What to Expect, Mid-October Edition

Hole 3's beautiful backdrop

The view of 6 green

Thanks to warmer fall temperatures and moist soils, the fall colors at Elcona are quite vibrant and beautiful this year.  The maples, sassafras, and burning bushes on property have an especially showy red this year.  Even the tulip trees have gotten into the act, showing a vibrant yellow this year.  They also have begun dropping at a frequent pace thanks to a couple of hard frosts and freezes.  Our blowers and mulching mowers will continue this never ending battle until mid-November, and we will do our best to clear main playing surfaces as the weather will allow us to.




Aerification holes in the rough

As our schedule allows, we have been solid-tining the rough around the greens and the entrance/exit areas around cart paths.  These 1/2" holes serve to relieve compaction from foot and machine traffic, and allow for new growth for both roots and shoots.  This is another step in our goal of improving the density around the greens, providing better playability.  These holes should not impede your play, but you may notice them in thinner areas around the green. 

Like it or not, winter is rapidly approaching.  With the forecast models mixed on if the winter will be like 2012 (mild and dry) or 2013 (really cold and snowy), we will be planning on maximizing turf health for whatever the winter of 2014/15 brings.  For the greens, that entails the following:

• Raising mower heights.  When the weather forecasts dictate a prolonged cold snap, I will raise the height of cut on greens from the normal height of .120" to .135".  Raising height of cut allows more leaf surface for the turf to maximize their photosynthetic capabilities and carbohydrate storage.  Raising height will also lessen stress to the plant and create a deeper root system going into winter.  To keep green speed at an acceptable level when this is done, we will be rolling more frequently.  While raising heights may not create the speeds that summer brings, it is best for the long term health of the greens going into winter. 

Deep tine aerification holes open March 2014

• Aerification.  On November 3rd, we have a contractor coming in to perform solid tine aerification to a depth of 12" on all greens.  These extra holes create three advantages:  additional channels for spring root growth, aid in relieving any deeper compaction within the rootzone soil profile, and extra drainage capabilities for ice/snow melt to prevent ice formation on the plant surfaces.  As the picture shows, having these holes open going into winter were instrumental in our success last winter limiting damage on greens from a potential catastrophe.

• Fertility.  While we limit nutrients on finely maintained turf during the season to provide great playing conditions, the fall is the best time to feed the turf to maximize carbohydrate storage going into winter.  The more carbs the plant stores, the quicker it will break dormancy when temperatures warm up in the spring.     

Sand protecting the crowns of the turf

Topdressing.  When growth has ceased for the year, we will apply a thick coating of sand topdressing to bury the crowns and as much leaf tissue as possible.  This sand helps protect and insulate the crown of the plant from any extreme cold temperatures.  This practice was another way more damage was prevented from last winter's ice layer. 




So what if the winter of 2014/15 is the same as last year?  My plan is much more defined than it was when I started here, with as much research and real world experience I gained from my first few weeks here at Elcona.  We know our process for snow and ice removal should it become necessary, and we know that the most important practice is to constantly monitor the green for melting after removal, to prevent any crown hydration injury from water re-freezing.  If any significant ice layers form, we will implement our removal program if the layer is still present after 30 days of formation.  This gives us plenty of time before the 45 day threshold is reached and toxic gas levels start to become detrimental to the Poa. 

My apologies for such a long post, but I wanted to clearly outline our plan going into winter for the greens, to prepare them the best we can for whatever Mother Nature throws our way. 

Ryan