Turf
07 JUL 2023
A week of heat, humidity, and thunderstorms. Lots of instability with this temperature giving us all the weather factors. Because of local lightning, we were even treated to an electrical drop that didn't give us the right voltage. A very bad situation for all electrical appliances. In such a situation, closing circuit breakers is very important. This will prevent damage to our appliances, televisions or, in my case, pumps and the irrigation system. By the way, speaking of the irrigation system, the system was updated with two new pumps on Thursday. A nice addition that will optimize a vital tool in course maintenance.
It hasn't been a very busy week on the irrigation front. High humidity and intense heat caused the pores in the turf to close, preventing water from evaporating. These pores, called stomata, keep the moisture in the foliage and the rate of evapotranspiration is very minimal. So, there's no need for watering to further increase humidity in the soil and turf. This high heat and humidity create a breeding ground for fungal diseases. Although not watering helps us a little, diseases are more present and ball speed is also affected. The ball seems to stick to the surface more like Velcro these conditions. It's harder to get firm, fast surfaces. Topdressing and rolling greens are great tools at the moment to minimize this problem.
We'll be starting grub treatment next week. This is the time of year to get the best results in controlling these insect pests. White grubs per square foot have dropped significantly over the past two years, and we're continuing to tackle this insect, which end up doing a lot of damage to courses where they are found.
Upcoming maintenance
- Treatment for white grubs;
- Topdressing on greens;
- Work on sand traps.
Marc-André Doré
Course Superintendent