|
|
| |  | |
Aerators are no trouble at all
High hours, low maintenance and no trouble at all – so says Aberdeen City Council supervisor Stewart McBain about the council’s John Deere Aercore 1500 tractor-mounted aerators, the oldest of which was bought from Scottish dealer Alpha Plus Groundcare in 2003.
Head green keeper Robert Allan uses one at the municipal Hazlehead Golf Course, set in attractive park and woodland on the outskirts of Aberdeen, which features two 18 hole courses, a nine hole course and one nine hole pitch and putt. Two additional new machines have gone to nearby Kings Links and Auchmill Golf Courses, both 18 hole municipal courses run by the city council.
The council is also responsible for maintaining another 18 hole course with a nine hole pitch and putt at Balnagask Golf Course, 30 football pitches at Hazlehead and Inverdee, and five sports centres with 10 bowling greens.
“We were in the market for a tractor mounted aerator and looking around for a machine to use primarily on the golf course greens,” explains Stewart. “Robert Allan was just networking, as greenkeepers do, and ended up chatting to the course manager at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, Robert Patterson, who had a John Deere Aercore and recommended it – and we’re very glad he did, as it’s never given us any trouble whatsoever.
“The oldest machine gets a winter overhaul in our own workshop once a year, but other than that, it’s virtually maintenance free. We use it all year round mounted on a 27hp compact tractor, and it’s very easy to set up for work. John Deere uses side-mounted stands that make this job very straightforward, so you’re ready to go very quickly.
“The aerators are used mainly on our golf greens, and only on the football pitches if absolutely necessary. With the bowling greens, we tend to go in at the end of September and do the whole lot very quickly to keep the disturbance to players to a minimum.
“We use several different tine types, including solid pencil, mini cores, plus 0.5in solid and hollow tines. We tend to hollow core at the end of August or the beginning of September, when the recovery rate is quicker, then pencil tine every four to six weeks, sometimes more often. Mini core tines are used before over-seeding the excessively worn areas.
“The great thing about pencil tining is that it lets air and water into the root zone quickly, encouraging roots to tiller and provide good even grass growth. Before top dressing we would normally verticut first and then pencil tine, then use a brush and vibrating roller, to give a firm and true surface.”
|
|
|
|
