Purple Cart Tracks on Newport

The bermudagrass fairways on Newport greened up way earlier than I have ever seen.  Usually the bermuda greens up in mid-April.  Early this week, we had two nights with temperatures in the low 30s.  All cart tracks have turned purple.  This is NOT a result of any kind of chemical/fertilizer application.  This is a stunting caused by the cold weather.  My only thought would be the tracks lie lower to the ground.  The temperature is colder near the ground.  This also is why we resist the temptation to mow the bermudagrass early.  The loss of the insulation of the dead material from last year would leave the bermuda exposed to the cold temperature and cause issues later in the spring.

Green bermudagrass in March, but what are the spots?

Bermudagrass green up in March is unheard of on the Eastern Shore.  The temptation is to mow it and clean it up.  I subscribe to patience is better.  IF we mow the bermudagrass too early and we have a cold snap, the turf can be set back in its development for the season.  There are some spots that are not greening up as rapidly or not at all.  This is Spring Dead Spot.  This is a soil based fungus that really has no cure.  Some instances the fungicide Rubigan has been an effective preventive.  In my experience, it is costly and the return on investment is very, very spotty.  We try to avoid SDS by raising mowing heights in the late summer.   Some of the spots are starting to grow.  We will scalp the fairways and fertilize as the weather consistently becomes warm. 

Some of the spots are from our RoundUp spray in January.  In these cases, the bermudagrass is starting to fill in the voids without competition.

Say What? Crabgrass in March???

I saw this today along #11 Newport cartpath.  This is 3 weeks ahead of normal and I cannot believe I am seeing this on March 26th.  Crabgrass germination.

Darin Bevard USGA Update

Here Comes the Growing Season

By Darin S. Bevard, senior agronomist, Mid-Atlantic Region
March 12, 2012

It’s only early March, but warmer than normal temperatures have accelerated the demand for course conditions in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Superintendents can only do so much until the grass really starts growing. Additionally, winter projects may still need to be completed, limiting available resources for early course grooming.

In the last Mid-Atlantic update, Stan Zontek discussed potential consequences of our “no winter” winter in this region. Little did we know that we would be finding some of the answers to these questions so quickly! Above normal temperatures have continued, and we have been flooded with questions regarding annual bluegrass weevil activity and Poa annua seedhead emergence. These are normally questions for the latter part of March or even early April. In the southern part of the region, bermudagrass is beginning to green-up which has brought some winter weed control programs to a halt much earlier than normal. The good news in all of this is that observed rooting in putting greens has been exceptional overall. Both root depth and density have been good for this early point in the growing season.
Annual bluegrass weevil activity has been noted throughout our region in the last 7 to 10 days. On warmer days, populations have been on the move. When should treatments be applied? It is hard to say because we cannot predict the weather. However, with the warmer than normal weather trend continuing, it is safe to say that applications will be earlier than usual. Phenological indicators such as the half green/half gold stage of Forsythia are still important. Growing degree models should also be monitored to provide a guideline for treatment timing. However, aggressive scouting should remain an important part in determining timing of insecticide applications. Keep in mind that the goal is to control female adults before they lay their eggs, not necessarily as soon as they emerge. There is little precedent for treatment strategies following this warm of a winter in much of our region. Relatively speaking, the weevil is a new and expanding problem in much of the Mid-Atlantic Region, and we still have a lot to learn.
The same can be said of Poa annua seedhead control. Poa annua seedhead emergence has been observed in roughs and fairways into Pennsylvania in the last week or so. We have had the opportunity to discuss this topic with some of the researchers that have done much of the work related to Poa annua seedhead control, and their consensus answer has been, “Not sure. Good luck.” The flowering of Poa annua may be extended this spring, so seedhead control expectations must be reasonable considering this weather.
On bermudagrass, the biggest concern is early green-up followed by a hard frost. This scenario would not be catastrophic by any means. However, it could slow the development of bermudagrass in the early spring if green leaves are hit by heavy frost. Weed control may also be complicated as applications of certain herbicides could negatively impact spring green-up as well.
The final challenge that we are seeing at golf courses is wrapping up winter projects. With the warm weather, the need for golf course conditioning is clashing with completing other winter work. In many cases, staff size is still small. Some patience will be needed, but hopefully we can all enjoy the warmer than normal temperatures if they continue.

Green Bermudagrass in March? Insects? What's Going On Here?

The unusual winter/spring weather is showing us some really unusual phenomenon.  I have NEVER seen bermudagrass green up in March.  Granted, we removed the competition, but this is unprecedented.  I have observed Black Aetinius Adults skittering around the greens.  This is usually an April thing.  All the flowering trees are early and blooming at the same time.  As long as the jet stream continues to stay far north, this will continue.  One unexpected benefit of the mild weather has been an extended root growing season.  This is our summer inventory that we try to enhance with our aerification.  More on that in our next post.  One can only wonder where this weather pattern is headed?

Bumpy Greens...A Consequence of the Non Winter

The crazy non-winter of 2011-12 has had one very visible consequence.  Today is March 15 and a fair amount of the creeping bentgrass is still in its' dormant state.  The bentgrass is the bronze grass in the two pictures.  The mild non-winter has allowed more poa annua than normal to germinate.  The poa is light green.  The poa has a lot of seed stored in the soil, that has been tracked to the greens from the bermudagrass fairways that were not cleaned up over the last few years.  We have cleaned the fairways up dramatically over the last year and now they are poa free, so the seedhead cycle has been broken.  What we had to do so far, is spray all the greens with the growth regulator Embark.  A good question is "Mike why would you spray a growth regulator on dormant bentgrass?"  The poa is growing faster than the dormant bentgrass, causing a bumpy surface.  The Embark also regulates the seedheads on the greens.  Creeping bentgrass will NOT grow while the soil temperatures are still in the 40s and 50s.  It does not matter how much fertilzer you apply or what kind of foliar products you apply, it will NOT grow.  Once we aerify, the rootzones will warm up and the bentgrass will begin to grow.

With the poa controlled in the fairways, we turn our attention to the poa on the greens.  I am suprised at how much poa germinated on the Newport greens.  Seaside greens are older and constructed differently.  They are now mostly poa, so they putt smoother early in the season.  We will likely implement a strategy using the Growth Regulator Trimmit to curb the poa, until summer.  We likely will apply a preemergent herbicide in September for next winter.  Superintendents have been battling poa for decades.  There are some products on the horizon in develpoment and testing that may be promising.

USGA Update

Golf and Turf Update

By Stanley J. Zontek, director, Mid-Atlantic Region
February 22, 2012

As measured by the amount of snowfall,most parts of the Mid-Atlantic Region have received little snow this winter. It has not been a cold and snowy winter and most courses have been open for play.

Comparisons of this mild Mid-Atlantic Region winter to others is a frequent topic of discussion on the evening news, and golf media writers are pointing out the positive effects this weather is having on the game of golf in this part of the country.
Rounds are up, golf income is up, and the usual golfer complaints about winter play are nothing but a bad memory. Unlike most years, our phones have not rung once with golfers trying to find out why their golf course is closed whereas a neighboring course is open for play. It is a good kind of “problem” to have. 
The mild winter adds to a trend of weather extremes that we have been experiencing. We seem to be setting some type of record almost every year. While the purpose of this message is not to discuss all that is involved in managing grass during weather extremes, suffice it to say, growing healthy grass should be your number one priority. Healthy grass simply has fewer problems, is more resistant to and tolerant of weather extremes, and recovers faster once those conditions are over. 
There are agronomic consequences to a mild winter. Some are relatively simple to understand, to manage and to mend. Others are not. These include:

• Potential insect problems. The mild winter has the potential for increasing insect problems because the general lack of mortality to whatever insect overwinters. This could mean a problem later this year. Of particular note is the Hyperodes weevil. The mild temperatures will only confuse and complicate the timing of preventative sprays this spring. Stay tuned.

• Poa annua seedhead control. There are reports from southern Virginia that a few Poa annua seedheads have already emerged. In fact, some flowering trees are already in bloom.  The mild weather could compromise control for those courses that use Poa annua seedhead suppression programs on their greens. Remember, the goal is to control the majority of seedheads, not the first seedheads to emerge.  Again, stay tuned. 

• Winter weed control in bermudagrass. Another agronomic consequence of a mild winter is the unrestricted development of a whole host of winter annual weeds in bermudagrass turf. This includes Poa annua, which germinated throughout the winter. Research conducted by the University of Maryland has shown, if the ground is not frozen, some amount of Poa annua can germinate all winter long. Since frozen soil conditions have been rare this winter, it is likely extra winter weed control applications will be needed. Additionally, the mild temperatures have raised some concerns about applying Roundup for winter weed control on dormant or semi-dormant bermudagrass and zoysiagrass. It is important to remember to reduce spray volumes to 18-20 gallons of water per acre. This should minimize concerns about Roundup’s penetration too deep into the canopy. If you have any questions, give us a call.

• Bumpy ground. Winter golf and winter cart usage often results in footprinting and ruts. The maintenance staff may also cause some damage as they work on winter projects. Corrective action includes aeration, topdressing and rolling. This is all good work for the spring made necessary by the mild winter. It is one of the least of our problems, but a problem that still needs to be addressed.

• Traffic wear and tear. Winter play also results in additional divots, ball marks and general wear and tear to semi-dormant or slowly growing grass. This damage is best repaired through early applications of fertilizers and the same aeration and topdressing work mentioned above. If the ground is too cold, seed germination is slow to nonexistent. Most recovery will occur from the grass plant itself, thus the need in many cases for some extra fertilizer this spring. 

Overall, the mild winter has been more good than bad. Some amount of extra work in the spring will no doubt have to be scheduled because there are some agronomic consequences to the golf course being open for play on a year-round basis during the winter of 2011-2012.