Greens Grooming

Now that the greens have healed in from aerification we are moving on to other cultural practices that we utilize throughout the season to improve the health and playability of the greens.  Core aerification is one of our most important practices, however, the impact of the other practices that typically go unnoticed are not to be underestimated.

Yesterday we groomed the greens for the first time since aerification.  The groomer would be similar to verticutting, only less aggressive.  Standing up the turf, cutting horizontal growth, thinning the canopy, and removing thatch are a few of the benefits of grooming.  

From a players perspective, it is difficult to tell anything took place following the grooming and mowing.  From my perspective, we see cart fulls of plant material removed from the greens, firmer, tighter turf, and a surface capable of withstanding lower mowing heights without scalping.

Close up view of Grooming attachment.

Turf and thatch removed from Green.

 Moving forward, we will continue to utilize different Cultural Practices to keep the greens looking and playing their best.  Grooming, topdressing, rolling, brushing, verticutting, and venting all have a place in our greens management program.  I will continue to discuss these practices in other posts moving forward.