8/10/2021
Why we Aerate
Aerification provides much needed oxygen into the root zone, this help to dilute organic material that is created by senescing plant parts. Too much organic material leads to unwanted pressure from both turf grass disease and insects. Unfortunately, this is an essential process for golf course greens to remain healthy for the rest of this year and for years to come.
Benefits of aeration
- Essential to the long/short term health of green surfaces
- Gets much needed Oxygen into the root zone
- Dilutes organic material
- Stimulates root development
- Added sand channels keep infiltration rates up to standards
- Keeps surfaces firm, for playability and to prevent scalping surfaces
- Helps to reduce insect and turf disease pressures
If you would like more information on why golf courses aerate, please copy and paste to your browser the following USGA links:
LINK to USGA
LINK to Twitter Feed
Why aerate at this time of year?
There is never a good time to aerate, and of course the greens are always at their best just prior to aeration. Poa is a winter annual grass species, which simply means it germinates best in the fall of the year, September is its most prolific time. This means we need to aerate and get the holes closed up or filled in prior to that occurring. Open holes in the fall give poa the perfect opportunity to invade, and poa is an extremely opportunistic plant! At this time of year, late summer, bentgrass is actively growing, this fills in holes quickly both for playability of the putting surface, and agronomically for poa prevention.
The best way to have poa annua invade your putting surfaces is poorly timed aeration practices.
Respectfully submitted,
Chad Vibert
Course Superintendent