If it isn’t one thing, it’s another. August was wet. Being August, it was also warm or hot most of the time. This is prime weather for disease. As it turns out, it is also prime weather for an insect pest that we have never had before.
We work diligently to stay on top of disease outbreaks by
knowing the conditions each fungus needs for growth. We protect large amounts of
turf across the property, including the soccer fields. We also treat the soccer
field for insects; however, the pressure this year overtook our preventive
application and wiped out 40% of the soccer field turf.
 |
| Damage on the soccer field. This photo was taken the day we re-seeded. |
Fall
armyworms are a southern insect most of the time. They feed on nearly all
kinds of crops, turfgrass included. Occasionally, they can migrate northward
and be seen, but not cause any extensive damage. Well, not this year. Not only did
they come north, but they wreaked havoc. Here is just a sampling of the information
describing this season’s infestation:
Business
Insider- https://www.businessinsider.com/army-worms-how-to-prevent-armyworms-treatment-lawn-grass-infestation-2021-8
NBC4
Washington- https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/armyworms-invade-dc-area-lawns-kill-grass/2795853/
For us, recovery was to re-seed the field and start fresh.
It necessitated keeping the field closed longer than our originally scheduled
maintenance window, but we are making progress.
While we may not see another infestation quite like this for
some time, we are adjusting our maintenance program just in case.
Etiquette Reminder of the Month
Please do not apply any spray sunscreen or insect repellent
while standing on the grass, especially the greens.
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
No comments:
Post a Comment
Have a question or comment? Share it with Joe!