relieving fairway compaction Cancel The title field is required!

1. Jeremy Hreben

   

   0 posts
   
   7/28/2014 1:07 PM

   I notice some areas in my fairways that are having a difficult time taking water. They wilt very fast and have some goose grass. All this spelled compaction. To test, I inserted core tool and it wouldn't do in deeper then 2.5". I the other side of the fairway i could get it in at last 6 - 8". I core aerify my fairways once a year in later/ summer early fall with Toro 880's. I am looking to really take a bite out of this compaction problem. I have tried a Vertidrain 7117. Every time we take it out, it blows up on me. Bolts braking, arms bending, etc. Doubt this thing is meant for fairways. Any ideas?

   
   
   
   
2. Andy Jorgensen

   

   1 posts
   
   7/28/2014 3:07 PM

   Jeremy,
   
   I have a contractor down here that uses a Soil Reliever 72HD to do all my severely compacted areas. He charges me $3,000 for the day and has gone as long as 10 hours on that. This thing is a beast, and has actually been termed that - "The Beast". If you can find someone out your way with a similar machine, I would give it a try.

   
   
   
   
3. Jeremy Hreben

   

   0 posts
   
   7/28/2014 6:07 PM

   i was also looking at the verti quake. I hear it is the best but also the slowest. However only having 18 acres of fairways, slow doesn't really matter.

   
   
   
   
4. Timothy Walker

   

   0 posts
   
   7/28/2014 10:07 PM

   Jeremy get in touch with Dennis Desanctis Sr he does contract aeration all over Nj...

   
   
   
   
5. Kim Brock

   

   3 posts
   
   7/31/2014 8:07 PM

   Jeremy,
   We use the Aerway with sports tines on our fairways. Works great for us. Pretty affordable also.
   Kim

   
   
   
   
6. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   8/1/2014 7:08 AM

   We have an old Ryan or Olathe aerator, the one you can put coring tines on or slicing knives, (for a lack of a better word).
   
   We have the slicing knives on ours and we use it to slice open our tees and fairways, we haven't aerated our tees or fairways for what seems like for ever. I'm wondering if that is providing enough compaction relief? I know for thatch reduction it doesn't do much, but our fairways aren't very thatchy anyway. Tees are getting to be another story.
   
   Would like to hear others opinion.
   
   Thanks!
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO