Bye bye Poa annua seedheads??

We've begun our program of slowing growth on greens with growth regulators. This is done to improve greens' speeds for putting but is also done to improve turfgrass health and stamina in summer. The program this year was also designed to prevent Poa annua seedheads from appearing during May and June.

Growth regulators slow growth by limiting the plants' production of gibberellic acid at the growing point. Less gibberellic acid limits the plant's ability to elongate cells. Under regulation, growth is slowed by more than 50%. Research shows that in addition to faster and smoother greens, the energies the plant puts forth toward manufacturing shoots and leaves is reversed. Simply, instead pushing out shoots and leaves, the turf grows more prolific roots. Deeply rooted turf can pull more nutrients and water from soils when summer heat usually causes root systems to die off.

Greens are populated by two vastly different species of turfgrass, creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) and annual bentgrass, (Poa annua.) Only the annual bluegrass produces those pesky seedheads in late spring that cause poor putting conditions. With some luck, we will not see as many seedheads this spring due to the change in our program. (Luck may be needed, as there is a narrow 48 hour time window for a proper application, six weeks before seedhead emergence!!)