bent Seeding Cancel The title field is required!

1. Douglas Eggert

   

   1 posts
   
   8/30/2011 10:08 AM

   Here is where I'm at.... I have one hole that is different from the rest of the course and is heavily wooded. It is in a flood plain that has flooded twice this season. This fairway has flooded in the past and has been overseeded last fall to a good review. This season, Mother Nature has decided it needed an early death...
   
   Aprox. 2 weeks ago the decision was made to hollow core aerate the 1.25 acre fairway on 2" by 2.5" centers with a Procore 648, grind the cores and drag back in. Chaff blown off, cleaned up... which was done. Then I proceeded to drop seed 1.5 lbs per M. Used a triplex roller and rolled the seed in, and the following day topdressed the fairway with a fines free sand. I didn't drag the sand in, I was using it as a buffer on the fairway so golfers didn't carry mud to the putting surface.
   
   Since the seeding, we have fertilized the fairway twice at 7 day intervals with 5-26-25 greens grade fertilizer. We have had 2- 1" rains on it since seeding.... I have gotten spotty coverage to poke through in spots, almost a delayed germination. Unfortunately I cannot shut the fairway off, but it is roped off to cart traffic.
   
   I was planning on doing some reseeding with a Tri-wave seeder, which is a hot ticket item at our local distributor.
   
   Seed is good. I have 2 different varieties on the fairway and it's germination rates are about the same. I am waiting a soil report, should see it in about 5 days.
   
   Any ideas? thoughts? I about ready to lose my gray hair to being bald over this....

   
   
   
   
2. Verdun Scott M

   
   8/30/2011 4:08 PM

   Doug,
   
   I was out at your place over Memorial Day and I remember the hole you are talking about, brutal area to grow grass if memory serves, no wind movement and obviously the flooding issue so I feel for you with that fairway for sure. I used the walk-behind Tri-wave seeder last year on some ice damaged greens and it works very well, my only problem with the unit is that the spacing between lines was farther than I would have liked to see. That being said you can go over it 3, 4, 5 times if you want and it will not cause damage (in my experience) to the existing seedbed. Something that we used to do on a driving range tee was to verticut a few directions, drop the seed, then verticut again and get the seed into those lines then water etc... Another idea I tried from a former boss who worked at a Chicagoland club that had flooding issues was to drop seed first, then core the fairway, drag everything around and roll for seed/soil contact.
   
   Hope I could help and best of luck.
   
   Scott Verdun
   Golf Course Superintendent
   Kenosha Country Club

   
   
   
   
3. Nowakowski Michael J

   
   8/31/2011 10:08 AM

   What seed are you using?

   
   
   
   
4. Douglas Eggert

   

   1 posts
   
   8/31/2011 2:08 PM

   SRO, Dominant....using it due to it's heat tolerance and it's resistance to the big 3, dollar spot, pythium, and brown patch...Ran out of that and used the original seeding of Penneagle II, same success.
   
   Today the fairway does looks a little better, I personally mowed it myself. 2 weeks after the original seeding date, I sorta expected a better germination rate. I'm sorta wondering if the seed gotten put out too early? Soil tests are still not back yet. I do know the tech sheet calls for more seed at new construction and at over seed, but that I thought would be rather excessive.
   
   I do know I have some washouts of the 2-1" rainfalls, I did expect that though and discounting some of that. Re-seeding those areas starts next Tuesday.

   
   
   
   
5. Ronald Conard

   

   4 posts
   
   8/31/2011 2:08 PM

   Other than taking care of the cultural challenges of the micro-environment, what about using chewings fescue as a nurse grass?

   
   
   
   
6. Jon Christenson

   

   0 posts
   
   9/8/2011 7:09 AM

   Could there be any issues with soil contamination from some sort of runoff of any chemicals?

   
   
   
   
7. Tony Smith

   

   0 posts
   
   9/10/2011 8:09 AM

   What about the soil temps?? If they where too high the bent seed will be slow to germinate. We are just down the road from you, so conditions are similar as far as ground temps are concerned. Good Luck!!
   
   Tony Smith
   Assistant Superintendent
   Mistwood Golf Club
   Romeoville,IL

   
   
   
   
8. Douglas Eggert

   

   1 posts
   
   9/11/2011 6:09 PM

   Well, I just reseeded again on Tuesday with treated Penneagle II. I guess the 3 1" rainfalls in 2 weeks pretty much knocked out whatever wasn't going to grow. All the seed used on this fairway was treated.
   
   Soil temps on Thursday AM was 68-69 degrees...I fertilized the reseed with another lb of 5-26-25 and then did a .1N of 28-8-28 liquid for the newer turf and existing turf.
   
   I got back the soil report, nothing out of the ordinary to suggest a nutrient issue. Now I'm going to test water and soil for contaminants. All the spraying is done by myself all 100% of it. So I feel there isn't an issue with chemical useage , if anything this fairway got nursed more than the rest.
   
   I did have Dr. Settle of the CDGA out and tested for pathogens, none present. We did have a warm spell about 10 days ago, treated for pythium and used Subdue Maxx at 1oz, and threw in Banner Maxx at 1 oz to cover anything else.
   
   So I'll be one of the first to say, bentgrass is not reacting as bentgrass and hunting season isn't coming fast enough.