Bowling Green FAQ 18: Can we aerate the green during the summer?

Yes, is the straightforward answer to that, however, you do need to be careful with the type of aeration carried out and to postpone the activity if the ground is too dry or the weather too hot.

Shallow slit tines or a spiked roller, where tine penetration is at most 50mm, will help to keep the immediate surface layer open, aid oxygenation of the rootzone, further encouraging root development and a healthier sward, and allow rainfall and irrigation water to more readily move into the soil profile rather than stay within the surface layer, which will typically occur if no bypass aeration holes or slits are present. With thatch having an often-undesirable presence on the majority of bowling greens it is essential that any water which is present does not just sit within this layer, otherwise this will just add to the problem of thatch build-up, as well as a soft, slow surface, which is more easily worn and susceptible to divoting from bowls delivered (or dropped!) from height rather than a smooth transition from hand to green surface.

Deeper aeration is not usually carried out during the summer because the rootzone can be too dry and hard, and surface disturbance is more likely. Deeper tine aeration will typically result in the surface area around the tine hole staying open for much longer (due to drier conditions and drying winds), often with an expansion of the hole and / or cracking of the surface, impacting on bowl roll and presentation.