Summer needle-tine aeration

Back in June we started our annual summer practice of venting the greens. Using very small “needle” tines we poke holes to allow oxygen into the soil. Starting today, we are working through the course for a second time.

Critical components to turfgrass health struggle when it gets hot. The plants cannot take up water like they need, root growth stops or even regresses, the plant cannot transpire to cool itself, and the soil oxygen level can get too low. We try to manage or alleviate all these issues through several different tactics. The soil oxygen level is specifically corrected through the cleverly named practice of aeration.

Aeration is something we do several times per year. Springtime is when we open the soil up after the long winter and get microbes working again, water moving through the profile, and air to the roots to initiate spring growth. We also aerate in the late summer. Many courses will time this practice for later in the fall; ours is timed to coincide with Bermuda grass aeration as well as give the greens a needed break after the bulk of the summer. The late summer aeration is less about growth and more about relieving the stress that the plant is under from the heat, etc.

During the summer it is also very useful to give the grass a quick breath of fresh air, without the disruption of a full aeration process. Soils become compacted and anaerobic over time, between many golfers and lots of equipment, the surface can seal up. Water can have a hard time infiltrating and oxygen levels drop. So, we use very small tines to make holes about 2” deep. These holes allow gas exchange between the atmosphere and the soil, allowing much needed oxygen to the roots. And water travels much easier down the small channels.

We will break the work up over the next several weeks. The disruption will be minimal, but the lasting effect will help the greens make it through the summer.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Golf carts must always remain on cart paths once past the green and white posts, through the next tee complex. This is not weather dependent!

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

Bunker etiquette

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org