Champion Bermudagrass greens Cancel The title field is required!

1. Brewer Stephen C

   
   1/19/2016 3:01 PM

   just started at a course with Champion greens. first time dealing with Bermuda greens and having hard time finding any research or literature on them. I've gotten mixed info on them in regard to fungicide use and wanted to see what you guys have best results with. I'm in northeastern Arkansas. Any and all info will help.

   
   
   
   
2. Keith Lamb

   

   3 posts
   
   1/19/2016 3:01 PM

   Contact Jason Baker GCS, Maumelle Country Club Maumelle Arkansas. I believe he has Champion and is kinda in your neck of the woods.
   
   I have Champion here is West Central Florida that were already contaminated when I got here. Not too many disease issues. Some Fairy Ring in the spring and occasional brown patch. I spray Phosphite (PO3) on a regular basis along with Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate (Nutrol T & O) which after doing this for 8+ years seems to be a big help with keeping disease issues to a minimum. Low rates of N. Probably 1/3 lb./1000 bi-weekly during growing season. Regular applications of K, both granular and foliar(Potassium Acetate). Solid minors package weekly and it seems to respond well to Mn, especially for color. A good penetrating wetting agent help move the water through the tight canopy. During growing season I do a double verticutting and sand top dressing bi-weekly along with a weekly back track double cut.
   
   If anyone tells you to contact Champion Turf for advice, do so at your own risk. They would always tell me I needed err on the side of over watering along with their ignorance to the contamination issues. You're going to have to figure some of this out based on your water quality and specific weather and climate conditions.
   
   Good Luck!

   
   
   
   
3. Curtis Nickerson

   

   0 posts
   
   1/20/2016 5:01 AM

   You are probably going to get a lot of conflicting information here on how to properly manage Champion, so you will have to decide what to utilize and what to take with a grain of salt. I will say that Keith seemed to mirror my thoughts on the grass with the one exception of diseases. I always stayed on a prevent program while growing champions because it would "react" differently each time we completed a cultural practice (sometimes it would shine after a verticutting, the next it would puke both with similar climatic conditions). I will completely echo his sentiments regards to the Growers and any of their " consultants" (most seemed to be sales folks pushing a product) in my experience dealing with them they had me running in circles and seemed to cause more issues with over water and over nutrient loading then providing actual answers.
   
   Having said all that of that, if you can keep it pure, its a fantastic putting surface...
   Best of Luck

   
   
   
   
4. Andy Jorgensen

   

   1 posts
   
   1/20/2016 5:01 AM

   I've grown bent (briefly) and have Bermuda now. I don't think it really matters the variety of Bermuda you have, it's going to requires almost as much fungicide as Bent if you want it looking really good. The only exception to this is when you are dormant.
   
   Here in Central Florida, we did 29 fungicide applications to our Bermuda greens last year. Almost always preventative, but only had one outbreak of leaf spot a few days before Christmas. We choose the products based on the disease pressure for that moment. Pythium is a real concern, as is Bermudagrass decline, leaf spot, fairy ring, algae, helmithosporium, michrodochium patch, brown patch, dollar spot...okay almost every disease. I don't think pathogens care what turf you are growing.
   
   I would agree with contacting Jason. He has had it for several years now and is right down the street.

   
   
   
   
5. Terry Smith

   

   0 posts
   
   1/20/2016 9:01 AM

   In your zone, Jed Porter @ Eagle Mountain in Batesville and also Dan Nagy @ Jonesboro CC just down highway 18 from you both recently converted using Champion Turf Farms which I believe is the same company that put yours in. championturffarms.com or info@championturffarms.com.
   
   
   Good Luck
   Terry