Greens are Growing!

As everyone has seen our Greens are growing and mostly green! They have also slowed down considerably. We have begun to mow irregularly, and will begin lowering the height of cut very slowly and we will begin low levels of fertility soon. We do not yet want to treat the turf as if it is spring, as a cold front is always likely this time of year and we do not want to cause any damage. Here is some is some information from research done on Bermuda Grass and Spring Root decline.

SPRING ROOT DECLINE

This phenomenon was documented by Dr. James Beard at Texas A&M in the early 1980s.  Using a rhizotron which allowed for visually studying roots, one year he documented that the bermudagrasses “dropped” their roots in the spring.  After making observations for a few more years it was confirmed that this phenomenon does not occur every year, but only in response to a particular sequence of weather events.  Spring Root Decline is most likely to occur when there are 1) very cold temperatures which cause total bermudagrass dormancy, followed by 2) a very rapid warm-up which incites rapid shoot growth.  The roots die back because the demand for energy created by the sudden surge of shoot growth rapidly depletes the carbohydrate reserves and so the roots die back to the crown.  The plants do initiate new root growth but it occurs at the crown rather than at the terminal end of the existing roots and so the potential for desiccation is great during this time.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1 –Water very frequently to maintain soil moisture near the surface.  This could require watering daily, and be especially aware of the drier air which follows a cold front. We always monitor our soil moisture and act accordingly.

2- Fungicide.  A broad-based preventative fungicide is a good idea given the possibility of stress. We have already applied our first of two spring fungicide treatments. These plus one in the fall are the only planned fungicide treatments for the year. that is a vast difference than our old Bentgrass Greens.

3 – Mowing.  If you do lower the height of cut, we advise that you do so very carefully so as not to cause any scuffing or damage to the existing mat.  If the surface is disturbed, it could take a long time to recover should the temperatures fall again, which is likely.  Verticutting is likewise not recommended at this time for the same reason. We have begun an irregular mowing schedule that is very slowly reducing the height of cut (hoc) so we do not cause any mechanical damage or expose the turf unnecessarily to possible cold temperatures.

4 - Protect the turf from frost.  Mornings with light frost we will gently irrigate to "wash" the frost off as soon as possible after formation. We also spray a wetting agent on the turf that helps to prevent the formation of frost. However, a forecast for a heavy frost or freeze may require us to cover the greens even thought the temps are not truly severe. This will be determined on a case by case occurrence as there are so many variables to consider.

Thanks, and if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at jjasonbaker@sbcglobal.net or simply comment below. 

Jason