This week is aerification week. Yes, it is that time of year again. The course will have the nine holes that we are not punching open for play. On Tuesday the 20th, we will aerify the front nine. On Wednesday the 21st the back nine will be our focus. Weather depending we should have all the greens aerified and sanded.The spring aerification consisted of a slightly different process then what was completed in the past. We used seven inch long tines, three inches longer than the standard aerification tines. We were able to get below the thatch layer and increase the ability for deeper roots and healthier turf. This also resulted in softer conditions during aerification.
The USGA recommends a 20% removal of organic matter each year. This is a good number for maintenance purposes. This does not take in account if you already have a little extra thatch. It is important for us to reduce thatch to increase drainage and avoid turf problems in the future. If you would like to read in more detail about aerification, click here.
This fall we will be using another process that is unique to this property. We will use ½” quad tines to remove a little extra organic matter. These tines will be the usual four inch depth. The change in depth is to also avoid any plow pan that may occur from continuous aerification at the same depth. Plow pan is when the roots reach the depth of the aerification tines, but cannot penetrate any deeper. If we can keep changing it up hopefully we will eventually get roots down deeper.
If there are any questions about aerification or the science behind the process feel free to contact me.
Justin Ruiz, CGCS
justinr@indiansummergolf.com
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