Grounds staff at Port Stephens Council in NSW recently hired a deep tine aerator from Kennards Groundcare to renovate 16 multi-purpose playing fields.
The tractor-drawn attachment creates 19 mm or 3/4in holes and has an adjustable hydraulic top linkage which keeps the implement level at all times.
According to Ray Ambrose, sports field manager for Port Stephens Council, the Council has traditionally used 3/4in hollow tines to a depth of approximately 50 to 75 mm.
"While this achieves most of our short term goals for growth, long term it has gradually created more compaction and less water percolation," he says.
After deciding to improve renovation procedures and focus more on drainage, compaction problems and maintaining turf growth, Ambrose decided to use Kennards' deep coring machine with 3/4in solid tines and to a minimum depth of 150 mm.
"We achieved an excellent result with establishment of turf to an optimum cover in six weeks, compared to the previous 12 weeks. This was mainly due to greater water movement and extra breakdown of compaction. Most important was the great result of percolation of the surface water during winter," he says.
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