Is There Ever a Good Time to Aerate?

By Jim Baird, Agronomist, USGA
November 4, 2007

Cultivation is one of the most common discussion topics during Turf Advisory Service (TAS) visits. Unless it is a first visit or a new green committee, most golfers seem to have a fairly good understanding as to why it is important to punch holes, make slits, or otherwise spread sand onto greens. Cultivation leads to deeper rooting, reduction of organic matter, healthier turf, and ultimately smoother, firmer, and faster greens. Why then, is it so difficult to schedule and adhere to these important practices?

Well, there are Ladies' Days, one-, two-, and three-day Member-Guest events, the Club Championship (spread out over several weekends), Opening Day, Closing Day, member outings, and, just in case there is room left on the calendar for cultivation, outside outings seemingly fill up any and all voids in the golf season calendar. And let's not forget about the foursome or two of fair or foul weather golfers whose game cannot be disrupted by holes in greens, never mind the rain or near freezing temperatures. Thus one may ask, is there ever a good time to aerate? The answer seems to be, whenever it does not affect the golf schedule of [insert your name here].

During TAS visits, we often discuss performing cultivation practices when the weather is most conducive for rapid turf growth and therefore recovery. In the Northeast, those dates usually correspond to May and late August or early September. Timing also is important considering proximity to the summer stress period when the benefits of cultivation are needed most. More often than not, however, superintendents are forced to squeeze major cultivation practices into the early spring and late fall around the golf calendar and when the fewest number of golfers are affected. Unfortunately, colder weather and subsequent slower turf recovery are often typical of these times. And let's not forget the unlikely, but not uncommon, occurrence of having unseasonably cool temperatures in May or September that can delay turf recovery. Well, we see it happen quite frequently.

The following tips are offered to help your golf course get the most out of cultivation while minimizing disruption to play.

• Schedule golf events on the calendar around cultivation events and not the other way around. When you think about it, is any one golf event more important than the health and well being of your greens?
• Plan contingency dates for major cultivation events to allow for foul weather.
• Turf recovery following cultivation will be most rapid during warmer periods of weather that are typical.
• Turf will be better able to cope or recover from summer stress if cultivation practices are performed closer to summer as opposed to in the early spring and late fall.
• When planning aeration events, get the most bang for your buck by creating larger holes that displace more organic matter and hold more sand.