Verti-Draining for Sports Pitches in the Northwest
Verti-Draining/Hollow-Core Aeration
Hollow-Core aeration is the process of mechanically removing small plugs of thatch and soil from the turf to allow more air into the soil.
Verti Draining aerates the soil
Aerating the soil assists drainage, improves the soil structure, aids root development of the turf and aids thatch control. This results in an improved harder wearing playing surface that can be played on even in periods of extreme wet and healthier more vibrant looking turf. Aeration also assists the turf to uptake fertiliser easier thereby saving money by reducing the amount of fertiliser required.
Aeration is one of the single most important treatments to perform on turf and ideally should be conducted annually. However heavily used pitches including sand based pitches or those growing on heavy clay soil would benefit from two aerations a year.
To carry out aeration, we use the world’s leading lawn aerator manufactured by Wiedenmann, used by turf care professionals worldwide and proven to give better aeration resulting in more playable pitches than any other machine. Most other machines only create a hole without any heave; this is known as ‘spiking’ although this had its benefits this process is now out dated. Our state of the art technology does a lot more than punch a hole in the ground it actually creates a “heave” which loosens the soil. The heave is the important feature of the operation, when our tines enter the ground it pushes back, which creates air pockets within the root-zone. The pitch will be up to 25mm higher when this process is completed and will be much nicer to play on.
In summary older machines simply punch a hole in the ground which may even hold water. Our machinery breaks up the soil, makes the ground more comfortable for playing and maximises root aeration therefore water penetration which will bring the roots further down into the ground making the plants more drought resistant giving you our clients a better longer lasting pitch.
