Cultivation In The Rough

The lines that you can see in the rough are from a recent cultivation practice.  This is done to allow better air and water movement into the soil.  We completed this in areas of the rough that receive heavy traffic, resulting in compacted soils.  When soils are compacted, air is displaced from the rootzone which causes a wide array of problems.  It is more difficult for roots to survive and water to move in the soil.

The machine we used is called a Verti-Quake.  It has thick blades that slice into the soil to break up the compacted zone. The channels the machine makes will allow for water to soak into the soil quicker and space for roots to grow.  The grass will grow back over the channels, but they will still be in the soil through the season.  We can dig in areas where we have used this machine in the past, and still see the channels it created.