When I started here in 2015 my predecessor, Dan Salois, aerified greens every spring and fall. He was able to bring the organic matter (thatch) to a manageable level during his tenure. We sample soils twice a year and I made the decision to just aerify in the fall as our organic matter levels were holding steady or slightly increasing. After three years of just fall aerification the organic matter kept increasing when we sampled the greens so we made the decision to throw a spring aerification in every other year and this has stabilized our organic matter to the proper level.
With variable weather in the months of March and April it is hard to plan a date for spring aerification. I try to just pick the first "good" Monday where the weather cooperates. We were fortunate to have decent weather on the 5th of April and we decided to get the aerification started and finished our process on the 6th. The holes should heal by mid next week and we will reap the benefits throughout the rest of the season. These benefits include decreased organic matter, better drainage, more oxygen to the roots and an overall healthier stand of turf.
Thanks for understanding the benefits of this disruptive process and enjoy the rest of the season.
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