Breathe

Allowing soils to breathe is a wonderful thing. Soils need oxygen to build proper microbial levels and healthy root development to take on all of the stresses of short cut grass.

In the fall we do not pull a core. Playing conditions are in high demand this time of year. As for agronomy, we can still achieve our goals. We aim to open soils for gas exchange, allow water to percolate through, add sand topdressing for smoothness and dilute thatch, add soil amendments to build healthy soils and add bentgrass seed.

Great putting is only days away. We require three days to accomplish all of these goals. But with all of these products on the ground you will notice afternoon greens mowing over the next week. When the turf is wet in the morning from dew, many products can stick to the mowers and it disrupts the uniformity of the applications.

Today we will irrigate greens heavily to force water through the rootzone all the way down into the drains. This pulls oxygen into the green profile and kicks off the benefits of aerification and the soil amendments.

Through the next week we will monitor soil moisture conditions and back off accordingly.

Next week we will begin aerifying roughs and weak areas around cart paths. These areas desperately need a core pulled to recover before winter arrives.