Jared had a great post last week called Aerification… Some people love it, some think it’s a cuss word
There was a link to a nice USGA article about the benefits of aerification.
As a plant pathologist, I will second everything that is in there. I know, it’s hard to aerify when everything is looking awesome, but promoting drainage, getting organic matter under control, and encouraging root growth now will help prevent problems later (AUGUST!) when everything hits the fan.
Here is what we do NOT want.
Extreme puffiness:
Organic matter buildup (leads to poor drainage, heat retention, and roots crashing and burning in the summer):
Here are some of those sad roots:
And, here is where those conditions led to Pythium root rot:
Aerification can be a pain, but it can be a good friend.
