Yesterday aerification got off to a slow start due to a heavy frost in the morning, but once it lifted things went very well.
We were able to topdress and aerify all of the greens and approaches. The sand was applied to theses areas prior to aerification to physically push some of the material in to the holes being created. Perhaps the biggest reason we apply the sand first is so that the newly created holes are not closed in by running the heavy topdressing equipment over top of them. Once the sand dries out after aerification it is easily moved in to the holes and turf surface.
Topdressing applied prior to aerification
Aerifing through the sand
Close up of holes on green
The fairways were overseeded with Bentgrass and then were covered with compost. The compost acts as a cover for the seed to help with germination and also provides nutrients for the turf. We rely on compost as our main fertilizer source for the year on fairways. The compost is applied twice a year and these applications account for nearly 90% of the total fertility applied in a growing season.
Compost being applied to fairways
Monday, April 13, 2009
Aerification Day One
Posted by Unknown at 8:01 AM
Labels: Aerification
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1 comments:
Sean,
I have enjoyed your blog for sometime now. I am a fellow superintendent in Hawaii and have a question for you. You have mentioned that you have sodic soils on you golf course and leaching is important to the health of the turf. I also have have sodic soils and constantly battle salt as it relates to soil structure and turf health. I am intrigued by your application of compost to the fairways as a fertilizer source. We do have an excellent source of compost here in the Islands but I have been afraid to use it with the thinking that the higher CEC would hold on to excess salt. Do you have any issues with this and if you do, how do you combat it? Or is it a non-issue.
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