A look at some of the latest drainage and aeration products for golf clubs

By Alistair February 24, 2021 07:50 Updated

From new products that help move water in soil to machinery that aids drainage and aeration during this winter period, there are a range of companies that can help prepare your course for an optimum performance this spring and summer.

Headland Amenity has announced the introduction of a new granular version of its popular penetrant wetter Terafirm™. Suitable for use in all fine and coarse turf situations, the Terafirm™ range improves the downward movement of water through the soil profile, helping to achieve a firmer playing surface.

Terafirm™ is a non-phytotoxic soil penetrant, which works by reducing the surface tension of water to facilitate accelerated water movement and drainage. As a result, Terafirm™ also acts to speed up surface drying and open up pore space within the soil profile during dry down by improving natural soil contraction.

The launch of Terafirm™ granular, in addition to the existing liquid formulation, means it can now be applied in even more areas and in different conditions than was previously the case. Terafirm™ Granular is easy to spread on bunker edges, slopes, or other areas where access with a sprayer is difficult. Containing the same active ingredient as in liquid Terafirm™, use of the granular product is an effective alternative to spraying.

Although no chemical penetrant can, in itself, alter the physical properties of soil that determine drainage rates, Terafirm™ will help get the water out as quickly as the physical properties of the soil allow. Applications of Terafirm™ can be made on a monthly or more frequent basis, most-effectively before the onset of seasonal periods of heavy moisture. As a spot treatment on wet areas, Terafirm™ can be applied at two-week intervals until the excessive moisture conditions subside.

Regular use of Terafirm™ offers the turf professional an effective tool to help maintain drier soil surface conditions, helping to reduce puddling and anaerobic conditions, and producing a faster-draining, drier and healthier sward.

Meanwhile, from Price Turfcare, the versatile Ventrac all-terrain multi-purpose tractor offers wide-ranging winter maintenance options and with over 30 attachments it can be used for a multitude of turf maintenance operations. Winter is the perfect opportunity for drainage and irrigation work, so Ventrac’s KY400 Trencher attachment is an ideal choice when installing or repairing irrigation systems, digging drainage channels or laying underground cables.

It can create a trench up to 1.02 metres (40 inches) deep with a 14 cm wide (5.5 inch) cut and is designed with dual ‘Push-N-Pull’ cylinders to assure positive boom control for digging, boom lift, and transport.

The heavy-duty carbide tips of the trenching chain allow operators to cut through tough terrain, providing excellent performance in a variety of soil conditions. The digging teeth bolt onto the chain for easy replacement. The 4500 tractor’s compact design and ground pressure of just 6 psi, allows it to operate the Trencher in tight spaces with minimal turf damage, especially in wet conditions.

Once the trench is complete with pipe/cable installed and aggregate topping, simply switch out the trencher for the power blade to backfill the disturbed area. Changing between implements is simple and quick, adding to the versatility of this machine.

The Ventrac 4500 with its multitude of implements is justly described as the greenkeepers’ ‘Swiss Army Knife’, allowing multiple tasks to accomplish, year-round. Turf compaction and grass damage over the winter months caused by foot or vehicle traffic and other stresses can be an issue and needs to be alleviated to keep the turf healthy. Aeration is vital for healthy turf and with Ventrac’s Aera-vator and integrated Gandy seeder it’s possible to aerate and overseed in one pass.

The Aera-vator is designed to break and loosen the soil beneath the surface without destroying the turf. It creates a hole without bringing a core plug to the surface, leaving the turf ready for use immediately after treatment. The Aera-vator works best in drier ground leaving a core hole while fracturing the subsoil.

To see the Ventrac and attachments in action, please contact Price Turfcare on 01284 827540 or enquiries@priceturfcare.com

And GKB Machines, the company behind sustainable, reliable and robust maintenance machinery for natural, synthetic and hybrid turf that provides greenkeepers with the solution to ground compaction thanks to their aeration products. Combining aeration and rolling, the GKB Deep Tine Aerator (DTA) and GKB Topair work together to ensure greenkeepers can maintain their grounds to optimum condition.

With many turf professionals stuck between wanting their grass to grow but also wanting to maintain a levelled sports pitch, the GKB Topair offers the perfect solution. Thanks to its Evolvente® blades, the GKB Topair minimises the surface disruption. The GKB Topair also reduces power usage by minimising friction between the blades and the pitch.

This reliable machine features an operating speed of around 10 km/h with a maximum operating depth of 16cm, which can easily be read from the mobile measuring rod. Engineered with versatility in mind, the robust GKB Topair also allows users to level out their sports pitch by a hydraulically adjustable pressure roller which users can aerate and level the pitch or execute the tasks separately.

The GKB Topair fulfils the desire and ambition of making sports pitch maintenance sustainable, which works effectively in conjunction with the GKB Deep Tine Aerator (DTA) as the aeration of the upper layer is a necessity for natural grass growth.

Considered one of the major causes of poor sward density, root development and waterlogging, the GKB Deep Tine Aerator (DTA) works on natural sports pitches to relieve the surface compaction enabling water to travel through and for stronger roots to develop.

With an adjustable 25-degree heave angle, the GKB DTA’s tine holding system allows you to take control of removing compaction. From varying depths up to 16 inches and featuring a three-speed heavy-duty gearbox, you can adjust the speed on the tines to create the required hole pattern in the turf. Thanks to the machine’s unique tine mounting system, quick changeover for different size tines has never been easier.

Like all GKB products, the DTA was built on the understanding that ‘the worker is king’, and this innovative machine requires minimal maintenance as it’s fitted with heavy-duty sealed bearings on the crankshaft, ensuring focus is always on improving the ground and less on maintaining the machine.

For more on GKB Machines and their reliable and robust range of machinery for natural, hybrid and synthetic turf, please visit www.gkbmachines.com or contact Tom Shinkins on 07495883617.