Technical
Terrain Aeration
surface if the wrong type of equipment is used or the operation is carried out in the wrong conditions”
important to note that damage can occur to the playing
“It is also
BLEC Ground Breaker
introduced Vert-Quake from Charterhouse Redexim. The Shockwaves are available in a wide range of working widths and depths starting at a 1m working width right through to 2.5m. They are able to penetrate to a depth of between 120mm-530mm, depending on the choice of machine and ground conditions. The Blec Ground Breaker also offers four different specification machines with similar working widths and depths. Like the two other models, the Verti-Quake vastly improves drainage, root development, plus the uptake of moisture and nutrients. Four Verti-Quake models are available, with a working depth up to 380mm. All of the above machines come with various blade options. Finally, there are compressed air decompactors that are effective at greater depths, being able to penetrate below one metre. Terrain Aeration’s machines have been at the forefront of this technology but, in recent years, an Australian interloper, the Gwazae, has entered the marketplace. The technique has been around for a number of years and is tried and tested in many situations both on sports turf and commercial land assets, such as orchards and tree plantations, to help put back air into the soil structure and break up any compacted layers.
Many turf managers say that they would do more aerating ‘if time allowed’. Therefore, machinery should be sourced that can take advantage of ‘weather windows’, collect cores as they go or perform more than one operation. An example would be the John Deere
Aercore 800 which, with the verticutter attachment fitted, will aerate and verticut in one pass. Where speed is important, the Wiedenmann machines should be considered, with some models offering deep aeration at the same speed as shallow aeration, whilst the PlanetAir
Ryetec Aeroking
from Kensett Sports is able to cover eighteen greens in around four hours. The Groundsman Flexblade Core Collector was initially developed as an attachment for Groundsman aerators to gather the cores as they are being produced in a one pass operation, but the company have now made it available as a stand alone implement for three point linkage mounting on a compact tractor, or for turf utility vehicle mounting using the tipping body mountings and operating ram. And, of course, size matters. On fine turf, heavy, tractor mounted machines would be out of the questions. This is where models such as Toro’s pedestrian ProCore range, JD’s Aercore, the Groundsman 345 and Sisis Dart come into their own on golf and bowls greens, croquet lawns and tennis courts. These pedestrian models are also favoured on football pitches for regular aeration throughout the season.
So, what are the other benefits from carrying out aeration?
• Improves soil surface drainage (water infiltration)
• Helps to increase soil temperatures
• Increases soil pore space - allows gaseous exchanges in the soil (oxygen in, carbon dioxide out) that improves root growth and development
• Aids integration of topdressings into the soil profile
• Aids the breakdown of thatch/organic matter
• Promotes better surface levels that will increase ball roll /speed
• Aids surface firmness/dryness, thereby increasing ball bounce and surface grip
Without effective aeration programmes, pitches would return to the quagmires of days gone by. Using a variety of aeration techniques and machines, modern day
Charterhouse Verti-Quake 110 PC APRIL/MAY 2012
Groundsman flexblade
John Deere Aercore
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