The golf course is really starting to grow and continues to look good since last week's rain and temperatures that are in the 70's at night and 90's during the day.
This week, we made a significant step toward this summer’s tee laser leveling and regrassing project. On Monday, the first of two non-selective herbicide applications was completed as part of the preparation process.
Non-selective, for our purposes, means the herbicide will kill both weeds and grass. We spray a non-selective herbicide prior to the physical removal (stripping) of the grass because one of the main goals of this project is to eliminate the encroachment of Common Bermuda.
The primary grass type on our course is Celebration Bermudagrass, a hybrid variety with growth characteristics that are much more conducive to playing golf. Those characteristics include fine texture, high density, and rapid recovery from damage. Common Bermuda is essentially the opposite. It is very coarse in texture, which reduces surface density, and for much of the year its recuperative ability is slower compared to Celebration.
However, Common Bermuda is also a very strong, thick-stemmed, and deep-rooted grass that can weaken and outcompete Celebration during certain times of the year. When Common Bermuda takes hold in an area, it often pushes out the Celebration turf — something that has occurred on several tees here at Glen Eagle.
Here are a couple pictures of the inconsistency currently on the tees due to the Common Bermuda...
That brings us back to the purpose of the herbicide applications prior to stripping the grass. The goal is for the herbicide to translocate systemically from the foliage through the plant and deep into the roots. Common Bermuda is difficult to kill and almost impossible to eliminate entirely, but spraying it in a way that targets the root system gives us the best chance of limiting regrowth once the new Celebration tees are established.
I will admit that, as someone who spends most of his days trying to figure out how to grow better grass, Monday was a bit stressful. For perhaps the first time ever, I was intentionally trying to kill the grass we normally work so hard to protect. It was one of those mixed-emotion days where the head understands we are doing the right thing, but the heart and gut take a little longer to catch up.
This may sound counterintuitive, but next week we will fertilize the tees and then apply the second herbicide treatment the following week. The fertilizer is intended to stimulate any remaining grass growth so that, when we spray the second application, the herbicide is actively taken up by the plant. In a sense, it is like tricking the grass into thinking it has a chance to recover from the first application before ultimately receiving a final dose designed to ensure a more effective demise.
The grass will begin turning yellow and then brown fairly quickly — in fact, I could already see some chlorosis within 24 hours of the application (see pictures below). The biomass will still be there, so play can continue as normal until our closure starting 6/1, although the color will continue to fade over the next few weeks.
I will continue to keep everyone updated through pictures and progress reports throughout the process, and we look forward to having our beautiful tees back in top condition for the fall golf season.
One other picture captured this week...summer is in full bloom at the clubhouse!
I look forward to seeing everyone on the course, and as always, if you have any questions, flag me down or shoot me an email. I always enjoy talking turf!
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