Its been a quite awhile since the last post and despite my initial comments that I would only post if something "was going" the reality is a lot has been going on I just haven't budgeted my time correctly. That been said I hope to be able to keep everybody informed on what we do this time of year so the underlying theme for most of the next couple posts will be fall and winter preparation.
This is one of the best times of the year for maintenance. The turf is changing its growth habit which means a little less mowing and less irrigation----especially this year. The cooler nights (something which has occurred all year and I suspect is one of the most important reason for course conditions this season) and shorter days help signal the turf to enter a second growth phase that is similar but smaller to the earlier growth phase in the late spring/early summer. You may have notice that certain weeds such as dandelions appear this time of year and that also relates to the improved conditions for cool season plant growth.
The change in weather also brings about conditions that encourage some turf disease. One disease I have already referenced early this year is Fusarium. (see "Week of May" 23 post for pictures and information). Another disease that is pretty common in the fall is called Anthracnose. It can appear as a foliar blight (occurring during the hot summer months) or as a basal crown rot (occurring throughout the season). Usually conditions such as low height of cut, low nitrogen fertility, and any aggressive mechanical damaging process (i.e. a deep verti-cut that cuts stolons or roots) encourage disease development. Here at KGC we see it every year at the end of August/ beginning of September.
Anthracnose infect Poa
It is best to treat this disease with preventative applications of fungicide since once it takes a foot hold it can cause severe damage that can lead to loss of turf. The tricky part is deciding when to apply a preventative application so as not to waste it. With limited fungicides registered in Canada and the threat of resistance developing within a fungal population to a particular chemical I am always hopeful that I can combine treatments into one application that will have a multitude of effects. Because of limited fungicide selection, treating a summer disease with a chemical that is also used for an over wintering disease is one possible way, through development of resistance, to limited a fungicides usefulness and length of service. This year saw a fair amount of Anthracnose throughout the golf course and as a result we had to go with the higher fungicide label rates to slow the spread on the greens. As a general rule, we will apply at least 4 treatments to the greens as a way of limiting development of any winter turf diseases. The last one is the trickiest since you want to time it just before the first permanent snow fall to get the best control. Continual snow/melt/snow/melt etc., etc. will lessen the fungicide efficacy and may result in having to apply another unplanned treatment. It does sound like the end of the world, however, many fungicides also don't recommend applying on frozen turf which is a pretty common occurrence here at KGC in November and December.
River Watch
September 10
No real change. So that is good.
No real change. So that is good.
