Although greens aerification is usually reserved for spring and fall, greens venting is a common practice throughout the summer months on most courses. Monthly venting with a small 3/8" solid tine, is a staple of our greens management process this season and for the past 15 seasons. Penetrating the green surface to a depth of 6", venting provides an outlet for air, gas, and liquids accumulating in the soil profile.
Some of the benefits of venting include the
following:
- Venting allows air to enter the soil profile, which encourages health rooting and keeps soil microbes alive. Soil microbes transform soil nutrients making them more available for plant uptake.
- Carbon Dioxide, a component of plant respiration and photosynthesis, accumulates in poorly drained soils and can become problematic if not properly vented.
- Venting holes allow water to pass through or move laterally throughout the soil profile, which aids in drainage and reduces soil temperatures in stressful weather conditions. Since water is a great conductor of heat, soggy soils generate and retain higher soil temperatures, which have an adverse effect on grass roots.
Immediately after venting, a greens roller tamps down any irregularities created from the aerification process. Players reported no adverse effects in putting quality or ball roll immediately after the rolling. To be effective, this process is repeatedly monthly throughout the months of June, July and August.
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