It's that time of year again, albeit a little sooner than normal, Spring Aerification. Heart of America Golf Course will be aerifying starting Monday, March 27. This will be entirely dependent on weather conditions, being that next weeks weather seems to be up in the air a little. If we do get rained out, (and at this point I'm welcoming any rain at any time), we will just push back the start day until we are dry enough to begin.
A little bit about aerification:
Although the aerification holes can be unsightly and affect play-ability for awhile, the benefits far outweigh the very minor draw-backs. The process helps in many ways including: helping gas exchange in the soil, allowing water and nutrients to penetrate deeper into the green, thinning thatch, strengthening the root zone, relieving compaction, and a number of other benefits.
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| https://www.awesome-lawns.com/aeration |
Above is a great graphic that helps show whats going on "behind the scenes". This is a generic description of aerification on a lawn, but the premise is still the same. We will obviously be expecting the short turf on the greens to be healed in far less than 8-10 weeks. One thing the graphic does not show, is the topdressing. Topdressing is the sand you will see us spreading on the greens, which will fill the aerification holes and give the roots an easy place to take hold. The topdressing is key in replacing the compacted material that was there and helping thin the thatch down even further while smoothing the playing surface of the green.
This process will typically take us two-three days to complete if the weather cooperates, so bear with us while we complete this essential maintenance practice, which will undoubtedly improve the health of the Heart of America greens.
