We have been looking at the advice from a number of respected groundmen, responsible for managing some of the most exclusive golf courses in the world. We have condensed this information to give you a clear overview of the benefits of aeration and it's key role in all aspects of the strength and health of the lawn. A healthy lawn is one that is free of moss and and weeds, no compacted thatch with a strong leaf sward.
Thatch and organic breakdown
Lawns that have not had any management for some time, will most likely have a build up of thatch. This is an issue when the thatch has lost the ability to breakdown, there is limited micro organisms and funghi to breakdown the thatch and where the majority of the thatch is lignin - which is the woody polymer from plant cells, which does not rot easily. This needs to be removed by scarifiying but with careful management, you should not need to do this again. It is a time consuming, expensive process, quite destructive and certainly something you want to avoid where possible.
Organic matter, and that includes cut grass, is beneficial to the lawn, provided the lawn is healthy with micro-organisms, fungi and importantly nematodes. These go through the rootzone pushing soil particles apart, root hairs then colonise the space. Worms do this on a bigger scale creating air space and drainage. Fungi and actinobacteria are essential to breakdown the lignin, the woody deposits.
Aeration
In order for the above to function properly, the soil and the root system needs oxygen and good drainage so the optimum amount of water is retained in the root system. Aeration can take many forms and many depths and all of these will have different impacts. In the past the trend was for hollow tines, driven deep, up to 150mm in to the lawn and then topped with sand or a fine loam top dressing. You really only need to be considering the hollow tine option if you have a build up of thatch and haven't scarified. All of this is expensive so you want to be getting your lawn to be in top condition to avoid doing this. Solid tines and narrow tines are less destructive and will ensure the same results, but only if the soil is in good condition in relation to the soil organisms.
The principle benefits to aeration
Aeration can be defined as ‘a mechanical process that creates more air space in the soil and promotes deeper rooting, thus helping the grass plant to stay healthy’. If you imagine the foot traffic on a gold course, this is similar to children playing on the lawn, and adults. So consider the impact that has in compacting the soil, which needs to be relieved.
• An oxygenated root zone
• Good surface drainage
• Healthier growing turf
• Alleviates compaction
• Encourages deeper rooting
• Improves drought tolerance
• Helps to break down thatch
• Increases microbial activity
• Improves nutrient uptake
We would recommend having your lawn aerated with a deep tine in March and then regular shallow, fine tines throughout the summer and a deep tine in the autumn. It is worth noting all of this requires a regular but irregular mowing programme and careful feeding programme. It is worth pointing out that while regular artificial feeding is good for the lawn, ideally you want to reach a point where you have a balance with the soil, organic matter and a healthy bio-ecosystem that feeds the lawn hence.....
....Next time we discuss the benefit of mulching and demystifying common arguments against it
source: www.pitchcare.com
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