We are continuing to make holes this fall, now using solid tines on the fairways. This practice provides several benefits. The heavy duty machine has a slight "kick" to it, which purposefully causes some heaving of the ground as the tine enters and exits. This fracturing of the soil increases pore space and decreases compaction caused by traffic, thereby allowing for better water infiltration, more oxygen in the root zone, and ultimately, improved rooting.
We follow up the solid tining with a roller to smooth the surface. The aerifier we acquired this year is able to go deeper than our previous machine, and it heaved-up a surprisingly large rock on #4 fairway this past week.
When you discover something like this, a few thoughts come to mind:
- You never know what you'll hit when you stick a shovel in the ground.
- A plant's appearance is typically dictated by what is happening below ground--however there may be minor exceptions to this rule.
- Maybe we really could grow grass on a sidewalk...
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