With the bulk of heat and humidity behind us, it is time to re-group and set the path for the next few weeks.
Summer 2012 will be remembered for its persistent heat and humidity similar to 2010 and 2011. Three hot and brutal summers in a row have been tough on turfgrass. Yes, turf people like me count and averages say we are due for a cooler summer or two in the very near future. We will be waiting.
GREEN COLLARS
Greens' collar turf is the toughest area to grow grass on any golf course. Think about it, every day the greensmowers turn around on the collars to reverse their direction. On delicate turf mowed at a low height of cut under summer stress, collars are always stressed. Potowomut collars are no exception as a few went south weeks ago.
After greens are aerated in September, failed green collars will be sodded with nursery grown bentgrass sod. Next year, we have plans to lessen turf stress to these areas.
A few fairways and roughs have been diagnosed with gray leaf spot disease (GLS). Yes, this is the same exact disease that was present on Potowomut fairways and roughs after Hurricane Irene last September. We cannot begin to convey our frustration with GLS and if we did, my blog wouldn't be appropriate for family reading. GLS is a fungal disease of turf that occurs late in the growing season after extended periods of hot and humid weather. Remembering last year, I will say that GLS was on our lists of things to worry about, but what shocked us most was its early August appearance. We were told by Dr. Nathaniel Mitkowski, the University of Rhode Island plant pathologist who diagnosed our turf samples that ours was the first documented case north of the Mason-Dixon line in 2012. Oh joy!
FAIRWAYS
GLS is usually a rare disease (seen once every ten years or so) that affects ryegrass only. It has occurred here two years in a row, causing this grass grower to throw that description right out the window. Our fairways are comprised of five different grass types, each shown here in their order of composition: perennial ryegrass, annual bluegrass, creeping bentgrass, fescues and common bluegrass. Ryegrass comprises the largest percentage of our fairway turf even though we prefer it not be.
Among plant pathologists and superintendents, GLS is also referred to as "blast" disease. The "blast" name has been earned by its habit of taking our turfgrass in spectacularly fast fashion....as in an explosion or blast! At this point, I can say the nickname is well earned. Afflicted fairways were in excellent shape during the weekend of August 4-5. We noticed slight discoloration on Monday August 6 and by Thursday August 9th, the disease had thoroughly devastated areas on seven or eight fairways. On the flip side, many fairways are totally void of GLS.
What are we doing about our GLS? For the short term, President Mark Marcantonio has authorized us to purchase fungicides ($ 8,500) to prevent any more 2012 damage from GLS. As of Thursday evening, these have been applied to damaged fairways and have stopped disease progress. **(GLS is not a disease we can observe one day and simply treat the next day to stop its progress, like many turf diseases we deal with. Fungi populations build slowly in plants all summer long and explode in a few hours....and kill turf. GLS fungi must be chemically prevented a week or more BEFORE any turf damage is evident.)
Why wasn't GLS prevented chemically in 2012? The main reason is the huge expense. Spending $ 9,000 for one fungicide application to prevent a disease that supposedly shows itself once every ten years wasn't an option during our advance planning for 2012. Believe me when I write that it was seriously considered.
Going forward from here, I believe we must find a way to fund at least one early to mid August fungicide application in 2013 and beyond. History is always our best teacher, and the teacher has already demonstrated way too many lessons about GLS.
To repair damage, fairways were fertilized last week to speed healing. This application was done three weeks earlier than planned. To establish new turf, we have been seeding afflicted fairways with the seeder we purchased this spring. We are planting creeping bentgrass plants....the grass that provides the best playing surface in our climate...and one that cannot get GLS. We expect to seed fairway areas twice, and plan on using 600-800 lbs of creeping bentgrass seed. (Almost 5 billion potential new bentgrass plants!) I expect fairways to improve with both cooler weather and because of the procedures we have quickly put into place.
On a positive note, Potowomut greens have performed extremely well all season!!
Quick notes:
-Greens aeration dates are September 10-14. This date is earlier this year for faster healing and better greens' health!
-We have pumped 15.3 million gallons of irrigation water to date. The season record is 18.1 million in 2007 and will be broken in late September or October this year.
-We were very fortunate with crabgrass control for 2012. Yes, there is a small amount in roughs and near bunkers, but we have heard some crabgrass horror stories from other NE clubs.
-Lots of low branch tree trimming work scheduled for winter 2012-2013.
-Many irrigation heads have settled since our 2005 installation and will be raised in winter. Settled heads=poor coverage. Also, all 1150 heads will have their stone and debris screens cleaned.
-Potowomut 1 Nematodes 0 I've been in this business for a long time and never had this level of success against this turf destructive enemy.
-Now is the time for those turf seeding projects at home!! Keep the seed wet 24/7, not soaked, and make sure it is surrounded by soil for great germination!
Thanks everyone for your patience and kind words all summer long. Please thank our hard working crew!!!
Patrick M. Gertner CGCS
Golf Course Superintendent
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
August 6 Update
The golf course continues to excel despite another warm July. July 2012 saw nearly identical weather as July 2011. The high temperature average was .2 degrees cooler this summer and rainfall was .2" less. We had timely showers in late July 2012 saving 500,000 gallons of irrigation water versus last July. Warm temperatures early this year pushed irrigation gallons ahead of last year by 3 million gallons to 13.2 million gallons pumped as of today.
Areas of greens' collars have failed during the summer. Most of the failed areas were comprised of weak perennial ryegrass, a turf that is improper for green collars because it cannot continually tolerate the low height of cut. These grasses were planted years ago, probably as a "rescue" seeding to establish turf quickly. We plan on lightly renovating these areas beginning this week with a machine that prepares a proper seedbed followed by seeding with creeping bentgrass, the correct plant for these areas in our climate. (Many of you already know that I am NOT a fan of perennial ryegrass for close mowed turf as it has NO business there. We have never planted a ryegrass seed to a fine turf area at Potowomut, nor will we) Planting bentgrass seed on collars provides no guarantee of success this time of year. (Think of greensmowers turning daily on collars...stressful) Anyway, if this light renovation fails, we will look to add creeping bentgrass sod to failed areas of green collars this fall.
Remember when we were worried early in the season about potential crabgrass infestation because of warmth in March? The infestation didn't happen here, but I have heard of and seen plenty of crabgrass this season. We worked fast to get all our pre-emergent chemicals down by March 23rd when soil temperatures were warming quickly. If your lawn has crabgrass, remember next year that an early application is better than a late one because once it become established it is very difficult to eliminate. Plus, last year's crabgrass plants have left plenty of seed in your soil to germinate next spring.
Yellow nutsedge has made its annual appearance in roughs and bunker bankings. This year, we have used a new control product and are very happy with our results. The best method we've found is for yours truly to carry around a mixed tank of herbicide in the back of my cart and stopping to spray the nasty, fast growing weed as I travel the golf course.
We have finally begin to catch up a bit so we will have time to start a few small projects. These will include minor repairs on cartpaths and continued clean up work on the #12 pond. Cattail population will be addressed this fall because they are choking out that pond, as well as the pond on #18 which needs to stay clear for irrigation purposes.
Aeration season is upon us with mid August approaching. We will double aerate tees when weather turns just a little cooler this month. Greens are scheduled to be aerated the week of September 10th, earlier than in past years. The earlier date will enable greens to heal earlier than in the past. Finally, each fairway and intermediate rough will be aerated twice with solid tines during September and October.
Thanks for reading and for everyone's wonderful support, and for following me at
PotoGreens on Twitter!!
Patrick M. Gertner CGCS
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Summer and Optional Nematode Update
Sunday PM
The golf course is performing well during the first weeks of a hot summer. Greens have recovered nicely from the damaging nematicide application except for 15 which lags behind. 15 green is being pushed for growth and we expect lateral growth will fill in voids soon. (More on the nematicide application below....for true turfnerds only) All other greens are back under growth regulation and have sped up a bit the last few days.
Fairways are in excellent condition but have shown us signs that extra aeration procedures are needed this fall. Even during our wet early summer, when probing just below the surface, sometimes soils are drier than they should be. This tells us we need to more aggressively break through that top layer of thatch and provide channels for water to enter soils.
Aerating Potowomut fairways with conventional equipment can be an adventure because of stones and rock that is close to the surface. Equipment fails, aeration tines are quickly ruined and our patience is always tested. This year, however, we will alter our methods to accomplish the task. We will use solid tines instead of pulling a soil core. Using solid, index fingered shaped pieces of steel to aerate will break through the layer of thatch and help us accomplish our goal. It is our intention to aerate all fairways and intermediate rough twice. Sometimes, more is not better, but in this case it is! We also plan on experimenting by applying a thatch elimination chemical to a fairway or two this fall and will report our results late in the year.
Golf course water use has increased with hot and dry weather. During the last eleven days we have used 2.5 million gallons. (Total season irrigation stands at 8.9 million gallons) Our small well has trouble keeping up with the heavy demands of summer, so we have been purchasing supplemental water from the city of Warwick. (So far estimated at 460,000 gallons) As always we try and use, and thus buy as little water as possible.
Also please remember that the effective width of the irrigation system is about 74 yards across each fairway. Beyond this width, turf sees no irrigation and is prone to go dormant until September. Most rough is not irrigated! Please be patient...remember the green color will return! Personally, I enjoy the many different colors the golf course presents to us through different seasons.
During the next few weeks we will be working to add more sod plugs to a few spots on greens. The poor turf area of 9 fairway will be sodded. Weed and nutsedge control will continue to all areas. The golf course will be treated for grubs during the next two weeks. The new Otterbine fountain in the pond continues to have problems staying running. Service technicians will be here again on Monday.
SPECIAL SECTION FOR TURFNERDS ONLY....DETAIL ABOUT NEMATODE ISSUE AND THE APPLICATION OF JUNE 19. NON TURFNERDS READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!
Potowomut greens have perennial populations of plant parasitic nematodes, especially one species....the stunt nematode. Longtime members and employees tell me years ago the golf course was annually closed for a day during summer to treat these root destroying pests. In early June, we had populations ranging from 4800 to 6600 stunt nematodes per cup of soil from the four greens sampled. Other damaging nematode species were present but not at damaging levels. When a single sample contains 500 or more stunt nematodes, turf damage on greens is possible.
Nematodes are common on golf courses of Potowomut's age because we have been growing the same crop (turfgrass) for many years. Farmers rotate crops almost every year to avoid hosting a single damaging pest but in golf, that option is not available.
Nematodes are the most populous animal on earth and are present in all soils. Most are beneficial; hardly any are parasitic. Stunt nematodes are aquatic animals....living in water films between soil particles. In agriculture, they cause estimated $ 10 billion damage annually to crops. Golf course turf is a perfect living environment for them as we irrigate turfgrass to sustain life. With each irrigation cycle, we also keep our billions of nematodes fat, healthy and reproducing. Every action we take to maintain turfgrass and turf roots keeps nematode populations high and maintains the potential for damage from them. The old dog chasing its tail is an analogy that works well here for turf maintenance guys like us.
Previously, we had a chemical available that controlled plant parasitic nematodes, Nemacur, made by aspirin maker Bayer. Nemacur was an extremely hazardous product to both applicators and golfers and it was pulled from the marketplace in 2005. (Unfortunately for me, it was readily available when a partner and I applied tons of Nemacur to 28 acres of fairways in the 1980's on 95 degree days with old hand Cyclone spreaders. One word….nasty!) After 2005, turf managers had a few unreliable methods available to control a significant golf course pest. Last year, Agrium Advanced Technologies introduced Multi-Guard to turf managers and I for one was intrigued.
Because of high populations, we applied Multi Guard (chemical name furfural) on June 19, and saw turfgrass damage on June 22. Damage was minor, except for 15 green where it was more severe. Calls were immediately made to the seller of the material who contacted the chemical manufacturer, Illovo of South Africa. Lucky for us, their Commercial General Manager (and product developer) Dr. Greg Burger was in Washington DC meeting with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and he visited us at Potowomut last Thursday evening with Vice President Jonathan Myers of Agrium Technologies, the US seller of the product.
In short, I received a short but detailed nematode education during the meeting. Fellow turfnerds, I wish you all could have been there! We learned plenty during our discussion and I believe we have a much better handle on nematodes in general and on designing a plan to control their numbers at Potowomut.
The chemical furfural is a byproduct of Illovo's sugar cane production operation. It is a 100% natural product; it is not a manufactured chemical. The work on the chemical began in 1994 and it has been successfully used in South Africa, mostly on "football" pitches for years. The company's goal, and one that I am sure is exciting investors everywhere, is to get furfural registered for use on food crops in the United States. Dr. Burger says he thinks they will get there.
Dr. Burger observed extremely short (less than a half inch) root systems on Potowomut greens, especially where damage occurred. He says he sees short roots wherever his nematode travels take him and our symptoms are common. He concluded...and I agree that nematodes are the cause. He did provide us with direction in managing these nuisance pests.
The chemical works by dissolving away the nematode's outer layer. Therefore, the chemical must get in contact with the little buggers in soil. This is why we were advised to apply .25 to .50" of irrigation water to move the chemical to where the nematode lives. We applied .35" of irrigation immediately following our application.
Dr. Burger suggested a few changes regarding our application. First, he advises that soils be at 70% of field capacity during application of the chemical. A soil at 100% field capacity is one that cannot accept ANY more water, in other words apply furfural to wet greens. With our big and heavy sprayer, this is a difficult but not impossible task to achieve. A viable plan I believe is to irrigate to field capacity, apply chemical, irrigate chemical in, then bring out the rollers to tire tracks!
Secondly, he advised us to apply a wetting agent just prior to applying furfural. Wetting agents help to draw water down into the soil profile quickly. The idea here is to move the chemical into soil ASAP. Before June 19, our last wetting agent application was on May 14.
Furfural is not designed as a one shot nematode cure-all. Nematodes won't go away from our soils anytime soon. The goal is to control and knock down huge population spikes that occur during summer months. Therefore, we were advised to plan two or three applications to manage the population. This can be done with the Multi-Guard product, at lower rates than we applied on June 19, 2012.
Back to our turf damage. Most of our damage was on 15 green, of course the green with the highest nematode populations this year and in past years. The back of the green was hardest hit while the more common speckling type damage is present on the front and middle of the green. Poa annua was mostly affected and bentgrass fared better. (No surprise there....bentgrasses always take more abuse from any source!) Not coincidently, bentgrass has stronger roots than Poa annua. Other greens affected briefly have healed. Recently, members have asked me what the big fuss is about because all greens are great!
Dr. Burger told us that damage to turf occurs but is not common. He clearly wanted to understand what happened here and assist us if needed. He advised us in the future to pre-irrigate greens and apply a wetting agent the day before applying furfural. The speckling damage was caused by chemical sitting in small pools created by indentations of tire tracks from our sprayer, and despite all the irrigation we applied, the chemical wasn't helped down into soil by the presence of a wetting agent. Most severe damage to the back of 15 is where nematodes had already done significant damage to stressed Poa annua root systems combined with three 95 degree days after application. He advised us to get on a regular program of controlling populations, using a lighter rate of furfural two or three times per season. I am confident that with our nematode education from Dr. Burger, we can successfully design a program to limit nematode damage for 2013 and beyond with furfural if we choose to.
Why such a long diatribe about nematodes and this one attempt at controlling them? First and most importantly, we wanted to explain with some detail why a chemical application caused damage to greens when applied using label directions. In my opinion, this should NEVER happen. We spent significant dollars to improve turf and yet, it was damaged.
Secondly, true turfnerds like me and anyone still reading know that turf roots are a very important factor in growing successful golf turf. The goal of most all maintenance procedures we perform is to expand or preserve roots. The more roots, the better the turf. Better turf is more reliable and provides the firmest and fastest playing surface for golf. We have been extremely frustrated over the years by our greens' lack of growing significant root systems despite having a high population (and continual promotion) of deeply rooted creeping bentgrasses. Potowomut greens have a history of high nematode populations and they are the one pest limiting our green's performance. We have been patiently waiting for the marketplace to provide us with a nematicide to assist us because nematodes in high numbers can be absolutely devastating to greens, virtually overnight. Over the last few years, we have bought and tried a few new products with no success. None have looked as promising to me as furfural on stunt nematode in our climate. On behalf of our greens and our roots, we will continue to look for the best solution. Thanks to everyone for your continued support. Please feel free to email me with any questions, or stop me on the golf course. And remember non turfnerds, you were warned.
Patrick M. Gertner CGCS
The golf course is performing well during the first weeks of a hot summer. Greens have recovered nicely from the damaging nematicide application except for 15 which lags behind. 15 green is being pushed for growth and we expect lateral growth will fill in voids soon. (More on the nematicide application below....for true turfnerds only) All other greens are back under growth regulation and have sped up a bit the last few days.
Fairways are in excellent condition but have shown us signs that extra aeration procedures are needed this fall. Even during our wet early summer, when probing just below the surface, sometimes soils are drier than they should be. This tells us we need to more aggressively break through that top layer of thatch and provide channels for water to enter soils.
Aerating Potowomut fairways with conventional equipment can be an adventure because of stones and rock that is close to the surface. Equipment fails, aeration tines are quickly ruined and our patience is always tested. This year, however, we will alter our methods to accomplish the task. We will use solid tines instead of pulling a soil core. Using solid, index fingered shaped pieces of steel to aerate will break through the layer of thatch and help us accomplish our goal. It is our intention to aerate all fairways and intermediate rough twice. Sometimes, more is not better, but in this case it is! We also plan on experimenting by applying a thatch elimination chemical to a fairway or two this fall and will report our results late in the year.
Golf course water use has increased with hot and dry weather. During the last eleven days we have used 2.5 million gallons. (Total season irrigation stands at 8.9 million gallons) Our small well has trouble keeping up with the heavy demands of summer, so we have been purchasing supplemental water from the city of Warwick. (So far estimated at 460,000 gallons) As always we try and use, and thus buy as little water as possible.
Also please remember that the effective width of the irrigation system is about 74 yards across each fairway. Beyond this width, turf sees no irrigation and is prone to go dormant until September. Most rough is not irrigated! Please be patient...remember the green color will return! Personally, I enjoy the many different colors the golf course presents to us through different seasons.
During the next few weeks we will be working to add more sod plugs to a few spots on greens. The poor turf area of 9 fairway will be sodded. Weed and nutsedge control will continue to all areas. The golf course will be treated for grubs during the next two weeks. The new Otterbine fountain in the pond continues to have problems staying running. Service technicians will be here again on Monday.
SPECIAL SECTION FOR TURFNERDS ONLY....DETAIL ABOUT NEMATODE ISSUE AND THE APPLICATION OF JUNE 19. NON TURFNERDS READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!
Potowomut greens have perennial populations of plant parasitic nematodes, especially one species....the stunt nematode. Longtime members and employees tell me years ago the golf course was annually closed for a day during summer to treat these root destroying pests. In early June, we had populations ranging from 4800 to 6600 stunt nematodes per cup of soil from the four greens sampled. Other damaging nematode species were present but not at damaging levels. When a single sample contains 500 or more stunt nematodes, turf damage on greens is possible.
Nematodes are common on golf courses of Potowomut's age because we have been growing the same crop (turfgrass) for many years. Farmers rotate crops almost every year to avoid hosting a single damaging pest but in golf, that option is not available.
Nematodes are the most populous animal on earth and are present in all soils. Most are beneficial; hardly any are parasitic. Stunt nematodes are aquatic animals....living in water films between soil particles. In agriculture, they cause estimated $ 10 billion damage annually to crops. Golf course turf is a perfect living environment for them as we irrigate turfgrass to sustain life. With each irrigation cycle, we also keep our billions of nematodes fat, healthy and reproducing. Every action we take to maintain turfgrass and turf roots keeps nematode populations high and maintains the potential for damage from them. The old dog chasing its tail is an analogy that works well here for turf maintenance guys like us.
Previously, we had a chemical available that controlled plant parasitic nematodes, Nemacur, made by aspirin maker Bayer. Nemacur was an extremely hazardous product to both applicators and golfers and it was pulled from the marketplace in 2005. (Unfortunately for me, it was readily available when a partner and I applied tons of Nemacur to 28 acres of fairways in the 1980's on 95 degree days with old hand Cyclone spreaders. One word….nasty!) After 2005, turf managers had a few unreliable methods available to control a significant golf course pest. Last year, Agrium Advanced Technologies introduced Multi-Guard to turf managers and I for one was intrigued.
Because of high populations, we applied Multi Guard (chemical name furfural) on June 19, and saw turfgrass damage on June 22. Damage was minor, except for 15 green where it was more severe. Calls were immediately made to the seller of the material who contacted the chemical manufacturer, Illovo of South Africa. Lucky for us, their Commercial General Manager (and product developer) Dr. Greg Burger was in Washington DC meeting with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and he visited us at Potowomut last Thursday evening with Vice President Jonathan Myers of Agrium Technologies, the US seller of the product.
In short, I received a short but detailed nematode education during the meeting. Fellow turfnerds, I wish you all could have been there! We learned plenty during our discussion and I believe we have a much better handle on nematodes in general and on designing a plan to control their numbers at Potowomut.
The chemical furfural is a byproduct of Illovo's sugar cane production operation. It is a 100% natural product; it is not a manufactured chemical. The work on the chemical began in 1994 and it has been successfully used in South Africa, mostly on "football" pitches for years. The company's goal, and one that I am sure is exciting investors everywhere, is to get furfural registered for use on food crops in the United States. Dr. Burger says he thinks they will get there.
Dr. Burger observed extremely short (less than a half inch) root systems on Potowomut greens, especially where damage occurred. He says he sees short roots wherever his nematode travels take him and our symptoms are common. He concluded...and I agree that nematodes are the cause. He did provide us with direction in managing these nuisance pests.
The chemical works by dissolving away the nematode's outer layer. Therefore, the chemical must get in contact with the little buggers in soil. This is why we were advised to apply .25 to .50" of irrigation water to move the chemical to where the nematode lives. We applied .35" of irrigation immediately following our application.
Dr. Burger suggested a few changes regarding our application. First, he advises that soils be at 70% of field capacity during application of the chemical. A soil at 100% field capacity is one that cannot accept ANY more water, in other words apply furfural to wet greens. With our big and heavy sprayer, this is a difficult but not impossible task to achieve. A viable plan I believe is to irrigate to field capacity, apply chemical, irrigate chemical in, then bring out the rollers to tire tracks!
Secondly, he advised us to apply a wetting agent just prior to applying furfural. Wetting agents help to draw water down into the soil profile quickly. The idea here is to move the chemical into soil ASAP. Before June 19, our last wetting agent application was on May 14.
Furfural is not designed as a one shot nematode cure-all. Nematodes won't go away from our soils anytime soon. The goal is to control and knock down huge population spikes that occur during summer months. Therefore, we were advised to plan two or three applications to manage the population. This can be done with the Multi-Guard product, at lower rates than we applied on June 19, 2012.
Back to our turf damage. Most of our damage was on 15 green, of course the green with the highest nematode populations this year and in past years. The back of the green was hardest hit while the more common speckling type damage is present on the front and middle of the green. Poa annua was mostly affected and bentgrass fared better. (No surprise there....bentgrasses always take more abuse from any source!) Not coincidently, bentgrass has stronger roots than Poa annua. Other greens affected briefly have healed. Recently, members have asked me what the big fuss is about because all greens are great!
Dr. Burger told us that damage to turf occurs but is not common. He clearly wanted to understand what happened here and assist us if needed. He advised us in the future to pre-irrigate greens and apply a wetting agent the day before applying furfural. The speckling damage was caused by chemical sitting in small pools created by indentations of tire tracks from our sprayer, and despite all the irrigation we applied, the chemical wasn't helped down into soil by the presence of a wetting agent. Most severe damage to the back of 15 is where nematodes had already done significant damage to stressed Poa annua root systems combined with three 95 degree days after application. He advised us to get on a regular program of controlling populations, using a lighter rate of furfural two or three times per season. I am confident that with our nematode education from Dr. Burger, we can successfully design a program to limit nematode damage for 2013 and beyond with furfural if we choose to.
Why such a long diatribe about nematodes and this one attempt at controlling them? First and most importantly, we wanted to explain with some detail why a chemical application caused damage to greens when applied using label directions. In my opinion, this should NEVER happen. We spent significant dollars to improve turf and yet, it was damaged.
Secondly, true turfnerds like me and anyone still reading know that turf roots are a very important factor in growing successful golf turf. The goal of most all maintenance procedures we perform is to expand or preserve roots. The more roots, the better the turf. Better turf is more reliable and provides the firmest and fastest playing surface for golf. We have been extremely frustrated over the years by our greens' lack of growing significant root systems despite having a high population (and continual promotion) of deeply rooted creeping bentgrasses. Potowomut greens have a history of high nematode populations and they are the one pest limiting our green's performance. We have been patiently waiting for the marketplace to provide us with a nematicide to assist us because nematodes in high numbers can be absolutely devastating to greens, virtually overnight. Over the last few years, we have bought and tried a few new products with no success. None have looked as promising to me as furfural on stunt nematode in our climate. On behalf of our greens and our roots, we will continue to look for the best solution. Thanks to everyone for your continued support. Please feel free to email me with any questions, or stop me on the golf course. And remember non turfnerds, you were warned.
Patrick M. Gertner CGCS
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Greens issue
A few greens were damaged by the nematicide Multi-Guard that was applied last Tuesday evening. This chemical was applied in an attempt to control plant parasitic stunt nematodes which are extremely small, yet potentially destructive wormlike creatures that feast on plant roots. Left unchecked, greens with high nematode populations can fail during the prime playing season of summer. Soil nematodes are the most populous animal on earth and most species are not destructive to plants. Soil samples were sent to the University of Massachusetts on May 31st. Here are the numbers of stunt nematodes they counted from those samples:
Green 1 5024 adults per 100 cc's of soil
Green 3 4660 adults per 100 cc's of soil
Green 15 6660 adults per 100 cc's of soil
A count of 800 nematodes per 100 cc's of soil is the threshold number suggested by UMASS where turf damage may occur. At this level, turfgrass damage can be expected, especially on close cut greens during the heat of summer. With the high observed population of nematodes present, you can see why we decided to pursue a chemical control option.
The green that took the most severe hit is 15, followed by 16 and the practice green. A few others are affected as well. The most common damage looks like pimples or speckling in a few spots. Overall, damage is minor and will heal over during the next two or three weeks. We will re-seed 15 to aid its recovery. I am not writing to alarm anyone because overall the greens are still very nice, but I just wanted to explain why a few greens aren't looking their best at this time.
Previously, Bayer's Nemacur was a wonderful, yet extremely hazardous nematode control product. Nemacur was pulled for sale in Spring 2005 leaving no chemical control options until mid 2011 when Agrium Advanced Technologies released a product named Multi-Guard. Multi-Guard (chemical name of furfural) has demonstrated positive control results in university testing, especially with the species present at Potowomut, the dastardly stunt nematode. (There are five or six species that affect turfgrass.) Because nematodes can devastate greens practically overnight, Superintendents have enthusiastically purchased and applied Multi-Guard during the last few weeks to control nematode populations just before they typically skyrocket.
Unfortunately, we are not the only golf course with greens' damage from Multi-Guard. We have heard of another golf course in the northeast with damaged greens. This golf course applied the product last Monday (one day sooner than us) with similar results. Because of these two negative results, representatives of the South African manufacturer of the material and from nationwide seller Agrium will spend time Thursday at Potowomut to assess and discuss the situation. We will keep you posted with any updates.
In the meantime, greens were fertilized Saturday evening and will be fertilized again as early as tomorrow (Wednesday) to hasten growth and recovery. Again, greens are still in wonderful condition and we expect them to continue to improve in coming weeks.
****We can assure you that left over Multi-Guard will be sent back....and this chemical will not be used at Potowomut again because this result in unacceptable.
Thanks for your patience and understanding.
Patrick M. Gertner CGCS
Green 1 5024 adults per 100 cc's of soil
Green 3 4660 adults per 100 cc's of soil
Green 15 6660 adults per 100 cc's of soil
A count of 800 nematodes per 100 cc's of soil is the threshold number suggested by UMASS where turf damage may occur. At this level, turfgrass damage can be expected, especially on close cut greens during the heat of summer. With the high observed population of nematodes present, you can see why we decided to pursue a chemical control option.
The green that took the most severe hit is 15, followed by 16 and the practice green. A few others are affected as well. The most common damage looks like pimples or speckling in a few spots. Overall, damage is minor and will heal over during the next two or three weeks. We will re-seed 15 to aid its recovery. I am not writing to alarm anyone because overall the greens are still very nice, but I just wanted to explain why a few greens aren't looking their best at this time.
Previously, Bayer's Nemacur was a wonderful, yet extremely hazardous nematode control product. Nemacur was pulled for sale in Spring 2005 leaving no chemical control options until mid 2011 when Agrium Advanced Technologies released a product named Multi-Guard. Multi-Guard (chemical name of furfural) has demonstrated positive control results in university testing, especially with the species present at Potowomut, the dastardly stunt nematode. (There are five or six species that affect turfgrass.) Because nematodes can devastate greens practically overnight, Superintendents have enthusiastically purchased and applied Multi-Guard during the last few weeks to control nematode populations just before they typically skyrocket.
Unfortunately, we are not the only golf course with greens' damage from Multi-Guard. We have heard of another golf course in the northeast with damaged greens. This golf course applied the product last Monday (one day sooner than us) with similar results. Because of these two negative results, representatives of the South African manufacturer of the material and from nationwide seller Agrium will spend time Thursday at Potowomut to assess and discuss the situation. We will keep you posted with any updates.
In the meantime, greens were fertilized Saturday evening and will be fertilized again as early as tomorrow (Wednesday) to hasten growth and recovery. Again, greens are still in wonderful condition and we expect them to continue to improve in coming weeks.
****We can assure you that left over Multi-Guard will be sent back....and this chemical will not be used at Potowomut again because this result in unacceptable.
Thanks for your patience and understanding.
Patrick M. Gertner CGCS
Monday, June 4, 2012
It's already June!!
Thanks to everyone for helping us keep the bunkers in better condition. Everyone is placing the rakes on the painted spots and I believe bunkers are much improved! These last few weeks have seen plenty of rainfall changing our fast golf course into a slow one more normally associated with spring weather. Greens were aerated and fertilized in early May. Frequent rains (9 inches since April 23) and aggressive growth kept greens slow while they healed from their biannual breath of fresh air through aeration.
With greens and fairway turf aggressively growing again, we have taken steps the last week to speed things up. Growth regulators have been applied and have begun to work. Of all the applications we make in a year, the first spring application that slows plant growth is my favorite because of the dramatic change to greens and fairways. Because of the recent rains growth of the rough has exploded. The second rough mower has been sent out to keep the rough manageable. Another extra step will be done weekly until grass growth slows later in June. After rough mowing has concluded for the week, we have been mowing three or four loops around each fairway every Friday. This will help to keep the rough closest the fairways at a consistent length for weekend golf.
GREY LEAF SPOT..revisited.
Remember the grey spot damage fairways saw last September and October? We certainly do, and the memories aren't fond ones. Fairways have mostly healed quite well from that disease and I'd like to illustrate one point. At the beginning of the seventh fairway, thin turf is still evident. Damage was worse on other fairways but healing is slower here because this turf sees less quality sunshine than other areas that were hit even harder. The slow healing on seven fairway demonstrates even further the turf's need for quality sun all day long. This week we will begin adding sod to green edges from our turf nursery. Later in the year we will re-sod both the bunker edges and face of 16 bunker. Ongoing projects include clubhouse beautification projects and re-seeding stump holes that were worked on earlier during the season.
WHY DO WE APPLY TONS OF MUCH SAND WHEN WE AERATE GREENS????
The golf course was drenched by almost an inch of rain Saturday morning just before golfers were to go out for the Walter Johnson tournament. Carts would have done plenty of damage to the golf course so carts were not allowed Saturday. However, greens drained quickly and were ok to play on for golfers who walked. Greens performed well after this (and other) rainfall events because of the 40 tons of pure sand that are added every year during aeration and topdressing processes. There is now an impressive layer of pure sand on top of greens that removes water quickly. Please join me on twitter at PotoGreens!
We hope to see everyone on the golf course very soon....!
With greens and fairway turf aggressively growing again, we have taken steps the last week to speed things up. Growth regulators have been applied and have begun to work. Of all the applications we make in a year, the first spring application that slows plant growth is my favorite because of the dramatic change to greens and fairways. Because of the recent rains growth of the rough has exploded. The second rough mower has been sent out to keep the rough manageable. Another extra step will be done weekly until grass growth slows later in June. After rough mowing has concluded for the week, we have been mowing three or four loops around each fairway every Friday. This will help to keep the rough closest the fairways at a consistent length for weekend golf.
GREY LEAF SPOT..revisited.
Remember the grey spot damage fairways saw last September and October? We certainly do, and the memories aren't fond ones. Fairways have mostly healed quite well from that disease and I'd like to illustrate one point. At the beginning of the seventh fairway, thin turf is still evident. Damage was worse on other fairways but healing is slower here because this turf sees less quality sunshine than other areas that were hit even harder. The slow healing on seven fairway demonstrates even further the turf's need for quality sun all day long. This week we will begin adding sod to green edges from our turf nursery. Later in the year we will re-sod both the bunker edges and face of 16 bunker. Ongoing projects include clubhouse beautification projects and re-seeding stump holes that were worked on earlier during the season.
WHY DO WE APPLY TONS OF MUCH SAND WHEN WE AERATE GREENS????
The golf course was drenched by almost an inch of rain Saturday morning just before golfers were to go out for the Walter Johnson tournament. Carts would have done plenty of damage to the golf course so carts were not allowed Saturday. However, greens drained quickly and were ok to play on for golfers who walked. Greens performed well after this (and other) rainfall events because of the 40 tons of pure sand that are added every year during aeration and topdressing processes. There is now an impressive layer of pure sand on top of greens that removes water quickly. Please join me on twitter at PotoGreens!
We hope to see everyone on the golf course very soon....!
Monday, May 7, 2012
Aeration Update
This week we are scheduled to aerate greens. Originally, we had planned to aerate by pulling soil cores and topdressing heavily to fill the holes. This is the process that no one likes, golfers and greens crew included. For different reasons related to both agronomics and weather, (Tuesday through Thursday forecasted rain) we are ramping down plans for the week. Beginning this morning, we are poking 6” long holes into greens using a solid blade like tine. Each green will be done twice. This process brings no soil up to greens’ surfaces and is much less invasive. Greens may be unsmooth for a few days but will heal completely by this weekend. Greens will be topdressed with sand but at a much lower rate compared to the other process.
Will the greens have less health this year because of this change? No and here’s why. A main reason we aerate is to add oxygen to soils, to let soils breathe. Aeration, whether using conventional soil pulling equipment or solid tines both provide soil oxygen. The difference between the two methods involves the amount of sand we add to the greens.
The greens aeration planned for September will be the conventional method with 25 tons of sand applied for those who miss the heavy sand accumulation. We are able to make adjustments like this and still provide excellent greens because we have been on a very diligent program of aeration and sand topdressing since my arrival to Potowomut in 2005. This persistence has given us a bit of greens health insurance!
Will the greens have less health this year because of this change? No and here’s why. A main reason we aerate is to add oxygen to soils, to let soils breathe. Aeration, whether using conventional soil pulling equipment or solid tines both provide soil oxygen. The difference between the two methods involves the amount of sand we add to the greens.
The greens aeration planned for September will be the conventional method with 25 tons of sand applied for those who miss the heavy sand accumulation. We are able to make adjustments like this and still provide excellent greens because we have been on a very diligent program of aeration and sand topdressing since my arrival to Potowomut in 2005. This persistence has given us a bit of greens health insurance!
Friday, May 4, 2012
Where is that darn bunker rake??
We are instituting a change that begins this weekend. The location of bunker rakes has been a topic of discussion among Greens Committees both last year and again this year. We think we have an easy solution to assist our many players.
Bunker rakes are to be placed on the LOW side of bunkers. Because there may be some confusion about exactly where that is, we have painted a white line on low bunker edges that designates a spot for each bunker rake. There should be no more long searches for bunker rakes as both maintenance employees and golfers will place rakes on the white lines. The white lines will hopefully keep golfers off the steepest slopes of bunkers and save the bunkers from even more decline. To play your shot, find the rake, walk into the bunker from that low side, play your shot, then rake your way out of the bunker placing the rake right back on the white line.
Thanks for everyone's help! Please email me if anyone has questions about this new bunker rake policy....and tell your playing partners too!!!
Bunker rakes are to be placed on the LOW side of bunkers. Because there may be some confusion about exactly where that is, we have painted a white line on low bunker edges that designates a spot for each bunker rake. There should be no more long searches for bunker rakes as both maintenance employees and golfers will place rakes on the white lines. The white lines will hopefully keep golfers off the steepest slopes of bunkers and save the bunkers from even more decline. To play your shot, find the rake, walk into the bunker from that low side, play your shot, then rake your way out of the bunker placing the rake right back on the white line.
Thanks for everyone's help! Please email me if anyone has questions about this new bunker rake policy....and tell your playing partners too!!!
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