Aerification Options Cancel The title field is required!

1. Christopher Flynn

   

   0 posts
   
   5/17/2014 7:05 AM

   We are coming up on our first aerification of they year and need to start getting a bit more aggressive (based on ISTRC testing). 17 year old Bermuda greens (regrassesd to TifEagle). I have 3 aerifications scheduled - May, July, September.
   
   I have on hand; 2 Toro 648's w/ core collectors, a Vertidrain, and a Graden.
   
   I'd like to hear some options where I can maximize displacment at each aerification.
   
   Thanks!

   
   
   
   
2. Andy Jorgensen

   

   1 posts
   
   5/17/2014 8:05 AM

   Chris,
   
   Check out the link to the attached article on the "One, Two Punch" method of double aerification. Basically, you core, clean and topdress like normal, then do it again the next day going a different direction. I had a buddy perform this last week using 5/8" coring tines and I saw them a few days later. Hard to even tell they were double punched, yet they affected way more surface area than a single aerification alone.
   [url]
   http://www.usga.org/course_care/regiona ... -May-2011/[/url]

   
   
   
   
3. Chandler Robert L

   
   6/17/2014 6:06 AM

   Christopher Flynn, CGCS said: We are coming up on our first aerification of they year and need to start getting a bit more aggressive (based on ISTRC testing). 17 year old Bermuda greens (regrassesd to TifEagle). I have 3 aerifications scheduled - May, July, September.
   
   I have on hand; 2 Toro 648's w/ core collectors, a Vertidrain, and a Graden.
   
   I'd like to hear some options where I can maximize displacment at each aerification.
   
   Thanks!

   
   I'm at a municipal course with USGA built Tiff Eagle greens. Aerification dates are hard to come by, so we've started double punching. We start with a half inch or 5/8 X 6" on a Vertidrain. When finished, we change out to the quad blocks with a 1/4" X 4 and do them again. Once topdressed, the golfers don't have any idea we did them twice. Only drawback is how long it takes. 10 to 12 hrs each at approx .06mph Healing time is about the same as a single. We don't have rollers, but would help a lot if we did.

   
   
   
   
4. Corey Eastwood

   

   80 posts
   
   6/18/2014 12:06 PM

   PlanetAir every two weeks and you will never need to core again.

   
   Corey Eastwood CGCS, Stockton Golf & CC, Retired
   
   
5. Steven Huffstutler

   

   11 posts
   
   6/18/2014 12:06 PM

   Corey Eastwood, CGCS said: PlanetAir every two weeks and you will never need to core again.

   
   
   Quite the machine. How long have you gone without pulling a core?
   
   Steve

   
   
   
   
6. Corey Eastwood

   

   80 posts
   
   6/19/2014 11:06 AM

   Steve
   
   It came out after I retired but have followed it close and seen it work on hundreds of greens. Does well on tees also. Several university studies vs. coring have been done on Bermuda and cool season. ISTRC is familiar with the results but does not endorse any product that I know of. Several superintendents have posted over the years on this forum and TurfNet that they have eliminated coring or substantially reduced it. A course that I play used PlanetAir excursively for three years without taking any cores with no negative effects.
   
   I don't have a dog in this hunt but am passing on what I know .

   
   Corey Eastwood CGCS, Stockton Golf & CC, Retired
   
   
7. Anthony Nysse

   

   1 posts
   
   6/20/2014 4:06 AM

   Steven Huffstutler, CGCS said:

   Corey Eastwood, CGCS said: PlanetAir every two weeks and you will never need to core again.

   
   
   Quite the machine. How long have you gone without pulling a core?
   
   Steve

   
   
   
   Great machine to be used as a tool, but I wouldn't put my claim on it to remove aerification from the yearly program, especially on ultradwarfs. Nothing is better than removing and replacing-thatch and adding fresh, clean sand.

   
   
   
   
8. Corey Eastwood

   

   80 posts
   
   6/20/2014 11:06 AM

   You might check out Texas A & M research on this 2-4 years ago.

   
   Corey Eastwood CGCS, Stockton Golf & CC, Retired
   
   
9. Anthony Nysse

   

   1 posts
   
   6/21/2014 4:06 AM

   Corey Eastwood, CGCS said: You might check out Texas A & M research on this 2-4 years ago.

   
   
   University studies are nice, but don't emulate real, golf course situations. They make the best effort, but not good enough. How many stories have you read where course X didn't aerifiy for a year or 2 to save $$ or not have to close and pay the price down the road?
   As a Superintendent, I would not want to hang my hat on NOT aerifying. Way, way, way too many benefits to aerification.

   
   
   
   
10. Brian Lentz

    

    0 posts
    
    6/21/2014 6:06 PM

    We just completed the double 5/8" core aerification for the first time last week on our Tif Eagle and are starting our second course in a few days. The greens handled it extremely well, we topdressed first, cleaned up after the first coring, drug in the sand then started over. We finished the second coring with a final topdressing. Everything went smoothly but be prepared to pull a lot of material off the greens. Well be doing this on both courses again in August, our plan is to impact between 25 and 30% of the surface area each year for the next 3 years. I still love the 1/4" tines but it's next to impossible to get sand worked into the holes but healing time is awesome. I'm guessing a good 3 weeks to heal from the double 5/8" tines?

    
    
    
    
11. Trevor Richardson

    

    0 posts
    
    6/25/2014 8:06 PM

    Corey Eastwood, CGCS said: PlanetAir every two weeks and you will never need to core again.

    
    Does the planet air really take the place of aerification?

    
    
    
    
12. Kyle Rausch

    

    0 posts
    
    6/26/2014 5:06 AM

    I have 4 year old bent greens built on 100% sand in South Dakota. We use the planet air 1/8" shatter knife tines every three weeks and have never pulled a core. If you have the right situation (short growing season, proper root zone mix, etc..) it can greatly reduce the amount of times you will need to core aerate. I would think those in the south with the more aggressive grasses would still need to core aerate yearly but maybe only once a year instead of twice.

    
    
    
    
13. Steven Huffstutler

    

    11 posts
    
    7/1/2014 4:07 AM

    I have a demo this week, I used it on 2 greens yesterday and I'm going to run it over all of the rest today. It is badass, for sure and I would love to have one, it's definitely going on my wish list.
    
    Regards,
    
    Steve