Time to Ease Up

As the heat wave continues, we are taking steps to ensure that the greens survive the final stretch of the summer.  For the majority of the year we are pushing the turf to the limit.  With the weather now doing that for us, its time to ease up on our end.

Fertilizing #2 Green

This morning we are giving the greens a light application of a slow release organic fertilizer.  Add in a little extra irrigation and this should give the greens a boost for the weeks to come.  Yes, this may potentially slow the greens down, at this point we are more concerned with the health of the plant.  Along those same lines, we have raised the mowing heights on the greens.  The theory here is simple, more leaf mass equals an increase in the rate of photosynthesis.  As is often the case, these slight changes to our program may go unnoticed, however, often times it only requires minimal change in inputs to tip the scale back in our favor.

Obviously, the heat and lack of rain has been a concern.  What's almost more concerning lately are the low temps we are seeing each day.  This morning at 5:30 am, it was still 85 degrees.  In the these temperature ranges the turf really has no time to recover from the stress of the day before.  

 So far, greens are doing surprisingly well (knock on wood).  Honestly, at this point, rain may do more harm than good.  The good news is the days are getting shorter and fall is right around the corner.

The Heat Wave Continues

After the summer of 2011, I didn't think the weather could get much worse.  This summer may not be any worse, but it is certainly on par with last year's above normal heat. 

Since June 23rd we have had 20 days over 100 degrees.  The average high temperature for the last 30 days has been 101.5 degrees, with an average low of 73 degrees.  Looking ahead there doesn't appear to be much relief in sight.

On top of that we are now officially in severe drought, as is most of the state of Kansas.  Year to date we are 1.62" below normal for precipitation.  Looking at the numbers closer reveals that we are 7.2" below normal for May-June-July.

So far no water restrictions have been issued, although you wonder if we reach a point that this becomes a reality.

Topdressing Greens

Topdressing greens throughout the year is one of the most beneficial practices for keeping greens smooth and firm.  Unfortunately, during the heat of summer, the abrasive nature of the sand along with the heavy equipment used for the application can cause issues when greens are already feeling the stress of summer.

Over the last few years, we have started using our push spreaders to apply a light dusting of kiln dried sand.  The amount of sand applied doesn't need to be brushed in, yet, still gives us enough material to help with maintaining firm greens.  As roots shrink and additional water is applied, the sand helps stabilize the upper profile.

Although the video quality is not the best, you can see the minimal impact the light topdressing has on the greens.  Due to the light nature of the topdressing, the staff member is placing flags to mark the outer limit of the last pass.

Water Management

Looking down #12 Fairway

 With daily high temperatures averaging at or near 100 degrees for the last few weeks and well into the foreseeable future, water management is our most critical task on the golf course.  Mornings are spent checking greens with moisture sensors, watering to our "number" for the day.  Afternoons are all about keeping greens cool, without getting too wet.  It's all a balancing act that at times is more of an art than a science.

Over the last few years, we have made an effort to maintain the driest conditions possible, without sacrificing plant health.  With our situation, we are not only looking at the playability of the course we are also constantly aware of the expense involved with watering a golf course with 100% potable water.  As you can see in the picture above, aside from a few rains that have led to a temporary green up, the course has maintained a tinge of brown throughout the golf season.  The days of lush and green are not only impractical, due to the required inputs, but also detrimental to the type of playing surface we desire.

Cooling Greens in the Afternoon.

With 62 year old push up greens, walking the fine line of keeping conditions firm and dry is even more of a challenge.  We are finding that even with the best intentions, each day brings new challenges.  Days when its hot and humid, we struggle to avoid getting them too wet.  Add a strong wind into the mix, and its a fight to keep enough moisture in the greens.

Heading into the last month and a half of  the summer, you may notice green speed slow down a touch from our normal range.  Although we are working to maintain good speed, there comes a point where the health of the plant is more critical than greens rolling 11.5.  As roots shrink with the heat, it is inevitable that we will lose some speed and firmness.

The good news is with each passing day, the days are slowly getting shorter.   Cool mornings will be here before we know it! 

Duckweed in the Ponds

With all the challenges summer brings for our staff on the golf course, keeping the creeks and ponds free of weeds and algae is always one of tougher tasks.  This year is proving to be no different.

As you can see in the photo, we are dealing with an aquatic weed called Duckweed, throughout the creeks and ponds.  Although there are some beneficial characteristics of the plant such as removing nitrates from the water and reducing certain types of  algae, from our perspective, we would rather see clean water.  

The difficulty in removing Duckweed is due to the rapid rate of reproduction.  We have been treating the plant with an aquatic herbicide, unfortunately, the benefits are only lasting a few days.  Any amount of Duckweed not killed has the ability to quickly reestablish.

Earlier in the year, we had the benefit of the occasional flushing rain that would force the growth downstream.  Without the rains, we are fighting a losing battle.

We will continue to look at alternative methods for controlling  the Duckweed.  If anyone has had any level of success dealing with this issue I would be open to suggestions. 

Sunscreen for Turf

Every once in awhile a new product comes along that gets your attention.   This year, the new product getting all the attention in our industry is a product called Turf Screen.  Essentially, Turf Screen is sun screen for turf.  The active ingredients in Turf Screen (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) are the same compounds found in most commonly used sun screen products that you and I use to protect our skin from the sun.

The active ingredients in Turf Screen block and reflect harmful UV wavelengths.  By reducing the UV exposure, we are able to reduce canopy temperatures by as much as 5 degrees, while also limiting the damaging affects of the UVB radiation.  I don't expect this to be a complete game changer for us, but anything to take the edge off the extreme conditions we experience in July and August is worth giving a try.

Although some golf courses are spraying this product throughout tees, greens and fairways, we are making our first application today on greens only.  We'll keep you posted on the results.

First application of Turf Screen

Relief in Sight?

Unfortunately, over the last few weeks there hasn't been much to talk about other than the weather.  Since June 23rd we have been at or near 100 degrees every day with no rain.  Drought severity for our area was  increased from moderate to severe.  The month of May was the second warmest May on record and the month of June brought us a 7 degree increase in average daily highs.  The only good news is depending on which weather service you trust, we may have some relief in sight early next week.  At this point, the summer of 2012 feels like a repeat of last year.

With the type of weather we are experiencing, you may notice a slight change in green speed.  Practices and techniques we utilize on the greens to push for firm and fast can quickly get us in trouble when we are dealing with the conditions that we are experiencing.   The biggest change impacting green speed is the amount of water the greens require with the current temps.  With predominantly Poa greens, we are forced to throttle back until more favorable weather returns.

Next week, we are planning on venting the greens on Monday and Tuesday.  During the summer months, we will be using a knife like tine that opens up slits in the greens that allow for better gas exchange.  As you may have witnessed last month, the openings are almost undetectable, however, the benefits directly impact the health of the turf in these conditions.