Message Board - Natural Turf: Compaction on Pitches
25 Sep 2010 by korky
Since all natural pitches get compacted from play and traffic, both machinery and pedestrian what is the best way to get rid of this compaction? Is it only present in the top 3"? The machinery usually used are Verti-Drain but these are horrendously expensive for small clubs. Are there any linear trailed machines to do an adequate job without "costing the earth"? Have any of you used an Aerway?
29 Sep 2010 by JOH
Hi Korky
We use our own Verti-drain ever 12 weeks, and grounds break every year. Prior to purchase of our own verti drain we hired in from ATB Sports Solutions.
Try Burdens turf fleet too, they will do a tractor verti-drain or grounds break combo hire at a weekly rate.
29 Sep 2010 by Aladdin
Linear trailed machines?
Well, we have a small Groundbreaker trailed behind a 25hp tractor. Hydraulics required though.
As for "costing the earth", ours cost c£7,000 new.
From the posh end of the room!!
29 Sep 2010 by tonybolton
Not allowed to advertise on here but the Greentek Aerokwick with hydraulic top link is a great bit of kit at under 2k can be used behind a 20hp tractor
A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but mean your mother
30 Sep 2010 by Neil Dixon
Tony, we have an aeroquick for our junior pitches and concur with you on this.
30 Sep 2010 by korky
Thanks lads. Would I be correct in asserting that a combination of machines over a period of years would do a good job, each having their own attributes? Also you would be decompacting at different depths? I suppose quality sand( correct type) applied and dragmatted every year is another requirment?
30 Sep 2010 by Anthony Asquith
Korky
Three golden rules apply to aeration that have not or will not change with time which are aerate little and often, aerate to different depths and aerate in the right conditions.
Paul Reike in the states did a huge amount of work which was first class and has not been repeated.
Regarding topdreessing, yes providing the right sand is used but a high proportion is required over a period of time and the more heterogeneous the mixing the better.
Anthony
30 Sep 2010 by Grassman2011
AA, i may be daft, i dont know, but please explain, little and often.
30 Sep 2010 by jlawrence
I get that you can feed little and often, but how do you aerate a little ? Surely you either aerate or you don't ?
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
30 Sep 2010 by barry glynn
He means do it hetrogeneously 
What do I do? I just cut the grass.
30 Sep 2010 by tonybolton
Depth is not the issue, you don't always have to go too the extremeties of your machine, up a bit down a bit and sometimes very deep others just scrape the surface, allow your turf to breath, get to know it and what it wants.
A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but mean your mother
1 Oct 2010 by Anthony Asquith Last edited 1 Oct 2010
Apologies, I meant to say do it often.
AA
1 Oct 2010 by korky
Thanks again. However, every answer begs a question. Is aeration practices good enough to decompact. Take a Rugby pitch getting the equivalent of 2 adult games every week in wettish conditions, will a weekly run of a slitter be enough to keep adequate pore space in this soil or will it need the use of a Verti-Drain with Heave machine?
2 Oct 2010 by pen fold
do any of you actually test for compaction, ie is ground hard or compacted, where on the scale of 1 to 10 does compaction start, and how deep is that compction in your soil profile.
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