Picture of the week

I found one of the first poa plants to flower the other day near the putting green. All plants begin to flower when they endure stress. Being located near the putting green, most of these plants are subject to traffic stress.
Poa annua (Annual Bluegrass) produces many seeds through the growing season. Their short root system does not allow for much nutrient and carbohydrate storage. It is very competitive in low mow areas especially at this climate.
On the greens you can really notice the bentgrass has really taken a liking to the aerification and the recent fertilizers.
The sand from the recent aerification is starting to fade away as the grass plants are growing up through the sand. The mowers are picking up any areas with excess sand. It is much more important to allow the plants to accept the sand than it is to remove it all with sweepers and mowers.
Soon the greens will be back to normal conditions and the mowers will have a greater effect on putting. In the meantime we are also using rollers every now and then to keep the surfaces as even as possible.