Deep Tine Aerification on Greens

Tuesday we had a contractor out to deep tine the greens.  While our in house aerification practice does a great job removing thatch and alleviating compaction at the top 3"-4" portion of the green, this deep tine practice gets to depths of 7"-8".  This machine creates macropores at greater depths for better air and water flow in the soil profile.  This practice also creates deep channels for the plants root system to follow (the deeper the root, the healthier the plant stays through tough periods).  This is all done with almost no disruption to the putting surface.  We will post some pictures and a video of the process.  The photo on the right shows the depth these machines are getting to (oh how we love 7" roots). 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRitEjZc2ic

Water Please

With only 1.15" of rain in May, we have been pushing the old pump station and irrigation system to the max.  Everyday this week we pumped between 275k-300k gallons per night.  If nothing else, I am getting a great refresher course on repairing old electro-mechanical Rainbird irrigation controllers.  In April we only received 1.58" of rain, so just under 2.75" for April and May thus far (need water, very thirsty...)  You are sure to see sprinklers popping on, and grounds staff running around with hoses as long as the dry spell continues.  We apologize for any disruption due to sprinklers and hoses, as we are beginning the constant application of water to stay ahead as long as we can.  It is very difficult to rehydrate this clay once it has become dry.  The photo here shows how the soil responds once becoming too dry.  Water just runs off rather than absorbing creating what are called Localized Dry Spots (LDS).

Almost Healed

 2012 Spring aerification is almost a memory.  With the exception of #6, the greens are at about 95% healed.  6 green became extremely dry before the irrigation was up and running, thus providing a bit of a slow start for it. 

The Vines On 15 Tee Are Gone

We had to remove a large dying Maple from the bed on 15 tee.  this also gave us the opportunity to take down the fence and vines that were failing as well.  It has been replaced with a wall planting of Arborvitae.  This is a huge improvement visually, while also providing protection to 14 green.