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Aerworx in other industries
Do you have the challenge of managing grounds for sports, car parks, airstrips?
How many times do we say "the ground conditions are bad this year" and we simply accept it and deal with the consequences or find work arounds, including cancelling matches? Something can be done to make your grounds more resilient to the ever challenging weather patterns.
The wet winter/spring months often leave us with waterlogged poached grounds that then bake and leave uneven hard ruts in the summer months. Grass sits under water for significant periods of time and grass cover can become affected making way for bare patches and weed invasion.
Q: Why?
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A: Soil Compaction!​
What is soil compaction?
Compaction occurs when the soil structure becomes compressed. The soil particles become consolidated in to what is known as large aggregates or blocks, squeezing out the oxygen and water, needed for grass growth and the function of important microorganisms that work to help grass grow.
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When it rains, the water can't "percolate" through the soil ( a bit like a coffee filter) but instead sits on the surface and either causes waterlogging.
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The grass roots are then deprived of water because the soil can't retain what it doesn't have access to. The roots also struggle to penetrate in to the compressed soil or "pan".
Why do we get soil compaction?
Years of footfall, vehicles driving over the land ; grounds that are worked in wet conditions e.g. harrowing, rolling, topping are the main causes of compaction.These activities compress the soil particles and affect its porosity..
Rugby & Football Pitches
Cricket Grounds
Golf Courses
Car Parks
Sports Grounds​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Why should I worry about compaction on sports grounds?
The rain and oxygen can't reach the soil through the hard compacted "pan" leading to poor soil health.The consequences are then far reaching:
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prolonged waterlogging that kills off the grass and results in cancelled matches and the public opinion that follows!​
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poor grass growth, distribution and quality means grounds are less resilient to wear - prolonged recovery times for the grounds are seen especially during the busy sporting season
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poor grass growth results in uneven cover making your bare ground vulnerable to erosion from wind and rain and invasion of more resilient weeds, making it even harder to maintain.​
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An irregular ground surface - the wet winter ground becomes poached, causes more compaction and then bakes in the summer resulting in hard uneven rutted ground predisposing to player sprains and strains and irregular in play ball projectiles
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increased maintenance costs with re seeding/ fertilising/ staff costs/ fuel...
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more compaction is created addressing these avoidable long term problems with vehicles on the grounds.
Why should I aerate a grass car park?
Car parks are one of the most obvious examples of extreme compaction as a result of excessive vehicle passing. Aeration will:
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prevent waterlogging and keep "in use" days to a maximum
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speed up car park surface recovery time
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reduce muddy wet grounds causing vehicles to get stuck and the associated logistics and costs.
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reduce the need for steel road plates and associated costs
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prevent erosion from wind and rain if grass cover is good
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prevent long term poor soil health and grass growth
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reduce the need for rolling and fertilising. A well drained surface won't poach or rut.
Why should I aerate my airstrip?
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encourage even grass growth for an even more predictable landing surface
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encourage good grass cover to reduce erosion from landings in the long term.
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build in long term resilience to heavy rain and wind to prevent erosion
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build in long term resilience to dry summers to allow the soil to capture and retain rain and continue to support grass growth
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prevent dangerous waterlogging
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reduce the number of days that the airstrip has to be closed in wet conditions.
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reduce the need for re seeding, fertilising and associated costs
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reduce the need for expensive drainage systems
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prevent further compaction!
Airstrips
Aerating an airstrip when the ground is hard
We offer a large range of different models and sizes to suit YOUR needs, with optional additional extras and the flexibility to work together to design a bespoke machine too.
So how can I rid of soil compaction? ​​​​​​​​
AERATION!
Aeration of soil can improve the porous nature of soil so that water is captured and drained away, optimising soil health for grass growth and avoids those detrimental surface conditions.​
How does aeration work?
Traditionally lightweight spiked aerators were used to make holes or small slits in the surface of the soil but this often isn't enough to break up the hard pan that sits around 7cm and below!
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The AERWORX AERATOR is carefully designed to create deep slots in the topsoil, shatter the deeper soil underneath but, importantly, without disturbance of the surface. The key is to aerate when the conditions are dry so that we don't create more compaction taking the vehicle and machine across wet ground.
Q:Can I still aerate if I don't have a tractor?
A: YES!
​Our Compact range (1m or 1.5m x 20" drum) is designed for anyone who may be limited (access/ hp availability etc) to using lower horsepower mini tractors/ RTVs/ quads/ 4x4s.​
If you do have access to a tractor we have a large range available to suit your needs. ​
