Flower and Fusarium

Once the rain quit and the sun came out there was a fairly showy flower display throughout the entire course. I'll guess most everybody knows what is what but here is a few pictures of the most obvious flowers out now.

Saskatoon Bush

Saskatoon's are all over especially on the outside borders of the course. Luckily most people from B.C. think they are too dry (?) but for a stubble jumper such as myself they are a great treat.

Oregon Grape.

This bush is all over in the deep rough. Apparently you can make a jelly out of the berries? I guess it might be worth a try just make sure to stay away from those dry, icky saskatoon berries.

Triple Combo

A combination chokecherry, trembling aspen and another yucky saskatoon bush

Balsamroot

Everyone has seen these on the south facing dry slopes at the golf course. I guess the good news is you can eat the leaves and even use them for smokin'. Nice option instead of eating saskatoon berries which, as everyone knows, are no good.

Oh yeah, and don't forget the poa flower. Obviously completely different from normal flowers the type of infloresence on the poa is what makes the fairways appear white and can affect ball roll on some of greens (see kimberleygolfclub.blogspot.com/2010/06/poa-in-full-flower.html for more information)

As nice as the wet and somewhat cool weather has been for the native plants blossom production it has been equally nasty for disease development. All greens, some worse than others, have small round, reddish brown spots which are the symptoms of a fungal infection known as Microdochium (or old school punks such as myself call it Fusarium) patch. Interestingly enough it is the same pathogen that causes pink snow mould with the only difference between the two occurrences is the type of weather. As an overwintering disease it can cause significant damage and it is one of the reasons we have to treat the turf to help ensure there is limited damage in the spring. As a spring/early summer disease it is usually not as severe and sometimes all that is needed is a change in the weather, a little nutrition and the turf can take care of itself. This may not be one of those times since it appears we are headed back into a damp cool trend weather wise. (see kimberleygolfclub.blogspot.com/2010/05/week-of-may-23.html for more of the same regarding spring disease).

Small Fusarium Spots

Large Fusarium Spots