Aerification Frequency Cancel The title field is required!

1. Sprague Lucas H

   
   7/17/2013 10:07 PM

   Looking for a little input about the benefits of punching greens twice a year versus once. My club has given me the choice of what I do but strongly recommends twice a year. I would like to punch once in the fall and call it good so that I may work on my 40 year old irrigation system during the scheduled spring aerification. My greens are a "loamy sand" (80% sand, 15% silt and 5% clay) that are push-up style. I groom twice a week on regular weeks and 3-4 time the week before major tournaments. My thatch is not a problem and don't notice compaction problems. Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. Almost forgot, bent/poa.

   
   
   
   
2. Nowakowski Michael J

   
   7/18/2013 9:07 AM

   You seem to have everything in order so explain to the club why you want to aerify just once a year. Not sure why the would insist on twice if compaction and thatch are not issues plus the amount of sand you have would help delay any compaction problems until your once yearly aerification.
   BTW, we aerate twice a year partly because most of the greens are push up soil but we also do not topdress after aerifying anyways so the holes are gone within 4 days.

   
   
   
   
3. Keith Fellenstein

   

   0 posts
   
   7/18/2013 10:07 AM

   You ought to know best what your greens need most to perform up to expectations of the club. Normally the pressure is the other way around (trying to eliminate aerifications not encouraging more). Just remember, once they get accustomed to a single aerification per year, it normally is difficult to add one if you ever needed. Have you considered a solid tine, deep tine, or other less labor intensive procedure in the spring just to keep aerification on the calendar?

   
   
   
   
4. Sean Hoolehan

   

   0 posts
   
   7/23/2013 11:07 AM

   Lucas,
   
   Have you or the course been aerifying twice a year previous? If the answer is yes then consider that this is why the greens thatch is under control. If the course has been only doing core aerification in the fall for many years and the conditions are good enough then why change. This is the only reason for not aerifying in spring. Often we are under pressure to [u">not[/u"> aerify in spring because the bumpy greens hurt play and cause complaints. I always remind people that the good conditions in the summer are directly related to the spring aerification.
   
   I caution you on linking the time saving with fixing your 40 year old irrigation system. You could not convince me there is enough time saved to repair a aging capital asset like a irrigation system with a weeks freed up time and capital assets have a shelf life and most business people understand that. I would bet the kitchen equipment at the club has been replaced 2 or 3 times in the last 40 years. Agronomic decisions are more difficult to communicate effectively. Like convincing your membership why you need to aerify twice a year.
   
   Good Luck,

   
   
   
   
5. Anthony Nysse

   

   1 posts
   
   7/23/2013 12:07 PM

   If the club is comfortable with 2x aerifying a year and you do not have to "sell" them on the reasons why, why wouldn't you want to aerify 2x? You're ONLY going to be benefitting the turf. What happens if you went to 1x a year for 2-3 years and then had to ask to go back to 2x? You will look a little foolish and the membership will complain, as they are now used to only being disturbed once a year.
   If we could aerify 3x a year here, I would do it in a second and with a smile on my face.

   
   
   
   
6. John Faber

   

   0 posts
   
   7/24/2013 7:07 AM

   I would back up the replies saying if you get 2 a year why would you pass that up. I came to my course 6 years ago and they had not aerated for several years. The OM in the top 1" according to ISTRICS testing was 6-7%, while they recommend no more than 2%. Guess what, that first year I started in February and when we pulled the tarps at the end of March most greens were in very rough shape. My staff and I spent all year trying to recover the putting surfaces and it was a big sales pitch to ownership and membership that we needed to start aerating (at least 2x per year). The putting surfaces continued to improve dramatically (agronomically and playability) over the next couple years and now after an aeration we are back to a firm, smooth surface within 3-4 days. The biggest sign of our success is that I now have members asking "when's the next aeration"," how are we doing on the thatch layer or OM content." This tells me we have done a great job in performing the aeration and that the action have given the desired results.
   I recently had my GM inquiring about going back to no aerations as he feels they lose too much on discounting (for usually 10 days when surfaces are fine within 3-4). His position was that with the savings on not discounting you could sod whenever necessary. My position was potential added cost of fungicides, the cost of sodding, different aged greens, spongy greens, and the fact this is what they had done prior to me coming here. This seemed to satisfy him for now but I am gathering info/facts for the next time it comes up. Any input greatly appreciated.

   
   
   
   
7. Ronald Conard

   

   4 posts
   
   7/24/2013 10:07 AM

   John Faber said:
   I recently had my GM inquiring about going back to no aerations as he feels they lose too much on discounting (for usually 10 days when surfaces are fine within 3-4). His position was that with the savings on not discounting you could sod whenever necessary. My position was potential added cost of fungicides, the cost of sodding, different aged greens, spongy greens, and the fact this is what they had done prior to me coming here. This seemed to satisfy him for now but I am gathering info/facts for the next time it comes up. Any input greatly appreciated.

   
   
   
   Your G.M. thinks that just tossing sod on a failed green system is the going to play the same as a system that is functioning and sustainable??? My input would be to make a note that you work for an idiot.

   
   
   
   
8. Sprague Lucas H

   
   7/26/2013 7:07 AM

   Thank you all very much for the input. I did fail to mention that the greens had not been punched for two years before I arrived. Thatch was a little thick then but with proper grooming and the aerifying I have done they are much better. The thought of 2X a year was something they did a few years back when the greens were "the best they've been in years." I would be training the members to put up with two aerifications if I started this system. With that being said, I would still have to agree with you guys that if the opportunity is there then don't loose it.
   
   @Sean- the aging irrigation system I mentioned working on would benefit from a weeks worth of work simply because I have several valves wired together with only wire nuts or even electrical tape alone. No silicone packs to insulate them. Of the 300+ valves on the course, there was 89 of them not working electrically this spring. This is more of a poor maintenance practice from years past then an aging system but hiring people to spot water the areas that don't run from the field controllers is a joke.
   
   Again, thank you all for the advice! It's great to know that a young superintendent like myself has somewhere to turn when in need and receives lots of great ideas from around the nation. I love this industry and the GCSAA.
   
   Lucas