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Flushing Greens due to lack of Rain???

12 posts
  1. Virgil Range
    Virgil Range avatar
    0 posts
    6/10/2012 4:06 PM
    Does anyone have experience in flushing greens. Ive heard it has its advantages but disadvantages also.

    Its forecasted to be 74/53 on Tue. A cool day is when I want to do this right?

    also..how long with the over heads...60 min...is that to much..to little.

    In my 10 yrs (8 assistant, 2 supt) ive never seen this done. If anyone has experience any information would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks
    Virgil



  2. Steven Huffstutler
    Steven Huffstutler avatar
    11 posts
    6/10/2012 5:06 PM
    Is there a specific reason that you have for flushing them?

    Just curious.

    Steve



  3. Andy Jorgensen
    Andy Jorgensen avatar
    1 posts
    6/10/2012 5:06 PM
    We flush when going through periods of hot and dry weather to reduce sodium from wicking up through the profile. We apply Calphlex at 2gals/ac, then run about 30-45 minutes behind. If I could run more, I would. But this is all play allows us to do.



  4. Dalton Andrew
    Dalton Andrew avatar
    6/10/2012 7:06 PM
    Do you really need to flush? High salt content? If so, I would try and time a Calphlex or surfactant application with a rain event that is going to produce enough rain to get things moving through hopefully a sand based profile. I think the Calphlex label is 3-6 oz per 1000, but like Andy said I would go closer to 6 oz. Not sure what type of irrigation system you have, or how well your bunkers drain, you could plug in some adjustable heads to help out. Fortunately for me, I'm in an area that gets enough annual rain fall that my sand based root zone gets flushed 2-3 times a year whether I need it or not.

    Andy



  5. Keith Pegg
    Keith Pegg avatar
    0 posts
    6/10/2012 8:06 PM
    A good time to flush greens is after an aeration or solid-tine of the areas, if you have part circle heads then you can do just the greens, if not the collars and bunkers could get too wet. Time is hard to say you want the drains to run so it could be 30 min or two hours. I would take a random soil test before and after to see if it is really a worthwhile practice at your club.
    I have never done it as a practice because rain normally does a fine job. I have had valves and heads stick on over night at times and we have a mess in the morning. Never really noted a change except maybe the need for a little N to replace what was lost.
    I use effluent water at this course and it does have some salt (very little). I do use a Sulfur burner to improve water quality.

    Keith
    Japan



  6. Hardy Andrew
    Hardy Andrew avatar
    6/11/2012 5:06 AM
    I would run them for 60 mins and not worry about the Calphlex. Watch a green when it rains, it reaches a certain point when water stops running off and its after those rains when greens tend to look healthy and full. I started this practice 2 years ago and my greens have really responded well. The only drawback is the washouts of bunkers and wetness around the greens for a day or two (only have full circles around greens). Dave Wilber (Turfgrass Zealot) did a terrific article on this exact topic last summer on Turfnet. He never mentions surfactants or anything other than water and its own hydraulic gravity to do the flushing.



  7. Baker Daniel
    Baker Daniel avatar
    6/11/2012 4:06 PM
    So many variables here:

    USGA mix?
    Whats your water like?
    Location?
    Full or part circle irrigation?

    Pure water is the ultimate solvent and will take anything in that can be soluablized in the soil and move it with the water, given the water can move. The question becomes no is, how pure is your water? If you have a good clean water source then you may not need a surfactant. If you have irrigation water pH of 8.9 (like me) then you need either Calphlex or ECexK (Helena) along with a good penetrant like Pervade. I would run your heads until most of the green puddles (depending on the slopes you have to deal with). Take note of the amount of time it takes to get them there. Wait an hour and put the same amonut of water back on them to push it out the bottom.

    Keep in mind you will move your sodium but you will also move Ca, N, K and Mg as well. Be prepared to put those back after a good flush.

    Out of curiousity, how long since your last rain? We are going into our 6th week and I will probably flush them on week 7 if there is no chance for rain.



  8. Dalton Andrew
    Dalton Andrew avatar
    6/11/2012 9:06 PM
    In my opinion there are to many variables to count out Calphlex or surfactants. Calphlex in my opinion has it's place in a flushing program. When I have flushed intentionally which is very seldom I used surfactants, but then again all the greens I have managed in the past have been very undulated and I feel you need surfactants to help move the water as evenly as possible through the profile.

    Andy



  9. Hardy Andrew
    Hardy Andrew avatar
    6/12/2012 7:06 AM
    So then your Floratine rep has done his job. I was only stating what works for me. I would really advise people to check out Dave Wilber's article, it dispells a lot of flushing myths

    http://www.turfnet.com/wilber/index.php ... aux-flush/



  10. Larry Stowell
    Larry Stowell avatar
    0 posts
    6/12/2012 9:06 AM
    I have attached links to several studies that involved leaching greens. We recommend leaching when salts have accumulated in the surface soil profile to levels that are a threat to the variety of turf you are growing. We also recommend leaching prior to aeration to prevent water from channeling down aeration holes that can result in a green polka dot appearance where healthier turf is growing in low-salt aeration holes.

    For a ballpark leaching volume, Six inches of water needs to pass through the soil to drop soil salts by about 50% - that comes out to be about 20,000 gal/5,000 sq ft.

    Nothing applied to the surface of the turf has improved movement of salts and sodium over the leaching impact of the water alone. Water passing through the root zone is the major leaching force, as others have already mentioned above.

    All of the studies were conducted by golf course superintendents in "real-life" conditions.

    http://www.paceturf.org/index.php/journ ... _leaching/

    http://www.paceturf.org/index.php/journ ... ion_viejo/

    http://www.paceturf.org/index.php/journ ... chemistry/

    http://www.paceturf.org/index.php/journ ... _chloride/

    http://www.paceturf.org/index.php/journ ... anagement/

    Here is a link to a study that illustrates the value of winter and spring precipitation on spring soil salt and sodium levels. Areas of the world that have extended periods of drought, such as the arid Southwestern US, are prone to salt accumulation due to the reliance upon irrigation for extended periods of the year.

    http://www.paceturf.org/index.php/journ ... ntry_club/



  11. Kyle Fick
    Kyle Fick avatar
    4 posts
    6/12/2012 9:06 AM
    As brought up, the full and part circle heads is a great point. I'll go even further.

    I remember taking a salt affected turf class at one of the GIS shows some years back. Afterwards, I talked with the instructor regarding a "proper flush". We talked about the rootzone I have, slope of green, irrigation heads, etc, etc. All important. What we came up with to properly flush was to first open them up as mentioned before. Solid tine bayonets are wonderful in my mind for this. Next was to apply a penetrant (I've used pervade among others, the pervade is great). Rather than watering with overheads though, he and i came up with the though of hooking in a few impacts around the green surface late in the evening, and basically let them run slowly all night to not have the water run off, but continue to perc. This is in a perfect world scenario obviously and would require someone to at least be present for most of the process.

    I don't have the staff to work in Utopia. We do the solid tine, apply several elements in a spray, and then run heads back to back nights for at a minimum of 60 mins per head. Alot of the time, switching full circle to parts to not wash out bunkers and not flood the poor draining surrounds. If our inaccurate weather men are predicting a slow accumulating rain, I really try to do it then because as mentioned, ole' ma nature gives you the best water. And I still believe low volume input for a longer duration moves water better than a high volume flooding.

    Follow up with a good ole fashion gypsum and fertility app and good to go. My opinion obviously.



  12. Virgil Range
    Virgil Range avatar
    0 posts
    6/12/2012 8:06 PM
    Thanks for all the replys guys. Alot of info about this subject. Luckly I recieved 1.41 rain the other night. A great flushing. Although I will be considering doing this process in the future.

    Thanks again!!
    Virgil



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