September agronomic practices

As the calendar flips to September, the stress to cool season turf starts to subside (usually; though the first week of September this year will be the hottest week all year!). We also have major chemical applications on the Bermuda grass to help ensure that next season is as good as possible.

Part of the difficulty of managing any turfgrass, but especially Bermuda grass, is that many of the agronomic programs that we implement won’t show results, good or bad, for many months. We execute our plan in the fall, but we don’t know if it worked until at least the following spring, and in the meantime, there is nothing more we can do. We must make observations, take notes, and plan accordingly for our chance to improve that next fall.

One of our first major items currently is a pre-emergent herbicide application. This application prevents weeds from growing in the Bermuda grass while it is dormant all winter. The rule of thumb is to have the application made by Labor Day. We made our spray last Monday and everything went according to plan. We have a couple of other tools to help take care of weeds that grow over the winter, so all is not lost if we do start to see some breakthrough. That is not always the case with some of our Bermuda grass management.

Starting September 1^st, we monitor soil temperatures for our Spring Dead Spot (SDS) applications. You can track some of the evolution in current research and understanding for treatment by reading some of the past blogs here, here, and here. Those blogs illustrate how our program has changed. Regardless, September is the time to start preparing so that we are ready when the soil temperatures are optimal.

But why do we have to be so precise? First, we are always trying to be precise when making any pesticide applications. We have a specific target and chemical and we apply it only where needed. But, with SDS, the chemicals are expensive, and the pathogen is very difficult to control. Missing the window would be an enormous waste. Unfortunately, even if we make our application on time exactly, we don’t know the results for 6-8 more months. There really is no indication of percent control for that long, so we are not able to make a rescue application in the winter to help.

If we spray too early, the fungi have time to rebuild their population and infect the turf. If we spray too late, the infection has already occurred, and chemical is no longer effective. And even if we spray right on time, it has not been shown that 100% control can be achieved, we are working to get as close to 100% as possible only.

All of this makes September a crucial month for the Grounds department. Aside from the best golfing time of the year, it is also an important agronomic time as well.

 

Happy Labor Day

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please be conscious not to scuff your feet or drag your putter along the surface of the putting green. This can adversely affect other people’s putts and can damage the turf grass.

 

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

Golf Cart tips

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org