Getting better each day
The greatest success of the week (because it doesn't involve whining about the weather) was the installation of our new fountain on Manakin 16. The new fountain has a lower induction profile so it shouldn't get clogged up as easily as the old one. It also has lights for a pretty cool sight at night (or in the morning). Notice the steam coming off the fountain thanks to a 47 degree air temperature Wednesday morning compared to about 65 degree water temp. Soil temperatures are coming up and the bermuda is showing more promise each day.
About half our annual plantings made it into the ground this week. These zinnias will fill in over the next few weeks as the weather warms. We have gotten our monies worth out of the snapdragons this year and they will be retired after Mother's Day. The purple catmint has also been showing off and will likely need to be cut back soon. Mother's Day is usually a pretty good time to not have to worry about frost anymore and to START looking for bermuda growth.
If you wanted another indicator that this spring has been sub-par as far as temperatures go just look out on to the Latitude and the nice display of large patch (or Rhizoctonia solani if want something more technical). It is rare that bermuda (especially a newer variety like Latitude) ever gets large patch but cool wet springs will help it appear, especially in poor soils, low heights of cut and wet areas.
Fungicides are applied for large patch and spring dead spot in the fall as soil temperatures drop as that is when those diseases will infect the turf. It isn't until spring that they become visible. Normally the bermuda would be moving fast enough to not even notice the patches but this year the cooler nights have slowed things down. We made another fungicide app this week to help slow the fungus down as the bermuda wakes up and grows out of this root disease.
This week our main focus was patching areas that did not make it through the winter. Areas like the right of 16 Sabot are frustrating, as the old sod is stripped here exposing quality drainage work down the year prior. And with no cart traffic all winter here on 16 that leaves one more culprit, the tree to the right and the afternoon shade it causes.
We laid 19,000 square feet of sod this week and we probably have 19,000 more to go for after Senior Member Guest. So that is about an acre worth of damage across all 200 acres of bermudagrass, not bad we suppose??
We addressed a few wet areas on the Manakin before laying new sod down. This new drain on 14 Manakin will help get us through the winter. This entire area is now sodded out.
After draining 14 Joe ran over to in front of 18 green to add a french drain before this area was sodded. The more drains we can put in while it is dry and the sod will root in the better, but it is hard doing these projects in the middle of golf play.
Enjoy the next few warm days as next week looks a little cooler. Things are progressing and we are looking forward to a pleasant summer!