This morning
we are venting (solid-tine aerating) the greens and collars. They will be
double-rolled immediately following the procedure, and will be double-rolled again
tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday. We typically vent the greens during a
scheduled Monday Maintenance Morning, but with the double shotgun to
accommodate the tournament this Monday we were not able to do so.
Our
greens are holding up very well this summer, but their rootzones need oxygen
right now as the droughty and hot summer conditions along with added compaction
from the traffic of maintenance equipment and heavy play have taken their toll
on them. Venting accomplishes just that, it provides channels for gas
exchange and enhances root growth, but without the major disruption of a core
aeration. Venting greens is scheduled for every 14 days during the
season, but we have not done one since July 21st due to a stat
holiday and outside tournaments.
We
are using a different style of venting tine this time around so we completed a
trial on the front of the 9th green Tuesday morning to ensure that they
deliver the results we want. This bayonet style of venting tine produces more
of a narrow slicing action on the surface vs a small round hole. The
slicing action of these tines sever the small fibrous roots instead of
separating them. This severing action causes the plant hormone Auxin to
be released that causes root branching even in times of stress. Root
branching enhances root density and contributes to a stronger and healthier
root mass. Here is a photo illustrating venting tine setup, the immediate
results and the finished product following the first double-roll:
You
can expect the greens to be a bit bumpy today and again tomorrow, but back to
normal following their 3rd double-roll on Saturday morning.
