Mid to late spring is the time the Bermuda grass transition
hits the accelerator. Green-up is in full swing and our regular maintenance
begins. Several cultural practices also start in this same window of time.
Right now, the Bermuda grass is looking good. It slumped
after the extremely cold morning of April 8th but has rebounded
nicely. Air and soil temperatures are steadily climbing. With the Bermuda grass
in a strong position, it is time to initiate the cultural practices that we
employ to kick the Bermuda grass growth into high gear
We have written about the benefits of compost on the Bermuda grass before- here and here. Compost has proven to be a good tool for us. Even though there are a few downsides- picking up larger chunks and sometimes trash- the pluses outweigh the minuses. We have also worked diligently on improving our compost program: changing material when needed, adjusting our application process, and even altering our equipment to better deliver the material. So, this week we are making another application, and with a few more adjustments from last year to this year, we expect the process to go smoothly.
Once the dust settles from the compost application (pun
intended!), we will evaluate whether or not the Bermuda grass needs to be sliced.
Slicing is a less aggressive approach to creating more growth in the Bermuda
grass. We do not slice every year; several years ago, we had too much winter
damage and slicing would have been counterproductive. This year the Bermuda
grass is looking strong enough that it may not need the extra encouragement to
grow that the slicing provides. We may skip right past that step and save the
turf the added stress.
The final piece to the puzzle of finalizing the Bermuda
grass for the season is sod work. Because the Bermuda grass does start to
quickly green up at this time, we are able to locate areas that are struggling.
We identify these areas early on, then monitor for changes, and if they lag far
enough behind, we tag them for sod. Sometimes, there is significant sod work to
be done- like in 2018-
and other years, including this year, the damage is very minimal and very
little sod work is needed. Nevertheless, we do have some areas we will be
fixing as soon as the sod is available from our sod source.
We have experienced very different winters over the last two
years, milder and dry and cold and wet/snowy. The Bermuda grass has emerged
strong out of both scenarios which is encouraging. Our program seems to be
working. These cultural practices over the next couple of weeks are part of
that program and we feel they are crucial to keep the Bermuda grass as healthy
as possible.
Etiquette Reminder of the Month
Please do not hit into the Grounds department staff because
it is dangerous. Please be sure that we see you before hitting your shot.
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
See you on the course!
Joe
jvillegas@bwrc.org