"Rain? We don't need no stinkin rain!" Or wind, clouds, or cold for that matter.
As late May approaches, we are observing injury from disease "leaf spot" on fairway turfgrass. Leaf spot, caused by fungi drechslera, has been present since April, and usually does not alarm turf managers. However, extended cold and wet conditions this week is helping the disease to spread and become more damaging to plants. If left uncontrolled, leaf spot can take out large areas of turf and make for unhappy Golf Course Superintendents and golfers.
If and when the wind and rain stops this week, two fungicides will be applied to control leaf spot in a single application. Most years leaf spot disappears as quick as it comes as warm weather slows, then stops growth of the fungi within the plant. This is not a normal year, so far....
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Hit it straight!!
The rough is growing at a rate keeping both golfers and maintenance people unhappy. I'd like to provide a little information about this situation.
1. Rough turfgrass grows fastest in spring.
2. Since April 1st, 6.50" of rainfall has fallen on Potowomut. This factor is the most important one affecting unruly rough conditions today.
3. After a brutal 2010 summer, rough was fertilized to aid its recovery last fall. This also is affecting rough height and quality, especially when combined with both factors above.
The height of cut on Potowomut rough is 2.50". This height of cut is NOT changed during the year. Lowering the height to 2" would result in thin, less reliable rough during summer months because of the corresponding shrinkage of the turfgrass root system. Larger areas of rough would go dormant in summer months, or would die completely. During a past year, 2" rough was maintained as an experiment and was a rated a miserable failure because of poor rough condition during July, August and September. Remember, most rough turfgrass is NOT irrigated during summer because the sprinkler heads don't throw water far into the rough.
Normally, it takes us a full 40 hour week to mow the rough one time. The operator begins Monday morning at 6AM, and completes mowing eighteen holes by late Friday afternoon. For an example, rough on the 10th hole was mowed on Monday morning May 2nd, and will not be mowed again until Monday morning May 9th. Mowing rough twice a week would require investment in both new equipment and more manpower to complete.
For this month, we are working extra hours to try and stay ahead of the rough. We will mow holes with the thickest rough a second time during the week or during the weekend. We expect the rough to slow down during later May and June if normal weather patterns return.
On a positive note, we have begun mowing the "first cut" of rough this week, three weeks early.
1. Rough turfgrass grows fastest in spring.
2. Since April 1st, 6.50" of rainfall has fallen on Potowomut. This factor is the most important one affecting unruly rough conditions today.
3. After a brutal 2010 summer, rough was fertilized to aid its recovery last fall. This also is affecting rough height and quality, especially when combined with both factors above.
The height of cut on Potowomut rough is 2.50". This height of cut is NOT changed during the year. Lowering the height to 2" would result in thin, less reliable rough during summer months because of the corresponding shrinkage of the turfgrass root system. Larger areas of rough would go dormant in summer months, or would die completely. During a past year, 2" rough was maintained as an experiment and was a rated a miserable failure because of poor rough condition during July, August and September. Remember, most rough turfgrass is NOT irrigated during summer because the sprinkler heads don't throw water far into the rough.
Normally, it takes us a full 40 hour week to mow the rough one time. The operator begins Monday morning at 6AM, and completes mowing eighteen holes by late Friday afternoon. For an example, rough on the 10th hole was mowed on Monday morning May 2nd, and will not be mowed again until Monday morning May 9th. Mowing rough twice a week would require investment in both new equipment and more manpower to complete.
For this month, we are working extra hours to try and stay ahead of the rough. We will mow holes with the thickest rough a second time during the week or during the weekend. We expect the rough to slow down during later May and June if normal weather patterns return.
On a positive note, we have begun mowing the "first cut" of rough this week, three weeks early.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
This won't hurt a bit.....
"Now roll up your golf shirt sleeve, this isn't going to hurt a bit."
Greens are scheduled for aeration beginning Monday May 2.
We are using non invasive bayonet tines to aerate greens this week. We will NOT pull soil from the greens, we are only poking holes into the greens with a thin 6" long knife like tine. We will aerate in two directions. Greens will be lightly topdressed with sand. Greens will again be in nice condition two days after they are aerated.
One reason we aerate greens is to remove thatch, a coagulated layer of dead roots and decaying plant stems. Spring 2011 soil testing show that Potowomut greens contain LOW organic matter (around 2% thatch) content. Just five years ago, our greens contained "excessive" (6%) organic matter according to soil tests. Therefore, we hope to rely less on soil pulling core aeration during future springs and more on solid tine aeration. (****Other factors are also at work that may require spring core aeration, so no guarantees can be issued about which method we choose each sping****)
As a Superintendent, I'm thrilled we've had success to limit excessive greens' thatch. As a golfer, I am also happy to provide aeration to greens without severely impacting surfaces for putting....at least for spring 2011!!
Greens are scheduled for aeration beginning Monday May 2.
We are using non invasive bayonet tines to aerate greens this week. We will NOT pull soil from the greens, we are only poking holes into the greens with a thin 6" long knife like tine. We will aerate in two directions. Greens will be lightly topdressed with sand. Greens will again be in nice condition two days after they are aerated.
One reason we aerate greens is to remove thatch, a coagulated layer of dead roots and decaying plant stems. Spring 2011 soil testing show that Potowomut greens contain LOW organic matter (around 2% thatch) content. Just five years ago, our greens contained "excessive" (6%) organic matter according to soil tests. Therefore, we hope to rely less on soil pulling core aeration during future springs and more on solid tine aeration. (****Other factors are also at work that may require spring core aeration, so no guarantees can be issued about which method we choose each sping****)
As a Superintendent, I'm thrilled we've had success to limit excessive greens' thatch. As a golfer, I am also happy to provide aeration to greens without severely impacting surfaces for putting....at least for spring 2011!!
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