Midwest guys? Cancel The title field is required!

1. Jeffrey Sexton

   

   0 posts
   
   6/28/2012 8:06 PM

   Guys,
   
   We all know that the long range forecast looks aweful in the Midwest. Just courteous if Midwest supers are already beginning to change their management practices to try and survive these aweful conditions. This morning, my GM amd I both agreed to begin mowing one day and rolling without mowing the next. We have several fans on site that I choose to shut off because of the constant breeze and very low relative humidity. My guys and I are cooling our greens every hour from noon until four pm. What are some of the things you guys are doing to try and survive?
   
   Jeff Sexton
   Evansville CC
   Evansville, IN

   
   
   
   
2. Christian Pekarek

   

   0 posts
   
   6/29/2012 8:06 AM

   Hi Jeff,
   
   The only thing we do different during heat stress is solid tine the greens with 1/4" tines on a 1.5" X 2" spacing.
   
   Our normal program is to use pgr and alternate mowing and rolling on our 18 hole A-4 USGA greens at a .10" HOC all growing season. We haven't seen the need to raise the HOC so far this season. We also haven't had to cool our greens yet. We do hand water our greens in the morning to even out moisture and this gets us through the day. We also avoid granular fertilizer from May through August using only urea at .13 lbs. of N every 10 days.
   
   Our 9 hole hole greens are 40 year old penncross/poa built with a 7-2-1 mix. These receive the same maintenance as our 18 hole but we mow them at .125" HOC which we will be raising to .135" when the greens become puffy to avoid scalping.
   
   I feel venting the greens during stress periods is the best thing you can do to help your turf.
   
   Good luck.
   
   Chris Pekarek
   Village Links of Glen Ellyn
   Glen Ellyn, IL

   
   
   
   
3. Grant Rosenfelder

   

   6 posts
   
   6/29/2012 9:06 AM

   Hey Guys,
   
   We are doing close to the same practices here in Missouri. We are A-1 Bentgrass built on USGA spec soil and walk mowing at .120. We have been 3/8" solid tining every 10-14 days since the middle of May, and even scheduled as hydroject early in June. Our watering practices have been pretty consistent all year too. We are using moisture meters to get our VWC to 18-20% in the morning, and trying to let them dry out and avoid cooling in the afternoons. Working well so far!

   
   
   
   
4. Chase Best

   

   0 posts
   
   6/29/2012 11:06 AM

   Hope everything is working out Jeff. We are actually mowing during the evenings and rolling in the morning. We are not using the vibratory rollers just going out and lightly rolling them with the vibrators turned off. Seems to be working great thus far. Cutting back on night time irrigation and letting them dry to get these roots reaching. Went out with a fungicide/fert/turfscreen app minus my typical PGR due to extreme temperatures. Also I went out with Turf Screen. Let me tell you all, this product I really like. My check green was at 100 yesterday at the canopy, the greens I sprayed with Turf screen ranged from 95-97 degrees. Ran a syringe cycle 3 times yesterday which further dropped my temperatures. Also keeping carts in the fairways, due to lack of irrigation in the roughs. Forecast has us getting rain next week but still in the high 90s, so preping them for that onslaught also. Give me a call if you need anything.
   
   Chase Best
   Old Capital Golf Club
   chasebest@gmail.com

   
   
   
   
5. Ronald Conard

   

   4 posts
   
   6/29/2012 3:06 PM

   Looks like another record setting month.
   
   http://www.weather.com/news/record-june-heat-live-updates-20120629