AERIFICATION

by Patrick Hensley

Aerification. Everyone’s favorite word! “ Why are you going to aerify the greens are perfect”, Can’t you just skip it this time." This has long been a topic of discussion at any golf course at any time.

It doesn’t matter the budget, time of year, or grass type. Aerification is a necessary evil. Aerification does many beneficial things but three very important ones, it relieves soil compaction, reduces the buildup of thatch, and provides air and water channels to better help develop a strong root structure.

The grass plant requires a strong root system to help deal with stress, needs less water, and produces a strong healthy plant. We will aerify the greens twice per year during the growing season. We do it during the growing season in order to recover quickly. After we aerify we put down a layer of clean sand in order to fill the holes. These holes will be where new grass grows over them. This process is very important to the health of our greens and sets us up for a great season.

As always please reach out with any questions. I look forward to on t