Tip Burn

On a several fairways #6,#7 and #8 in particular, have had some tip burn occur on them. The burn was caused by the compost that was applied during aerification. One of the six truck loads of compost that was applied was a little hotter than expected. The burn that is visible now, will mowed off and will become a non issue.

The compost I use has a low C/N ratio (carbon / nitrogen) which means that the compost tends to be a little hotter than normal compost. The reason I prefer compost that is on the hot side is because, I am using it as my primary fertilizer source.

In addition to compost being used as a fertilizer source, some of the other benefits of using composts are:

Humus
• Adds humus and organic matter to the soil
• Inoculates soil with humus building microorganisms
• Improves soil structure to allow better infiltration of air and water
• Humus stores 20 times the weight in water and significantly increases the soils ability to store water

Nutrients
• Mineral based nutrients
• Organic based nutrients
• Slow release
• Does not leach into aquatic environments

Microorganisms
• Supplies a large range of beneficial fungi, bacteria and other useful species
• Suppresses soil pathogens
• Fixes Nitrogen
• Increases soil Carbon
• Releases locked up soil nutrients
• Detoxifies poisons
• Feeds plants and soil life
• Builds soil structure

Aerification Update Day 2

After a slow start on Monday because of the weather, yesterday we made up some of the lost time. Greens and tees have been completed; the only area that is still lagging a little behind is the fairways.

The Graden (de-thatching) has been done on all of the fairways, but the cleanup is still taking place on the back nine fairways at this point. In addition to the cleanup the fairways will be overseeded with Bentgrass and need to have compost applied.

The compost acts as a cover for the seed, as well as providing the necessary nutrients for growth of existing turf as well as the new seedlings once they emerge. The compost applications make up more than 80% of my total fertility applied to the fairways in a given growing season.

More than likely there will be some carry over into tomorrow morning with the final cleanup on #16 and #18 fairways. We will do our best to minimize the impact on play as we complete the cleanup process.

What’s That Smell?

It occurs every 30 days, you can smell it but you can’t see it so what could it be? The earthy odor that you smell is a DPW (dried poultry waste) organic fertilizer. A local company called Organix Supply does all my custom blending allowing me to tailor the fertilizer blends to match my soil conditions.

You are only as good as your soil. There is no truer statement when it comes to growing quality plants, whether it's corn, wheat or turfgrass. We rely on organic fertilizers to help rebuild the soils that have been destroyed due to years of synthetic fertilizer use and poor irrigation water quality. The organic fertilizer is one of the keys to replenishing the depleted soils by boosting the microbial populations, so that nutrient cycling can once again take place.

Appling DPW To The Tees

Weed Control Without Chemicals

Many of the weeds that are commonly controlled with herbicides can also be controlled by other more environmentally friendly methods.

In a turf situation the best defense again weed invasion is maintaining a think, dense healthy turf where voids are not present allowing weed seeds to germinate. This can be accomplished through proper fertility and cultivation. When weeds do become present, there are now organic chemical controls available that will eliminate certain weed species. If organic chemicals are not an option then the good old fashioned way still work by physical removal of the weeds.

In landscape situations other methods of control are also available such as the use of flamers. Flamers are actually modified gas torches that burn or melt the cell walls within the plant and kill them without chemical use. These work great, but great care must be taken while using these devices due to fire danger in our extremely dry climate. Another great method of controlling weeds in landscape beds is the use of mulch products. These mulch products are available in numerous colors and materials. Mulches actually serve two purposes when used in a landscape situation; the first is sunlight deprivation to the weeds and secondly they provide moisture retention to the desired plant materials.

Any one of these alternatives to synthetic chemicals is worth a try and by doing so you will be helping in keeping the planet a little greener.

First Cut

Today we began to put the course back together from last week’s aerification. In the last several days the course has more closely resembled a war zone with sand, compost and holes everywhere than something that golf is played on.

First Triplex Mowing Stripes on The Fairways


The first mowing after aerification took place today on the tees, fairways and rough. The fairways in particular will be the slowest of the areas to recover due to the nutrient release characteristics of the compost, which tends to be slow and long lasting. It is for this reason that we will mow the fairways without baskets that catch clippings for the first several times. By doing so will allow the compost to work its way into the turf canopy and begin to inoculate the microbial populations and enrich the soil.

Aerification: The Process

Each area on the golf course is treated differently, but the end result is all the same. We are trying to alleviate the surface compaction that exists on each of the play areas so that the plant is better equipped to perform well for the upcoming season.

Greens:
The process begins with an application of sand to the surface before they are aerified. This is done so that the newly created holes are not closed immediately by the weight of the equipment applying the sand. An additional benefit of this is that the sand on the surface is forced down into the profile by the aerifier tines. After aerification has been completed and the sand is dry the greens are drug with a coco mat to fill the holes with sand.
Applying Sand To The Green

Aerifying The Green
Close up of Aerification Holes


Final Product



Fairways:
The fairways were de-thatched rather than aerified so that the surface disruption is not as significant. Typically the fairways are only aerified in the fall. The Graden verticutter was set to a depth of 1” below the surface and was done in two directions to remove maximum amount of thatch without causing surface damage. The thatch was drug with a steel mat to break up the debris and the remainder was then blown off. Next the Bentgrass seed was spread and compost was applied on top. After the compost material was dry, the fairways were once again drug in with a steel mat to evenly distribute the seed compost mix.

Verti-Cutting Fairways

Close Up Of Thatch Removed From Fairway
Seeding The Fairways
Spreading Compost

Dragging In The Compost


Tees:
The tees were treated in a similar manor as the fairways, but with out the compost application being made.

This whole process takes a staff of 20, every bit of three days to complete with good weather. Throw in the delays we experienced this spring and the task becomes rather challenging to say the least. I hope this gives everybody a feel for what has taken place on the golf course for the last three days.

Aerification Day Three

The weather has held for the early portion of the day and has allowed us to continue making progress. With that being said we will still not be able to finish seeding and composting fairways #13 and #16 due to the approaching storm. High winds have once again shut down the seeding operation, which in turn shuts down the compost application to the fairways.
The seed is applied to the fairways first and the compost is applied on top of the seed to act as a cover that will help with germination. Since we are unable to follow this sequence will be forced to complete the operation when the weather will allow. Hopefully we will be able to complete the fairways this coming Friday or worst case next Monday.

In effort to put the course back into play the greens have been mowed to clean up the extra sand that was still on the surface. Other cleanup items that are taking place are that all of the plaques and yardage makers on the tees and fairways are being edged and debris removed from them.

Once the golf course opens back up for play you will be surprised how well the greens will roll for just being aerified. The fairways will look a little of the brown side due to the compost remaining on the surface. As the fairways begin to actively grow the compost will work its way down the canopy and no longer be visible.

Aerification Day Two Continiued

The time I thought we were going to make up did not happen due to the extremely high winds from an approaching cold front. The high winds slowed progress of the seeding operation on the fairways. Bentgrass is an extremely small seed (approximately 6 million seed per pound) and is highly susceptible to being blown away from the intended area of application. This was even more of a factor since we are broadcasting the seed rather than applying it with a drop spreader. We were unable to apply seed to fairways #13 through #18. As a result the compost application was also not made to those fairways. We will try again in the morning and see what kind of progress can be made before the storm hits.

Bentgrass Seed Being Applied With a Broadcast Spreader

Time to Get Growing

Fertilizer Being Applied To The Rough

Fertilizer is any material that supplies one or more of the essential nutrients to plants. They typically provide, in varying proportions, the three major plant nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium: N-P-K), the secondary plant nutrients (calcium, sulfur, magnesium), and sometimes trace elements (or micronutrients) with a role in plant nutrition: boron, chlorine, manganese, iron, zinc, copper, and molybdenum.

Fertilizers can be classified into one of two categories: organic or synthetic. Organic fertilizers are derived from living or once living material. These materials include animal wastes, crop residues, compost and numerous other byproducts of living organisms. Synthetic fertilizers are derived from non-living sources such as ammonia, ammonium sulfate, and urea which are by-products from the oil and natural gas industry.

Benefits of Organic Fertilizers
There are many advantages that come from the use of organic fertilizers. One advantage of organic materials is that they provide beneficial organic matter that can improve the soils water and nutrient holding capacity. This organic matter also creates an environment that encourages beneficial soil organisms. Another advantage is that organic materials take longer to breakdown and release nutrients. This creates a slow-release situation that provides nutrients over a longer period of time and can also help in reducing the loss of nutrients to leaching.

What is IPM?

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices. IPM programs use current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment. This information, in combination with available pest control methods, is used to manage pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment.

IPM is not a single pest control method but, rather, a series of pest management evaluations, decisions and controls. In practicing IPM, Golf Course Superintendents who are aware of the potential for pest infestation follow a four-tiered approach.

The 4 Steps to Successful IPM Programs:

1) Set Action Thresholds
Before taking any pest control action, IPM first sets an action threshold, a point at which pest populations or environmental conditions indicate that pest control action must be taken. Sighting a single pest does not always mean control is needed. The level at which pests will either become an economic threat is critical to guide future pest control decisions.
2) Monitor and Identify Pests
Not all insects, weeds, and other living organisms require control. Many organisms are innocuous, and some are even beneficial. IPM programs work to monitor for pests and identify them accurately, so that appropriate control decisions can be made in conjunction with action thresholds. This monitoring and identification removes the possibility that pesticides will be used when they are not really needed or that the wrong kind of pesticide will be used.
3) Prevention
As a first line of pest control, IPM programs work to manage the turfgrass to prevent pests from becoming a threat.
4) Control
Once monitoring, identification, and action thresholds indicate that pest control is required, and preventive methods are no longer effective or available, IPM programs then evaluate the proper control method both for effectiveness and risk. Effective, less risky pest controls are chosen first, including highly targeted chemicals, such as pheromones to disrupt pest mating, or mechanical control, such as trapping or weeding. If further monitoring, identifications and action thresholds indicate that less risky controls are not working, then additional pest control methods would be employed, such as targeted spraying of pesticides. Broadcast spraying of non-specific pesticides is a last resort.

What is Compost Tea?

Compost Tea is a highly concentrated microbial solution produced by extracting beneficial microbes from compost. This "brew" is produced by adding nutrients to water that is highly aerated. Compost is placed in a "tea bag or basket" and suspended in solution and the extraction process begins. Using the proper equipment, good quality Compost Tea can be brewed in 24 hours. Once the tea has been properly brewed it can be applied to anything that grows and will act as a natural fertilizer that also provides some disease suppression. The tea is fully enriched with beneficial bacteria and fungi that feed the existing soil organisms that starts the nutrient cycling process.

BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH COMPOST TEA USE

Microbial Functions

-Compete with disease causing microbes

-Degrade toxic pesticides and other chemicals

-Produce plant growth hormones

-Mineralize plant available nutrients

-Fix nitrogen

-Plant surfaces are occupied by beneficial microbes leaving no room for pathogens to infect the plant (squatters rights)

Direct Nutrition
-A source of foliar and soil organic nutrients. -Chelated micronutrients for easy plant absorption -Nutrients in a biologically available form for both plant and microbial uptake

Molasses it's not Just for Baking

Black Strap Molasses is the by-product of sugar refining that contains all the nutrients from the raw sugar cane plant. of the varieties of molasses, Blackstrap Molasses is richest in sources of sugars, carbon, enzymes, B-vitamins and trace elements. We routinely add molasses to all of our spray applications to increase the efficacies of the other materials included in the spray mix.
Blackstrap Molasses is a carbohydrate energy source that feeds soil microorganisms and increases microbial activity, With continued applications, Blackstrap Molasses encourages a soil environment that helps reduce thatch.

Benefits of Blackstrap Molasses applications:

Increase Plant health
Increase Microbial Activity
Increase Leaf Color
Decrease Thatch
Improve Fertilizer Efficacy
Readily available Carbohydrate Source

Compost

The use of compost on the golf course was slowly introduced over 6 years to areas such as flowerbeds and new construction projects. Since that time compost has been a mainstay in my agronomic tool belt. It now comprises nearly 85% of the total fertility applied to the fairways on the golf course every year. We have moved away from synthetic or man made fertilizers that strip the soil of nutrients and microorganisms.

The Benefits of Compost

Humus

• Adds humus and organic matter to the soil
• Inoculates soil with humus building microorganisms
• Improves soil structure to allow better infiltration of air and water
• Humus stores 20 times the weight in water and significantly increases the soils ability to store water

Nutrients

• Mineral based nutrients
• Organic based nutrients
• Slow release
• Does not leach into aquatic environments

Microorganisms

• Supplies a large range of beneficial fungi, bacteria and other useful species
• Suppresses soil pathogens
• Fixes Nitrogen
• Increases soil Carbon
• Releases locked up soil nutrients
• Detoxifies poisons
• Feeds plants and soil life
• Builds soil structure