Portable aerifier an answer for spot treating

Spot aerifying can be tricky. Many areas are too small to accommodate an aerifying machine, and the labor involved in using a spiker on a stick doesn’t hold much attraction for turf managers.

That’s why superintendents may be intrigued that GT AirInject, Inc. this week is unveiling the Air2HP portable aerifier to the golf course industry. A featured part of the GIS trade show’s New Product Showcase (booth 3073), the company describes the Air2HP as an innovative and convenient hand-held device that will revolutionize the way turf facilities ease compaction, increase drainage and aerify.

Company President Glen Black, who invented the device, says the Air2HP quickly and easily spot-treats high-traffic areas such as cart paths and approaches, and can increase drainage, aerify and ease compaction in sand bunkers, on tees, greens and fairways, in flowerbeds and around tree roots. He says the unit is a cost-effective counterpart to AirInject’s aerification machine, the Air2G2.

“The Air2HP makes the benefits of aerification more portable, accessible and affordable for golf course management,” says the Jacksonville, Fla.-based Black. “Based on the success of the Air2G2, we knew that we needed to provide our customers with a portable, hand-held tool for aerification. The result is the Air2HP.”

The product uses a single probe to inject air beneath the turf’s surface. It fractures compacted soil as far as 40 inches beneath the surface, Black says, and allows root systems access to air and improves drainage. It doesn’t disrupt the turf’s surface, so treated areas are ready for use immediately after aerification. The Air2HP requires an external air compressor (135psi/1 hp/3 gal/2.4 scfm @ 90psi minimum), or may be used in conjunction with the Air2G2.

Besides these immediate benefits, Black notes that the Air2HP creates optimal conditions for deeper root growth and increased microbial activity by forcing gas exchange within the soil. This increases drought tolerance, reduces the need for fertilizer, decreases the risk of harmful fungus and bacteria in the root zone and improves cumulative turf health.

GT AirInject’s Air2G2 aerification machine is distributed internationally and is used at West Point Military Academy and by professional sports teams, including the Chicago Cubs, Manchester United Football Club, the Boston Red Sox and the Green Bay Packers, which uses both the Air2G2 on their field as well as the Air2HP around their shrubs, trees and flower beds. More information is available at air2g2.com, by email at gtairinject@air2g2.com and by phone at (904) 379-2243.