| Sept. 24, 2010 Scouting Report Fall Arrives Officially: Our last 90 degree day, Dollar spot wows, Tim's Biorational results, Nick says ImageResizer and MediaFire Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle - Sept. 23 officially marks the first day of fall, yet a 90° high temperature returned to Chicago's south side. For example, Midway Airport recorded 90°. A little farther to the west in Lemont, Sunshine Course didn't quite make it there (we would record 88°). At a CDGA board meeting at Lake Shore Country Club that same day (each club has one elected representative) I was wearing a nice tie and did my very best to summarize 2010 regarding turfgrass health. As I spoke, a hot, windy day unfolded on Chicago's North Shore. Ironically that was my main point. We had just experienced a return of 'a normal summer' (23 days above 90°). In the Midwest it wasn't a summer of blistering highs that upset the balance; rather it was a consistently warm summer that caused trouble beyond just disease. For cool-season turf such as bentgrass we had experienced physiological decline! From July 3rd we counted 49 days non-stop with daytime highs at or above 80° F. In Chicago that overtook 42 days recorded in 1955 when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president. For golf course superintendents, the third full week of September had to feel good as we continue to gain distance from August (an especially hot month). Rapid turf recovery has ensued and we are humming - that is the leaf blowers, aerifiers, and seeders. Fall! Click here to view the complete Sept. 24, 2010 Scouting Report. Have a good/distancing weekend. Derek Settle, PhD Director of Turfgrass Program Chicago District Golf Association 11855 Archer Ave Lemont, IL 60439 W cdga.org E dsettle@cdga.org |
We have put in a stone pad with a gravel base for the beverage station at 4 tee. We were having problems with the water from the irrigation cycles running down the cart path a gathering at the low spot on the path. The low spot happened to be right where the beverage station sat. A drain was installed as well to remove the excess water.
We also know some of the areas suffered from chinch bug damage. One large area that we will be sodding is the face of the bunker on the right side of 15 fairway. We know the damage cause to this bunker was from chinch bugs (15 bunker chinch bug damage post).
| Sept. 17, 2010 Scouting Report Dry Continues: iTurf Expo is Sept. 22, Seed and fertilizer flies, Dollar spot stops, First fall color, PCNB and snow mold, Tim's Crabgrass C4 vs. Kentucky bluegrass C3, and Nick's says "Lexingon and Firenza" tall fescue Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle Dry. In a week, we are seeing lots of recovery from summer injury. For example to my surprise on Tuesday, a research trial at North Shore Country Club was stopped in its tracks. For approximately one month we had been experiencing rapid progression of dollar spot. This week, my data collection was less impressive - turfgrass recovery now seemed to have the upper hand. Why? Cooler nights of 40s and 50s have begun, and most fungi (e.g. Sclerotinia homoeoecarpa) do not like it that cool. Another simpler explanation is that it's dry (even greater negative consequence on fungal development). The bad guys that blight turf typically need a minimum leaf wetness duration of 10 hours. If you manage turf, dry is a wonderful thing - especially given your schedule. Most core aerification to benefit root growth is timed near Labor Day. Also, areas in need of repair (e.g. summer 2010) were cultivated and seeded without interruption. For golfers, current conditions might be bitter sweet. Bitter sweet? Some of the hardest and fastest course conditions now exist, yet peak summer play is over. The last time Chicago courses were this dry was sometime in April. Superintendents are in control. Do you hear that? Besides spreaders slinging fertilizer (whiz) or dropping seed (dribble), needed drainage modifications are being installed (draining water sound). Preparations for 2011 have begun. Dry is a good thing. Click here to view the complete Sept. 17, 2010 Scouting Report. Have a great weekend. It feels like fall already...maybe take the time to smell a flower or two... Derek Settle, PhD Director of Turfgrass Program Chicago District Golf Association 11855 Archer Ave Lemont, IL 60439 P 630.685.2307 F 630.257.2088 W cdga.org E dsettle@cdga.org |
Gro Horticultural visited about a month ago to look at the locations where we wanted to plant trees and gave recommendations about what to plant. Our trip Tuesday mainly involved see their nurseries, but while we were there we tagged a few of the trees that we will be getting this fall.
We are planning to get these trees planted by the end of September as recommended by Gro Horticultural. They will bring the to the property with a 90 inch tree spade with special tires that can be used on the golf course.
The sod is establishing well in the fairways. A fertilizer application was completed on the fairways and roughs this past Monday and Tuesday. After this fertilizer begins to work in the fairways, we expect the new seed and sod to mature rapidly. We have removed some of the ropes that directed cart traffic off of the areas. We will keep using ropes in these areas as needed.
| Sept. 10, 2010 Scouting Report Beautiful Weather: We smile, Christmas early?, Sub-70 soils, Rapid recovery, Few Issues, Dollar spot and white grubs, Tim promotes, and Nick says, "Powered by Google" Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle - DSettle@cdga.org Smiling! "Turned the corner." One superintendent saw it that way this week. Another sent a weekend email and said "Merry Christmas" instead of Happy Labor Day. It was finally over - a long, hot summer. In a week, rapid turfgrass recovery occurred and soil temperatures again read sub-70 degrees. In a week, we reflected on a year that taught us lessons. Those lessons, if heeded correctly, will allow change ... golf course and our abilities can now improve. Quickly the mood changes of those whose lives are tied to another. Ours is tied to one who's first name begins with P. Not Peter, not Paul. Not even a really good golfer whose name begins with P like Petrovic or Poulter (playing the BMW Championship golf tournament across the street). Our friend's first name is "Plant". Usually he wears green colors. Maybe he's Irish? We cannot know. Plant cannot talk. He can smile. What does that look like? Deep roots and Dark green. If you take care of a golf course, you're smiling. If you take care of a home lawn, you're smiling. If you are taking care of a schoolyard maybe you're NOT smiling (kids have begun to choose the ultimate 'short cut' ...goat trails have begun). Anyhow, we are all happy this week except for that grounds superintendent for USD 329. Deep roots and dark green- the turf is smiling (again). Click here to view the complete Sept. 10, 2010 Scouting Report. Have a good weekend and smile? Derek Settle, PhD Director of Turfgrass Program Chicago District Golf Association 11855 Archer Ave Lemont, IL 60439 P 630.685.2307 F 630.257.2088 W cdga.org E dsettle@cdga.org |
From Purdue University Extension, Turfgrass Disease Profile:
"The pathogen attacks and colonizes roots and crowns during periods of environmental stress and limited root growth. As a result, infected plants often die, leaving patches of dead turf. Summer patch can be particularly severe on golf greens containing moderate to high proportions of annual bluegrass. Turf killed in midsummer adversely affects playability and ruins turf’s aesthetic appearance.
Summer patch symptoms begin to appear during the heat of summer because infection- impaired roots cannot keep plants alive during periods of heat and drought stress. Initial symptoms resemble small (4-6 inches in diameter) circular or oval patches with an orange-brown color and often occur in clusters. Individual patches expand to more than 12 inches in diameter. After initial disease establishment, patches enlarge in a radial fashion. Most turf damage occurs at the leading edge of the patch. Areas in the center of a patch may fill in with creeping bentgrass, particularly on golf greens, or other turf species in Kentucky bluegrass stands. In turf stands where the disease has been established for several years, the infected areas have field patterns that resemble frog eye patches or arcs and rings of damaged turf. Plants with moderate to severe infection will exhibit a characteristically sparse and necrotic root system.
Infection by the summer patch pathogen is highly dependent on the temperature and moisture status of the soil. When soil temperatures are elevated (75-85°F) and there is ample soil moisture, the summer patch pathogen readily infects and colonizes turf roots. At these temperatures, root growth is slow and no new roots will be initiated until fall. By midsummer, plants with even moderate levels of infection will succumb to heat and drought stress due to impaired root systems."
We have stopped mowing this lower cut for the year to allow for these areas to recover. These areas have been overseeded. The height of cut on these areas will be consistent with the surrounding turf.
This is a picture of how these areas looked in July.
We worked at the putting green through most of the day today. The work involved aerating the green with solid tines, topdressing the green with sand to fill the holes, then overseeding the entire green.
The holes allow for better air exchange between the soil profile and the air outside the green. Along with air exchange, once these holes are filled with sand, they provide a seed bed for the new seed that was applied.
We applied the sand at a heavier rate than a normal topdressing. We used the same machine that we use for our normal scheduled topdressing, but the spreader on the back was different. This spreader drops the sand straight down out of the back of the spreader rather that spreading the sand with a spinner attachment. Once the putting green was topdressed, the spreader attachment was put back on the topdresser, and our normal scheduled topdressing was completed on the course.
After the topdressing was applied, the sand was worked into the green with push brooms. Then a light drag mat was used to level off any inconsistencies in the sand. After the drag mat was finished, seed was applied.
The final act of the day involved fertilizing, then watering. We used an organic fertilizer on the green, so an odor may be present near the putting green for the next few days.
The putting green will remain closed while the recovery continues.
When rain washes out our bunkers it requires lots of work to get them back into playing shape. We had a large crew working in the bunkers on Friday morning. The work requires removing debris that may have washed in from the surrounding turf. This debris will cause a dirty look in the bunkers as well as inhibiting drainage over time if it is not removed. Once the debris is piled and removed, the sand need to be moved back up the slopes and the sand depth checked throughout the bunker surface.
Sept. 3, 2010 Scouting Report
It's September, It's Labor Day Weekend: Dry conditions peak, Roughs go dormant, Mosquito spray, Summer patch, Mystery patch, Type 1 Fairy Ring, Pythium blight, Tim's Poa control data, and Nick says "wordpress"
Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle - DSettle@cdga.org
Lucky number 18? It turns out weathermen run statistics at the end of each month. We now know Chicago's recent June to August period was the 18th hottest and 18th wettest. Other regions were similar and some even hotter. For example, the Chicago Tribune recently reported on Central Park's temperature in New York City. "For June through August, the historic average for Central Park is 73.9 degrees, and it was 77.8 this year. The previous record high was 77.3 in 1966." Another historic meteorological average blown out of the water. In my mind 2010 comes down to two items. 1) Extreme: Record breaking temperatures and large precipitation totals. 2) Consistent: Weather parameters (e.g., temperature and relative humidity) can be very different week to week. It keeps us on our toes and is why I write weekly reports. However, a big record in Chicago was all about being consistent (i.e., longest stretch of 80+ days ever recorded). Entire swaths of the country also suffered the same persistent heat and humidity as well as flooding. That kind of consistency just devastates plant health. Plants adapted to cool climates need an occasional break in summer heat. It allows recovery and replenish food reserves (root carbohydrate store). Summer 2010 gave few breaks in the heat and our turf still shows it (no roots), increasingly so does the landscape (premature leaf drop). Not-so-lucky number 18!
Click here for the September 3rd Turf Scouting Report
It's September, It's Labor Day Weekend: Dry conditions peak, Roughs go dormant, Mosquito spray, Summer patch, Mystery patch, Type 1 Fairy Ring, Pythium blight, Tim's Poa control data, and Nick says "wordpress"
Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle - DSettle@cdga.org
Lucky number 18? It turns out weathermen run statistics at the end of each month. We now know Chicago's recent June to August period was the 18th hottest and 18th wettest. Other regions were similar and some even hotter. For example, the Chicago Tribune recently reported on Central Park's temperature in New York City. "For June through August, the historic average for Central Park is 73.9 degrees, and it was 77.8 this year. The previous record high was 77.3 in 1966." Another historic meteorological average blown out of the water. In my mind 2010 comes down to two items. 1) Extreme: Record breaking temperatures and large precipitation totals. 2) Consistent: Weather parameters (e.g., temperature and relative humidity) can be very different week to week. It keeps us on our toes and is why I write weekly reports. However, a big record in Chicago was all about being consistent (i.e., longest stretch of 80+ days ever recorded). Entire swaths of the country also suffered the same persistent heat and humidity as well as flooding. That kind of consistency just devastates plant health. Plants adapted to cool climates need an occasional break in summer heat. It allows recovery and replenish food reserves (root carbohydrate store). Summer 2010 gave few breaks in the heat and our turf still shows it (no roots), increasingly so does the landscape (premature leaf drop). Not-so-lucky number 18!
Click here for the September 3rd Turf Scouting Report