Aeration

[MountainGoat]

How long do you guys figure it should take aerated greens to tighten up and roll true? It’s been three weeks at my course, and it’s still like putting on a peg board.

[FlyingLaw1]

My course aerated the greens about 3 weeks ago as well and they're still bad... and we've had almost ideal grass growing weather. In my experience it's about a month or so...

[Hot Rod 71]

The healing time is really dependent on night-time temperatures. A superintendent once told me that night temps need to be consistently above 55* before the greens are aerated. If the greens are aerated before temps get high enough at night, healing time can be extensive.

 

Unfortunately, we aerated about three weeks ago as well and its still Plinko out there.

[MountainGoat]

Thanks. I guess my situation isn’t so unusual after all.

[Socrates]

It also depends on the size of the aeration holes and the top dressing program after the aeration.

[Malvern]

We only do a large core/aeration once a year (previously twice), during the year we ninja tine https://ninjatines.com/

Greens are lightly dusted afterwards, playing surfaces are great the following day and almost unnoticeable a week later. The big core also doesnt need to be as intrusive as years past, greens back and playable inside 2 weeks.

 

[mallrat]

We are 2-3 weeks with a good roll but still the look of spots. Generally a week out they are in decent shape. A lot depends on what is done, some course drag their cores back in (I don’t like this) and some clear them and topdress. Our biggest issue comes from the course being open the next day so the tractor and Dakota tires leave some ruts. Those are always rolled out within a week though.

[TexasTurf]

It looks like you're in Maryland. Are your greens bent, poa, mix, or other?

 

The grass needs something to grow into, so if the holes aren't filled (topdressed) with sand then they will stay open ("peg board" sounds like you have holes on the greens, not thin spots). Fertilizer, irrigation, and good weather are also important.

 

Recently topdressed (sanded) greens actually roll much faster and truer than grassy greens without sand in the crown (if the sand is actually swept in).

[MountainGoat]

> @TexasTurf said:

> It looks like you're in Maryland. Are your greens bent, poa, mix, or other?

>

> The grass needs something to grow into, so if the holes aren't filled (topdressed) with sand then they will stay open ("peg board" sounds like you have holes on the greens, not thin spots). Fertilizer, irrigation, and good weather are also important.

>

> Recently topdressed (sanded) greens actually roll much faster and truer than grassy greens without sand in the crown (if the sand is actually swept in).

 

I honestly don't know what these green are. In this area, you'd think bent, but they have an early season fuzziness that I don't associate with bent. I recently learned that the tee boxes are Bermuda, which seems odd this far north. The greens were sanded and fertilized after coring, but the sand was irregularly swept in. Many of the holes are hollow.

[caniac6]

Our greens in Winston- Salem, NC are healing quickly. It's just been over a week, and in another week- 10 days they should be close to fully healed. We have had some nice warm weather, and some good rains. I would expect Maryland is far enough north that it is that much cooler that the healing will take a bit longer.

[smashdn]

> @Socrates said:

> It also depends on the size of the aeration holes and the top dressing program after the aeration.

 

Yes, yes, yes. If a good job is done and you actually fully fill the holes with sand they will heal over rather quickly. If the whole hole is left empty you will have a dimple for a while. Drag the sand in from different directions and water it in as well. Shovel and sweep sand in any areas that get missed or partially filled. The devil is in the details.

[bazinky]

Temperature at the time of aeration can play a big factor as well. A lot of public courses course in my area will set aerate on a set date. If a cold snap occurs during that time (which seems to occur more and more frequently), the greens take forever to heal. Thankfully, my club uses a micro injection method in the Spring, and our superintendent will only aerate when it's the proper temperature. Our greens are pristine in just a couple of weeks.