Tools of the trade
THE TURF AERDRAIN
By Laurence Gale MSc
Aeration is a key maintenance operation required to maintain the porosity of a soil profile. Aeration is vital for root growth and general plant development. It is a task that should be carried out, not to calendar dates, but when necessary, and will, not only
encourage and aid the growth of a dense, healthy turf, but also aid its resistance to diseases, water logging, weed and pest infestations.
The combination of foot traffic and use of machinery to maintain turf will, over time, compact a soil profile reducing the amount of air spaces within. This, in turn, compromises root and shoot growth.
There are many mechanical aeration aids on the market to help relieve compacted soils which, in the main, are either pedestrian or tractor mounted devices.
However, there are some times of the year when these machines cannot be used due to the surface being more prone to damage from use of these devices. Also, there may be, on occasions, a localised problem that will not warrant using a larger machine.
Therefore, the only option will be to utilise a hand held aerator which, in the simplest form, will be a hand fork. However, in recent years, there have been a number of other devices invented to aerate localised areas.
One such device is the SISIS turf aerdrain fork, a simple hand tool that offers the choice of interchangeable tines. The fork is ideal for working on small problematic areas, particularly useful in aiding the removal of standing water.
The hollow tine will relieve compaction through removing
a core of soil and grass from the sward. It is especially useful where drainage has been a problem and you would like to incorporate sandier material into the soil, as the hole is an ideal site for accepting topdressing materials.
Four types of interchangeable tine are available:
Hollow Coring
127mm (53/4in) x 15mm (5/8in) dia. for use in Autumn to relieve compaction after play or rolling, and by removing plugs of thatch to carry out soil exchange and assist in the entry of fertiliser or dressing.
Round Solid
113mm (41/2in) long for use in Spring and Summer to relieve hard pan and aid percolation of moisture in dry conditions.
Drainage
230mm (9in) long for use to relieve severe compaction or localised standing water.
Root Pruning
50mm (2ins) for aeration and to improve sward density.
The fork costs £54 + VAT with a set of tines, depending on type, costing between £20 - £30 per set.
Available form the Pitchcare Shop:
www.pitchcare.com/ shop/product/1476/65
CONSTRUCTION Golf Courses and Sports Fields
Sand Slitting, Gravel Banding, Piped Drainage DRAINAGE Koro Top Dressing, Overseeding, Sand Spreading Verti Draining, Scarifying, Hollow Coring,
For further details & consultation contact 07860 458822 or 07921 290985
Fungicide, Pesticide, Herbicide
RENOVATION SPRAYING
SPORTS TURF RENOVATION & CONSTRUCTION EXPERT ADVICE & AGRONOMY SERVICES
FINE TURF MAINTENANCE WORK SPECIALIST EQUIPMENT HIRE TEL: 01952 511000
www.oakleysgroundcare.com E.mail
phil@oakleysgroundcare.co.uk
107
CONSTRUCTION•DRAINAGE RENOVATION•SPRAYING
Tel: 01924 493359 Mob: 07778 288579 Email:
alan.chappelow@
btconnect.com
www.pitchcare.com SPORTSTURF
D CRANE EST. 1984
Vertidraining, Hollow Coring, Overseeding, Draining, Gravel Banding, Field Top Maker, Deep Scarifying & all types of Sports Turf Maintenance
Mobile: 07860 259692 Tel: 01284 735105 Fax 01284 735105
Email:
peter@buryturfcare.com www.buryturfcare.com D W Clark DRAINAGE LTD
SPECIALIST SPORTSTURF CONSTRUCTION & DRAINAGE CONTRACTORS • Gravel Banding • Sand Slitting
• Top Dressing • Renovation • Irrigation Unit 7, Brailes Industrial Estate, Winderton Lane, Lower Brailes Banbury, Oxfordshire OX15 5JW
Tel: 01608 685800 Fax: 01608 685801 email:
jim@dwclarkdrainageltd.co.uk Web:
www.dwclarkdrainageltd.co.uk
To advertise in this section contact Classifieds
Peter Britton on 01747 855335 email:
peter@pitchcare.com
SPORTS TURF CONTRACTORS
FTS
Sportsground & Amenity Contractors
Cricket Pitch Specialists
Unit 5, Beenham Industrial Estate Reading, Berkshire RG7 5PP Tel: 0118 9714420 Mob: 07768 696291 Fax: 0118 9714522
www.fts-sportsturf.co.uk
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