task you set in front of them.  Its a week full of mixed feelings.  You know its necessary and beneficial, but you also can't wait for it to be over.  Frustrations can set in quickly if mother nature doesn't cooperate, but this year she has never been friendlier. 
Eight steps, of equal importance, form the process for greens aerificaiton. 
"Why is aerification necessary?"  The following diagram answers that question better than any explanation on paper.

Turf needs oxygen, water, nutrients, and sunshine to survive.  I rely on mother nature for sunshine.  Nutrients I supply, as needed, to the soil through fertilization.  Water and oxygen are needed in balance, I help get both into and out of the profile from aerification. 

Step 1. - Deep-tine

Deep-tine aerification is apart of my program for healthy turf.  Improved oxygen exchange and water infiltration deep into the profile provides a healthier environment for turf to grow.  If both of these necessary inputs moving further into the profile the hope is the root of the plant also has a better environment to exist in.  The depth achieved with these half-inch tines is 6+ inches.  

Step 2 - Roll
Rolling after deep throat (the nickname for our deep-tine machine) smooths out any bumps and firms the surface slightly before topdressing.

Step 3 - Topdress

Dilution is the solution.  Research has shown if sand is added to the profile (Profile is the medium in which the grass grows.  That medium in most cases is sand) at an equal rate to thatch production organic matter percentages can be held at desired levels and there is no need to remove organic matter (pull a core) during aerification.  Interesting to note I incorporate use sand doing aerification with this process.  I believe this is due to the integrity of the hole remains making it easier to incorporate topdressing.  (Topdressing is the same as sand.)  The included soil sample report from nine green shows an organic matter percentage of 2.06%.  The maintenance goal is a percentage of less than 2.3%  Nine green will be tested again this Summer, as with many others, to determine if the same practice can be used for Fall Aerification or if changes must be made to this process and other maintenance practices throughout the year.

Step 4- Aerify, Again.
Yes, each green gets aerified twice.  Before anything happens in this step the sand must be completely dry from step 4.  Cooperation from Mother Nature makes this step a lot easier.  The vibration of the machine and the small drag brush attached to the back, gets a majority of the topdressing incorporated into the holes.

Step 5 - Incorporation
As soon as a green is finished being aerified drag brushes are passed over the greens to incorporate topdressing that needs to cap off an open hole.   Two different brushes, or varying texture and rigidity are used to incorporate the sand.

Step 6 - Roll
This step begins to put things back to normal.  Each green will be rolled 3 times before we determine the process to be complete.  Direction is also important.  Each direction is different and also different to the direction of the aerifier.  If a green is aerified at a direction of 6 to 12, no final rolling can be performed in that direction.  Altering direction helps smooth humps and bumps created from the machinery that goes across the green to complete aerification.

Step 7 - Final Cleanup
A final visual inspection is performed to determine if more topdressing is necessary or extra needs to be removed.  Brooms, shovels, and blowers are used as necessary.
 
Step 8 - Give it a Drink

After being aerified twice, trampled by numerous machines, and rolled four times, the turf final gets a drink of water.

In addition to this process, other crew members are working on aerifying and topdressing fairways and approaches.  It is a great feeling leaving work today with all of our goals accomplished.  In the field of Golf Course Management that doesn't seem to happen very often.  I'm extremely proud of my crew this week.  Their teamwork and positives attitudes made the week a success.
A combination of rain and sun in the near future and the course will heal in as we desire and the benefits of aerification will be in the profile.