Topdressing before aeration Cancel The title field is required!

1. Michael Wagner

   

   0 posts
   
   10/19/2018 6:10 AM

   I see a lot of guys going to this method of aeration in the fall where they topdress before they aerate. I'm just wondering what the purpose of topdressing before aerating is and if anyone has done it, what are the pros vs cons of doing it this way. I have questions like: Do you use the same amount of topdressing you normally would or do you use more?, Do you use a core harvester to remove the cores after aerating and how does that affect the distribution of the sand?, Does a lot of the sand end up in the holes without any brushing or blowing or is the same amount of brushing or blowing still needed to get the sand into the holes?, Are there other benefits to doing it this way that I'm not aware of? Anyone who uses this method I would love to hear any input you might have about it.

   
   
   
   
2. Larry Allan

   

   0 posts
   
   10/19/2018 1:10 PM

   We tried it and it does speed up the job but because we use a core harvester we seemed to pick up most of the topdressing

   
   
   
   
3. Dustin Riley

   

   8 posts
   
   10/20/2018 6:10 AM

   I do it. I think the greatest benefit is that I am no longer traveling across and aerated surface with a heavy topdresser. My cores are collected and dragged to the edge of the green by a small box connected to my ProCore 648. I remove very little topdressing sand.
   
   After core cleanup, I TB200 Brush the sand, Finish Blow the surface with a ProForce blower, Salsco Roll and re-set the Cup.
   
   I do this on native soil and sand-based greens.

   
   
   
   
4. Roland McPhearson

   

   9 posts
   
   10/23/2018 5:10 AM

   1) Topdress
   2) Aerate while pulling a Turf Pride core collector behind aerator. The plugs will jump up and lay on top of the sand. The plugs will be pulled off and the sand smeared in at the same time by the collector.
   
   At this point the holes will be mostly filled in with sand and the green will not be soft, so when you drive across it (to work the sand in further) you will not be creating deep ruts. I was skeptical when I first heard about this technique years ago but it can work if done right!
   
   3) Light cigar