This week we are preparing for the up coming maintenance weeks. The first greens on the course we will be working on are 1-9. These holes will be closed from 6am on Monday until 6.am Friday. To prepare the greens we have been grooming, cutting and spraying with growth regulator and seaweed. This will reduce growth but increase stress resistance.
As the plant grows, in this case a golf greens grass, it builds up levels of Organic Matter (OM) in the soil predominantly near the surface. Golf greens are intensively managed areas, which need to cope with the large amounts of wear and are fertilised more intensively than most areas.
This high growth rate causes larger than normal amounts organic matter to build up in the soil profile.
If we have too little OM, surfaces would be very unstable, ball response would be poor and water use would be excessive. Greens would dry out very quickly. Conversely, if we have too much OM then
1. Greens would be soft and bumpy, especially in the winter
2. Disease levels would be higher
The process we are adopting is:
Spread sand
Tine using 12mm tines
Brush sand
Tine again but in opposite direction
Brush sand
Spread more sand
Tine again in original direction
Brush sand to fill all holes.
Roll green
Water turf
Spread fertiliser
Water in thoroughly.
Then following the maintenance the green is left for a couple of days until cutting can be carried out with out causing damage to the machine.
With good soil temperatures recovery should be fairly quick. Triple tining also has the maximum effect without causing major surface disruption.
Applying heave lifts and disrupts the soil beneath relieving compaction, adding sand into the thatch and soil and giving the soil loads of air in which healthy growth can occur.
To ensure the machinery and equipment is ready for next week we tined sanded and brushed the 2 putting greens today as the weather was perfect.
