verti-cutting causing increase in Poa Cancel The title field is required!

1. John Borcher

   

   0 posts
   
   6/7/2012 8:06 PM

   I have been at this course for going on 6 years now in some capacity (Going on 3 years as an assistant). Last year I talked my super into dusting off the verti-cutting units for the first time in many years (not since i have been here and probably longer). We verti-cut two times last year in the early summer one direction each time followed by double mowing to remove all the debris and smooth the surface.
   
   This year we have seen an increase in the Poa density on our greens. The super thinks it is due to the verti-cutting.
   I don't feel that it was all due to the verti-cutting I suspect the unusually warm winter (played golf at least once every month this off-season). We debated this when I brought up verti-cutting again this year because the greens seemed to recover from dollar spot damage quicker and rolled better and the most important the golfers thought they were the best greens we've had in recent years. My super will not let me verti-cut till I can prove to him the poa increase wasn't due to the verti-cutting.
   
   So what I am looking for is any articles, research, or personal experiences on the topic (even if they prove me to be wrong). The course is a public course with a lot of play and located in SE Nebraska.

   
   
   
   
2. Christopher Boldreghini

   

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   6/7/2012 9:06 PM

   Try doing more of at grooming than verticutting. They will heal quicker and not leave any deep lines for poa to have a chance to pop out of.

   
   
   
   
3. Timothy Walker

   

   0 posts
   
   6/9/2012 9:06 PM

   is there a pattern to the poa, as in do you see lines of it or is it sporadic?

   
   
   
   
4. Nowakowski Michael J

   
   6/10/2012 7:06 AM

   Have you changed your irrigation, fertilization or aeration practices that may have encouraged increased Poa? I would think these and the verticutting would have contributed to the increase.

   
   
   
   
5. Robert Crockett

   

   4 posts
   
   6/10/2012 10:06 AM

   Also depends on where you are located, how deep you verticut, what cultural practices you have done post verticut...eg. aerified and how soon you applied a pre emergent herbicide after. Fall herbicide application and cultural practices in conjunction with a mild winter........lots of variables

   
   
   
   
6. Virgil Range

   

   0 posts
   
   6/10/2012 4:06 PM

   Im hoping that verticutting doesn't increase the Poa either.
   
   I don't know much about that topic but after verticutting on a regular basis this year compared to 1 spring and 1 fall last year, I am a believer. Ive verticut 5 times this year, the last on being June 4th. I wont be doing any more until temps drop but the greens are the best they have been in years. This is my second year as a Supt. The differences I see from verticuting is.
   1. Ive been able to raise the height of cut with an increased ball roll due to verticutting
   2. Topdressing sand is absorbed by the green faster than not verticutting,
   3. drainage is better. water is moving faster through the soil allowing the tops to dry faster to help prevent pythium damping off. ( I have a huge problem with this disease )
   4. Greens appear better, greener. maybe because of more sunlight getting below the canopy. Not for sure on that one. But the greens do look great this year.
   
   I do have alot of Poa on my greens. I will be following this post to see if anyone agrees that it does increase Poa.

   
   
   
   
7. Ben Ellis

   

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   6/18/2012 4:06 PM

   John,
   
   Your getting a great match of conversation here. Now I'm in Southern Maryland and here is a little that we have found.
   
   Verticutting is good. We have Penncross/ poa greens on 2 courses and Dominance/ 007 on the other course. Now we have never seen a direct relation in poa. But you need to look at your aerification timing. Late fall aerification? Fall? or mid hot summer? Poa can be a little pain later in the year. How wet are you getting when you aerify?
   
   This year I found an increase in poa and clover on our course and we think it was due to the mild wet winter we had on the east cost.
   
   Something to look at for when your a superintendent or even now is doing some research on Trimmit vs Cutlass. Do you want all your poa out? Can the golfers deal with a little poa? How long to you want the poas in there? So to answer your question in a nutshell I dont personally feel verticuttig causes poa, but again is it in lines or scattered? This is probably the best indicator.
   
   I hope this helps, good luck.
   
   Ben Ellis
   Golf Course Superintendent, South Course
   Andrews AFB, MD
   (301) 440-9882

   
   
   
   
8. John Borcher

   

   0 posts
   
   6/18/2012 5:06 PM

   Thanks for all the responses. The poa is scattered around the green. After discussing this more at the course we think it might be due more to having a lot of dollar spot damage from the summer and the poa moved in.
   
   To answer some of the questions, we are a public course with a lot of play so we dont really worry about eliminating the poa (even though it would be nice to) so we havent tried much of anything to stop it other than primo to limit the seed heads. We just dont want to help it spread on the greens. We didnt change any cultural practices, we aerify 2 times a year late April and in Sept right after Labor Day. We did however change our fungicide program for this year to try and keep the dollar spot damage down and so far it has been helping. The depth of verticutting was I believe set by placing a penny in the slit and having the grass just touch Lincolns head.
   
   But I am trying to get the boss to try Xeonerate on a green to maybe try to knock down the poa population to make the greens look a little better so we can live up to the courses claim of the best greens in town.
   
   But again thanks for the responses holefully I can find time to pull this thread up for my boss and let him read it.

   
   
   
   
9. Keith Fellenstein

   

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   6/19/2012 10:06 AM

   Be careful. Xonerate works. Make sure you can afford to lose the poa before you start an eradication program. Have never used on greens but cleaned up some tees earlier this year.