FW verticut versus core aeration Cancel The title field is required!

1. Christopher Thuer

   

   101 posts
   
   12/19/2017 7:12 PM

   For those with bent mainly. Has anyone eliminated core aeration and gone to aggressive verticutting once or a few times per season and then solid tining during slower times of the year?
   
   As a daily fee we are open every day and have a difficult time getting the fairways core aerated. For years we tried to do 1 hole per day and work around play. I even constructed a chicken wire cage around the cockpit of the pro gator for while I was pulverizing, dragging, then sweeping so I could work right through play. The last several years we were lucky to get 10 holes done per fall before the weather went to crap. This past fall we got zero done. Packed golf course every day (didn't make any more money due to deep discounts) and a less experienced staff didn't afford me the time to sit on the tractor and gator all day.
   
   I had already planned to solid tine all fairways during this winter when soil conditions will allow. I wondered about verticutting and talked to a chem/fert rep who said a few courses in our area are thinking in the same line. I have heard some contractors can verticut and clean up all 18 holes in part of 1 day.
   
   Anyone else do this? Thinking this might be the new norm for a few years at least for us.

   
   Chris Thuer, CGCS, Bear Slide Golf Club, Cicero, IN
   
   
2. Robert Mason

   

   0 posts
   
   12/20/2017 8:12 AM

   I have been thinking about doing the same thing. My thatch in fairways is getting out of hand after years of neglect. Past 3 years we have been pulling cores and pulverizing but thinking about adding verti-cutting to help with the thatch. Tim Mason AJ Jolly Golf Course

   
   
   
   
3. Michael Wagner

   

   0 posts
   
   12/20/2017 11:12 AM

   I've been thinking about going with this approach also. My thatch is getting a little out of control also on fairways. I was looking at a wiedenmann 500 so I could use it for other things like leaf clean up in the fall as well. Anyone have any experience with one of these machines?

   
   
   
   
4. James Schmid

   

   1 posts
   
   12/20/2017 1:12 PM

   I have the wiedenmann 500 and its awesome. I dont know if I would use it in place of core aeration, but I still use it as much as possible. Under most conditions it will verticut and sweep up in one pass, so there is no impact on play. You can make a couple of passes in between groups and not even worry about it. It only takes 1 operator. on days when it is excessively wet, maybe just a blower behind it.

   
   
   
   
5. James Smith

   

   112 posts
   
   12/27/2017 6:12 AM

   I'm just curious as to the condition of your soil? if there's no issue with the soil just verticutting is perfectly alright. I have went to solid tining mine for the same reason and I have good soil.

   
   
   
   
6. Craig Moore

   

   0 posts
   
   12/29/2017 12:12 PM

   We vertical mow with a fairway mower and a Super 600 as needed and solid tine once a year. Have been doing it for many years with no issues. We will selectively core aerify as needed in certain locations.
   All depends on what works for you on your property and what works on all the individual micro-climates you manage.

   
   
   
   
7. James Smith

   

   112 posts
   
   12/30/2017 5:12 AM

   are you using the holes to add new topdressing sand into your soil? if not why punch holes? there are alternatives to getting oxygen to your root zones that is much fast to get done. slicing or using a shattertine works well, although to be honest the shattertine takes too long to heal over for my taste. I actually use slicing blades on mine now.
   
   I know you know this already but I'll just put it out there!
   
   first you need a reason to do what you do, then you need to do what is needed to accomplish that reasoning. no more and no less.
   
   We pull cores to exchange out the soil in our greens which allows us to exchange that soil with new sand/soil in order to give our roots a better medium to grow in. if our soil is ok then we consider compaction which we generally solid tine them to accomplish the de-compaction.
   
   Fairways are no different. why spend money and time doing more than is needed.
   
   there is another reason to pull cores in fairways which I do about every 3-4 years and its for better drainage. when I pull cores I find my fairways dry out a lot fast after rains. during a wet year this works out ok but can also cause them to become saturated (we are not sand based), but during a normal year my golfers can get back off the paths within a few hours of a half inch rain. its really a gamble as to what type of a year we have.
   
   Good luck!

   
   
   
   
8. Christopher Thuer

   

   101 posts
   
   12/31/2017 10:12 AM

   High clay content soil that does not perc well. About 1/2 to 3/4 inch of thatch. We pulverize and drag, then sweep debris. Some soil does mix into the thatch.
   
   The fairways are mostly nearly perfect with some that get some isolated dry spots.

   
   Chris Thuer, CGCS, Bear Slide Golf Club, Cicero, IN