Just a post summing up where I am with respect to being ready for winter. This past week I applied the last treatment to the greens and finished the fairways as well as installed all the posts for the fencing around select greens. Generally speaking the greens are entering the winter in good condition with #7 being the worst since it never really grew out the fall disease and seems to have developed more over the past few weeks. Since the last spray was completed we will now put up fences (too late for some greens) and start in on tarping.
A refresher on tarps is
here if you are so inclined otherwise read on. The two impermeables are out and ready to be deployed but I'm waiting for more winter like weather. The semi-permeables are on #1, #6, #7, #9 and #12. I threw 9 and 12 into the mix because of how they overwintered this past year and the hope is the extra coverage may help limit damage if they become exposed or if ice develops (I've had some success removing ice from the semi-permeables quicker than from a greens surface in the past).
Tarps aren't my favorite because they introduce another variable in the overwintering of greens which can be negative. You heard me talk of anoxia (low oxygen) in regards to both ice and tarps. Obviously, if there is thick ice tarps help remove the ice but don't do anything in the case of anoxia which can occur because of ice or because of impermeable tarps - go
here for a history. Anoxia is sort of hit and miss when it comes to tarps, and luckily we've been in a mostly miss situation. However, this year I am experimenting with a product that could help.
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| Enkamat |
Enkamat is really an erosion control mat but it is also being marketed as "
a three-dimensional lofty matrix that provides a protective layer over
vulnerable turf. Enkamat prevents the formation of an ice layer over
greens that can seal turf, and prevent gas and oxygen exchange that is
vital to turf health". I plan to use the "lofty matrix" trait to provide an air layer under a section of the impermeable tarp on 7 green. I'll be comparing it with our usual covering system on 7 green (green covered with semi-perm. covered with imperm.) along with just the impermeable directly on the surface. That all sounds awkward so take a look:
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| Layout of Tarps Under Impermeable |
I will cover this whole mish-mash with the impermeable and see if the Enkamat is benefit or no different than what we normally do. I also plan to lay the mat on back of 9 green surface by itself where ice has been a problem to see what the product can do if ice again develops there. Further, I will put a strip on top of the tarp on 15 green where we always get ice no matter what and see if, when the time comes, does the mat speed the ice removal or not. One more thing I plan to do is cover the entire top end of the new putting green that was hammered this spring to see what will happen....which can't be much worse that what happened this spring!
