Page 4 - April Newsletter

GOLF

COURSE
MAINTENANCE UPDATE

Noah Gessler

Springtime brings on multiple changes to the
courses. Warmer air and soil temperatures mean
more growth and more mowing. Increased
microbial activity in the soil helps the breakdown
and release of nutrients built up in the soil through
the winter and lessens the need for many
fertilizer inputs. These unseen microbes are key to
many important soil and plant processes.

During spring we start to monitor the activity of
certain insect pests and apply products
accordingly. Spring pre-emergence herbicide
applications will also take place based on soil
temperatures reaching a certain level. Timing
these applications based on soil temperature will
be important as we move into summer.

As soil temperatures reach the mid to upper 50’s
consistently, the bermudagrass will begin to wake
up and it becomes important to manage
conditions to encourage its growth. In a few
weeks we will begin to reduce mowing heights of
the ryegrass to allow as much sunlight as possible
to reach the bermudagrass below. This is
especially important in the rough.

Aerification is also a key agronomic practice that
begins in the spring. Major core aerification on
bent grass greens in this climate can only take
place in the spring and fall when the
temperatures are favorable. Core aerification of
tees, fairway and roughs will take place
throughout the summer months as there is less
chance of turf damage during the heat of the
summer. We are scheduled to begin greens
aerification on May 16th this year.

Thank you,
Noah

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