Bermudagrass update

It seems as though spring is finally here and established. We still have the occasional temperature swings that one must become accustomed to living in the Mid-Atlantic, but overall it has steadily warmed up. So far this spring the rough has really greened up nicely. The greens have slowly healed from aeration because of the heavy growth regulation we subject them to in order to control seed head production. So, with rough and greens starting off well, everyone’s focus turns to: “When will the Bermuda grass turn green?”

This is the topic on everyone’s mind. Although it has seemed relatively cool and wet, the Bermuda grass is actually off to a great start. While it is always hard to pinpoint one thing that especially helps or does not help the Bermuda grass survive the winter, the drainage in the newly constructed holes has played a major role.  Without the large areas of standing water, the turf was not susceptible to freezing which can cause cells within the plant to rupture. This alone has probably made the biggest difference.

We also believe there has been some benefit from the organic material we put down last fall. First, this material is still near the surface of the soil. As the sun shines on the organic material it warms quickly and thus warms the soil around it. Warm soil temperatures are one of the keys for Bermuda grass to break dormancy. Secondly, this organic material is slowly releasing nutrients as it breaks down in the soil. This slow feeding is exactly what the Bermuda grass needs. Since each plant comes out of dormancy at a different time, a slow, steady, constant source of food is available for a longer period of time. This enables plants at different stages of emerging to all have access. We believe that the benefits from this organic material has helped set up the Bermuda grass to heal nicely from the winter.

Spring dead spot patches are visible on the fairways again this year. This is not a disease that anyone has been able to eradicate. This disease is one in which the goals are to manage, lessen the severity, and promote quick healing of damaged areas. We have made progress towards these goals this year. There are certainly some areas more affected than others, but in general our spring dead spot patches seem to have slightly more live tissue within the borders than last year. And again, the Bermuda grass seems to be off to a hot start this spring. If the plant is able to start healing and moving laterally now, the spring dead spot patches will be filled in and unnoticeable more quickly.

For some perspective, we were able to take a picture April 19^th 2015 from nearly the exact same spot as a picture taken April 19^th 2014. As you can see, the progress of the Bermuda grass this year is far greater than last year. Not only is there more green tissue overall, but you can see that some of the spring dead spot patches are in similar locations as last year, but with more healthy grass within. Weather permitting, if we can continue on this track, we could be looking at entirely green fairways before you know it.

#10 fairway looking back towards tee. April 19th, 2014

#10 fairway looking back towards tee. April 19th, 2015

  

Each year we try to lessen the spring dead spot infections. We record where the worst areas are and specifically focus on treating those places. Starting last fall we began our attack on the pathogen that causes spring dead spot and so far this year it seems we have at least held our own. Keep your eye on the Bermuda grass and it will fill in right in front of you.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org