CULTIVATION

 Reduce compaction  Reduce thatch  Smooth surface REASONS TO CULTIVATE TURF

 Reduce thatch and compaction  Improves air exchange  Increases roots and MO activity BENEFITS OF AERIFICATION

 Punching holes in the ground  Can be done anytime of year  Golf courses do it at least 2x/year AERIFICATION (ALSO CALLED CORING)

 0.25” to 1.0” diameter tines  3” penetration AERIFICATION (ALSO CALLED CORING)

 Used to aerify lawns  Takes less time  Spoon tines ROLLER AERIFIER

 Does not penetrate very deep ROLLER AERIFIER

ROLLER AERIFIER IN ACTION

 Most effective  Action Action PISTON AERIFIER

High-maintenance turf PISTON AERIFIER

 Opens soil without removing core  Less disruptive, less effective SOLID TINES

 Increases air exchange  Short term relief SOLID TINES

 Pop core out of the hole  Cores can be removed (harvested) Cores can be removed (harvested) HOLLOW TINES

 OR, the cores can be left on the surface to work back into thatch layer  Increases MO activity to reduce thatch  Brake up cores with a drag mat HOLLOW TINES

 The holes can be left open to gradually fill back in CORING HOLES

 OR, the holes can be filled with sand CORING HOLES

 Penetrates up to 10”  Deep tine video Deep tine video DEEP-TINE AERIFICATION

 Solid tines “kick” to loosen soil DEEP-TINE AERIFICATION

 Encourages deep root growth  Breaks up compacted layer below 3” depth of standard DEEP-TINE AERIFICATION

 Hollow tines can be more destructive DEEP-TINE AERIFICATION

 10” drill bits  Can fill holes along with aerifying DEEP-DRILL AERIFIER (FLOYD-MCKAY)

 Firing streams of water 3” to 8” into soil  5000 psi, 600 mph WATER INJECTION AERIFIER

 Little disruption to surface and little stress on turf  Excellent supplement during high temps  Not a replacement for coring WATER INJECTION AERIFIER

 Injecting columns of sand into green  Aerify without coring DRYJECT

 Very little disruption  Green ready in one hour DRYJECT

 Primary effectiveness is preventing thatch build-up  Blades nick soil surface to remove thatch  Recommended in spring only  Allow turf to recover DETHATCHING

 Destructive process that pulls up thatch and some crown and roots  Allow 30 days of recovery weather DETHATCHING

 One pass on centipede and St. Augustine  Multiple passes on bermuda and zoysia  Rhizomes DETHATCHING

 Fine dethatchers for golf greens  Much less disruptive on closely mowed turf VERTICUTTING

 Pulls out thatch  Needs to be done more frequently THATCH RAKE

 Dethatching blades that do not spin  Does not aerify or dethatch SPIKING SPIKING (OR SLICING)

 Improves drainage  Severs stolons to stimulate lateral growth SPIKING, OR SLICING

 Applying thin layer of soil over turf  Sand, sand with peat, soil, crumb rubber TOPDRESSING

 Modifies soil  Reduces thatch TOPDRESSING

 Brush in Brush in  Smoothes the surface  Greens and athletic fields TOPDRESSING

 Avoid layering  Use same, or coarser texture, soil  If layering exists, aerify! TOPDRESSING

 High quality turf: light, frequent applications  Sweeping works sand into surface TOPDRESSING

 Lawns can tolerate heavier topdressing and grow through it

Smooth putting surface Faster greens ROLLING