11/15/2011 10:11 AM
I was a deep and infrequent disciple in the past and still try to think that way.
While young and just working on golf courses as part of the crew in Florida we would water frequently and probably light, maybe a 1/4" (20 minutes per station)
When in Northern NJ and Northern Indiana I was really deep and infrequent, although I do wonder how deep I was watering at some places (would usually do 20 minutes which seems to be in most irrigation designs 1/4" but have learned installs are not always perfect). The second place I worked we had manual irrigation, we would go for as long as we could dragging hoses and then we would water greens for at least 1/2 hour, had water running off everywhere, but would water around every 5 days, occasionally going every 3 during extreme conditions. When I worked for a county in NJ when I first started they were watering 10 minutes every morning, I switched it to 20 minute cycles and would go for 3 to 5 days or more if possible. Another county course we got into a drought situation and I started bumping up to 30 minute cycles but got into a cycle and soak mode, and did that on through Indiana.
When I got here in the transition zone I tried the same thing but was less successful, now depending on the weather and such during the summer I'll run greens (bent) from 3 to 8 minutes pretty much every morning unless rain is predicted and then water 20 to 30 minute cycles maybe once a week depending on how the soil feels moisture wise, received a good rain, or if it coincides with an application of some sort. I would really like to get into moisture meter readings but we haven't broke down and purchased one yet.
Mel
Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO