Summer Stress and Wet Wilt
The most difficult part about growing quality turfgrass in the Mid-Atlantic Region is dealing with environmental stress during the summer months; especially when we receive abundant rainfall. From July 5th through July 11th we received 4' of rainfall followed by temperatures in the low 90's. This is not a good combination and this situation puts the turf under a great deal of stress because the saturated soil/thatch heats up and a condition called wet wilt is a real possibility.
Over the weekend, we started to see some wet wilt; especially where carts have driven through areas that generally stay wet. Wet wilt is a condition where the soil is saturated but the turf still wilts because the roots are not functioning very well. See, once the soil temperature reaches 86 degrees and above, the roots of cool season turfgrass do not function very well if at all and the root structure starts to decline. This is why its so important to employ strong aeration practices to minimize the thatch so that the water moves through the thatch into the soil. More aeration holes, equals more roots, less thatch and better oxygen/air exchange and most importantly healthier turfgrass which equals happier golfers. Below is a picture of a few carts that drove through a wetter portion of the 18th fairway and wet wilt appeared in the cart tracks.
In order to keep the turf alive during the hot afternoon sun, it is necessary to apply very light amounts of water through a technique called syringing. Syringing actually provides a temporary reprieve from the hot afternoon sun which allows the turf to cool down. The key to success is to only apply enough water to cool the turf canopy and not wet the soil. If we wet the soil, we will just compound the problem. When possible, we try to syringe the turf by hand with a hose because it is easier to apply a light amount of water. However, when large areas like fairways need to be syringed in a short amount of time, it is necessary to set up a 3 minute irrigation cycle to help cool the turf. If you see the irrigation heads running, please remember, they may only be running to cool the turf and not necessarily watering the turf/soil. Thank you for your patience while we work to provide the best conditions possible.
Have a great day,
Marlin Ewing
Golf Course Superintendent
Over the weekend, we started to see some wet wilt; especially where carts have driven through areas that generally stay wet. Wet wilt is a condition where the soil is saturated but the turf still wilts because the roots are not functioning very well. See, once the soil temperature reaches 86 degrees and above, the roots of cool season turfgrass do not function very well if at all and the root structure starts to decline. This is why its so important to employ strong aeration practices to minimize the thatch so that the water moves through the thatch into the soil. More aeration holes, equals more roots, less thatch and better oxygen/air exchange and most importantly healthier turfgrass which equals happier golfers. Below is a picture of a few carts that drove through a wetter portion of the 18th fairway and wet wilt appeared in the cart tracks.
In order to keep the turf alive during the hot afternoon sun, it is necessary to apply very light amounts of water through a technique called syringing. Syringing actually provides a temporary reprieve from the hot afternoon sun which allows the turf to cool down. The key to success is to only apply enough water to cool the turf canopy and not wet the soil. If we wet the soil, we will just compound the problem. When possible, we try to syringe the turf by hand with a hose because it is easier to apply a light amount of water. However, when large areas like fairways need to be syringed in a short amount of time, it is necessary to set up a 3 minute irrigation cycle to help cool the turf. If you see the irrigation heads running, please remember, they may only be running to cool the turf and not necessarily watering the turf/soil. Thank you for your patience while we work to provide the best conditions possible.
Have a great day,
Marlin Ewing
Golf Course Superintendent
Comments
Post a Comment