Verti-quake

One of our newest machines has been busy lately. The Verti-quake is a large, linear aerator, designed to cut deep channels into the ground. We have finished our top priority areas, and we will start an entire fairway soon.

We have briefly discussed the Verti-quake before here and here. Instead of a typical aeration that pokes holes in a grid pattern, the Verti-quake uses large knives that slice down into the soil for sub-surface disruption. Two of the main differences, and thus benefits, of the slicing versus the regular aeration are the depth we can reach and the total area impacted.

Surface area impacted is a function of tine diameter and spacing. If we use very large diameter tines and make holes really close to one another, we are impacting a greater area. And if we use small diameter tines and spread them far apart, the disturbance shrinks. For the Bermuda grass, we use ¾” diameter tines, spaced about 2” apart. This is a relatively average, typical setup and it roughly impacts about 7% of the surface. Where the Verti-quake stands out is because the knives cut a continuous path, unlike the aerator that only pokes a hole every 2 inches. We don’t have a specific percentage of surface disruption because the equation is not as straightforward, but the idea is that rather than only poking holes every so often, the Verti-quake is breaking up the soil along its entire path.

But the more important way the Verti-quake improves upon a typical aeration is the depth to which we can reach. Our regular aeration only reaches about 2-3” deep. The Verti-quake can work down to at least 10” and we are slicing about 4-4.5” deep currently. There are regular aeration machines that can match that depth, but they again are only poking holes at a certain interval. And if the aerator is working in poor soil, which we definitely have, then the regular aerator may not be able to penetrate the hardpan, and you will not accomplish the depths needed. Because the Verti-quake uses knives that cut through the soil instead of pounding down into it, it is capable of working through some extremely tight soil.

We had some top priority areas that we wanted to work through with the Verti-quake first: both soccer fields, 2-4 passes across all of the approaches (which includes several of the main areas of Bermuda sod work), and then historical weak areas on #1, #4, #5, #7, #11, #15, #17, and #18 fairways. All of that has been done over the last month. Next, we will tackle #8 fairway in its entirety, over the next couple of weeks. Our goal is to finish #8 fairway, and possibly one or two more this summer. But over the coming seasons, we will strive to finish all the Bermuda grass on the course at the current working depth, and then work back through everything again, pushing the machine deeper and deeper each time.

The Verti-quake will not replace our regular aeration program because it accomplishes different goals. The machine operates slowly, but working to shift the texture and structure of our soil is also a slow process. The Verti-quake is another tool for us to continue to improve growing conditions across the course.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Golf carts are capable of a very tight turning radius, but please don’t turn that sharply in the grass because it can tear the turf.

 

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

Golf Cart tips

 

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org