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.