Flush

Monday night we performed a flush on the greens by putting out close to 6,000 gallons of water on each green. In a nut shell, that is about 10 days worth of water, put down in one night. It is always healthy to irrigate deep and infrequent, but the extent of this practice had additional benefits.

Prior to irrigation we applied a few products which included calcium, a soil acidifier and a wetting agent to assist with soil chemistry. We also vented the greens again to allow for better water percolation through the soil.

One of our main concerns is the amount of salt build up in the soil from the quality of irrigation water. High levels of sodium can be toxic to turfgrass. Since these plants have been under a lot of stress this summer, we thought this exercise would be beneficial to move the salts through the rootzone and away from the plants.

We also tested the efficacy of the drains in the greens. With that much water being applied, a sponge was placed in the bottom of the drain to determine if any water entered the system. The sponge was completely saturated the next morning.

Of course playing conditions were a concern following the amount of irrigation water applied. I was a little suspect, but we got it right. The greens performed great all day. Ball marks were slightly more apparent, but they still maintained a 10 on the stimpmeter.

I delayed this post mainly to see the effects of the flush. The greens have not needed an irrigation cycle since the flush. They require some spot watering with a hose, but overall greens are as healthy as they have been all season and are rolling great. By flushing the soil, some nutrients that were locked up in the soil are now available for plant uptake. We have seen a surge in color and a little bit more in growth, which is a good thing.The plants are also chemically regulated which is why we have not noticed a difference in green speed.