By this time of the year we are normally feeling some sign of summer is on its way, this year it is very different. The Easter weekend for the greenstaff is usually all about cutting, rolling and the pleasure of returning to the summer tees. One out of three is all we can offer as the night time temperature has been minus 3 for the last few days with day time temperatures not reaching above 5 degrees. With sharp frosts any work to the greens is impossible, we are on the summer tees however. The clear skies at least give us dry weather and the course is looking in reasonable condition given the poor weather over the winter. If it wasn't for the badger damage, which still continues, I would be happy with the progress on the course. The badger damage on the course is frustrating, and has set us back somewhat in terms of time spent in repairing it, but it will not beat us. Once the temperatures rise and seed will germinate we are planning to tidy all areas up which have been affected. At this time of the year any laid turf may struggle if we have a dry spring where irrigation coverage is limited, so seeding is the best option. These are the steps we will take:
* Clear dry and dead turf which has been ripped up
* Replace any turf which can be salvaged and irrigated
* Roll down damaged areas
* Soil and seed semi rough areas with rye grass seed
* Soil and seed fairway areas with bent/fescue seed
* Fertilise all affected areas to promote recovery
* Irrigate where possible to promote germination and recovery
It goes with out saying that all affected areas will remain GUR until we have re established grass cover.
At the end of last week we continued to edge bunkers with around 50 bunkers done so far we hope to finish them this coming week. Where sand was needed they were topped up and raked, another 29 tonne of sand will be ordered to top up the remaining bunkers once edging has been completed.
As the forecast was for frost I decided to come in to move the holes on Saturday night as coming in first thing Sunday would have caused damage to the course travelling around and possible damage to equipment and the green surface when moving the hole.
When moving holes it is a good opportunity to look at the hole plug that is removed to visually check the thatch layer, rooting, aeration holes, affects of topdressing and colour of the soil profile(which can show any black layer or other chemical build up), other things that can be checked whilst the plug is removed is a simple smell test, this can tell you weather the soil, root zone and thatch layer is aerobic or not. If the sample smells of rotten eggs this can mean it is anaerobic, lacking in oxygen. A sweet smelling plug is aerobic and healthy. A more serious problem in the soil is black layer. Black layer appears as a black, foul-smelling continuous or discontinuous subsurface layer in turf grass root zones. Chemically, black layer is a deposit of metal sulphides, which form when hydrogen sulphide gas reacts with metal elements in the soil. For hydrogen sulphide to be released, the root zone conditions must favour the growth of sulphur reducing bacteria, which requires water and soil organic matter.
The organic matter provides the food for the microbes, and water keeps the microbes hydrated. Soils must be relatively anaerobic (low in air) since these sulphur reducing bacteria do not survive very well in well aerated soils. The anaerobic conditions can be caused by numerous factors such as compaction, excessive irrigation, organic matter accumulation, thatch build up, sulphur application or movement of colloidal particles. Coupled with this, sulphur must be available within the soil. The growth of algae is favoured by wet soils. Algae can produce substances that interfere with the movement of water in sandy mixtures, consequently reducing water movement, causing an anaerobic soil.
After the work we have done to the greens over the previous years we have limited problems and continuous but less disruptive aeration will keep the root zone healthy. There are a few green which still require more work but the majority improving year on year.
This shows the sand dressings have been worked into the aeration holes in previous years. The top 25mm of the soil profile is very sandy as we have been applying straight sand for a number of years now, below this, down to 125mm it is a mixture of 100% sand which has been put into aeration holes and the 80/20 topdressing mix used for the last few decades, then there is the original and natural soil of the site.
