Let the good times Roll!

The Deep tining has begun!

Our last and final piece of new equipment arrived yesterday-a Redexim Vertidrain. The Redexim Company has been around for 30 years and is the leader in deep tine aerification. The piece of machinery will be become the foundation to our fairway aerification program.
This specific aerifier is much different than the typical aerifier that you usually see on putting green. This aerifier has the ability to reach depths of 12” deep, where are most aerifiers go 3-4” into the soil. When the aerifing tine is inserted into the ground, the machine is design to allow the tines to create a “kicking” motion, therefore affecting more area and increasing how alluvial the soil is, thus allowing for a better root structure.

Why is this important, you ask? During the renovation in 2005, the fairways were stripped of the old 419 bermudagrass, rototilled to a depth of 4” and regrassed. Though this created a wonderful soil profile for the juvenile grass, traditional core aerification that followed never allowed for the roots to get to a depth where they could withstand the stress of traffic, mowing and insects. Over the years, the soil has become “locked up” and severe compaction has settled in, along with the soil’s inability to flush salts and releases beneficial nutrients. After viewing all our fairways with our turfgrass consultant, we found that many Pine Tree’s fairways have a layer nearly 3” deep. The top 3” provides and fairly good growing medium for the plant, but that is where is stops…literally. In many cases, the layer that consists 3” below the surface is so compacted, that a hammer was needed to insert the soil probe past a 3” depth.
We tried out the new machine on #15 fairway and was shocked as to just how soft the soil is after the machine had done its work. There was smile on all our faces because we know that this is the beginning to return the fairways to the healthy, dense, aggressive turf that we all expect and can be proud of.

Our intensions are to deep tine the fairways 3-4 times this summer, along with traditional core aerification. Compile this with the LIME to adjust of ph levels and proper fertilizers and we will have a hard time slowing down the growth-believe us, our feelings will not be hurt when this is the case!

From the blog of Tony Nysse, Superintendent of Pine Tree Golf Club