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Well its been full time mowing, these last two weeks, with rain coming at the right times and the weather warming up the turf is growing quicker than we can mow it.
We have lowered the greens gradually over the last 3 weeks and we are now down to the height before
reno (3.5mm) so now we switch from lowering and concentrate on hardening the leaf up to get our pace of greens up.
The bindi sprayed in the fairways is starting to melt out , and we are in the process of feeding up the fairways in our weed eradication plan.
The greens have also been sprayed for black beetle. the way the weather is going I think we are in for some grub and disease problems this summer, all the more important to keep out thatch removal programs going with our verti-cutting and microbe (thatch eating) programs all running in top gear.
We still haven't had any luck on the 9th pathway as each Monday it has rained and is to wet for a bobcat to work without making more mess than what is already there ...we will try again this Monday...
Well just a quick up date today whilst in the middle of spraying greens, until next time ....keep swinging pete
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
week 42 update
Well week 42 here and gone thats only 10 weeks to week 52 where has the time gone ?
with all the rain we are behind with allot of our jobs, just getting out to mow has been.... well..... lets say interesting.......
The greens are coming along well they have had 4 mows now and the height is down to 5.5mm we will mow today then let them rest over the weekend as we are still bringing up allot of sand. Also with it being so wet we have to bring our heights down slower than normal as the turf is taking longer to recover from the stress of lowering the heights and the leaching of allot of nutrients from the soil from the excessive rain, but overall, things moving along nicely.
The path on the 9th didn't get a look in as it is way too wet, we will try again in a fortnight when we can hopefully organize a bobcat and if it is dry enough, get equipment in and around the site.
We are concentrating on mowing as much as possible while we can, there is another storm front heading this way as I type, this possibly here by late this afternoon, hopefully not to much wind as the base of the trees is wet and that is primed for some falling over if the wind gets up at this stage.
We haven't bothered doing anything with the bunker bases this week, as we feel it more important to mow surrounds and fairways as there is nothing worse than getting a bunker right then down comes some rain and puts you back at square one again...all wasted man-hours that could have been better spent , so we will get stuck into them (bunkers) next week, although we have trimed some edges and sprayed weeds in the faces this week.
The other main problem green keeping wise when we get weather like this at renovation time is disease. So far we have managed to stop the pythium spp. from spreading, we really need a good dry week to get everything back on track.
Well to next time hopefully back to sunshine .... keep swinging pete.
with all the rain we are behind with allot of our jobs, just getting out to mow has been.... well..... lets say interesting.......
The greens are coming along well they have had 4 mows now and the height is down to 5.5mm we will mow today then let them rest over the weekend as we are still bringing up allot of sand. Also with it being so wet we have to bring our heights down slower than normal as the turf is taking longer to recover from the stress of lowering the heights and the leaching of allot of nutrients from the soil from the excessive rain, but overall, things moving along nicely.
The path on the 9th didn't get a look in as it is way too wet, we will try again in a fortnight when we can hopefully organize a bobcat and if it is dry enough, get equipment in and around the site.
We are concentrating on mowing as much as possible while we can, there is another storm front heading this way as I type, this possibly here by late this afternoon, hopefully not to much wind as the base of the trees is wet and that is primed for some falling over if the wind gets up at this stage.
We haven't bothered doing anything with the bunker bases this week, as we feel it more important to mow surrounds and fairways as there is nothing worse than getting a bunker right then down comes some rain and puts you back at square one again...all wasted man-hours that could have been better spent , so we will get stuck into them (bunkers) next week, although we have trimed some edges and sprayed weeds in the faces this week.
The other main problem green keeping wise when we get weather like this at renovation time is disease. So far we have managed to stop the pythium spp. from spreading, we really need a good dry week to get everything back on track.
Well to next time hopefully back to sunshine .... keep swinging pete.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Week 41 update
Always a big week, Reno week with so many man hours going into the greens nearly all other jobs we are behind on so for the next week we are in catch up mode.
The greens are coming along very well, and with the rain last night (22mm) that will only help in the recovery. We plan to mow (high at 6mm to nip the leaf) early next week, hopefully Monday.
There are a couple of reasons we leave the greens for a few days after renovation but the main one is that it gives the turf time to extend its root system. As with all grasses there is a ratio that goes, that the length of the leaf directly affects the length of the roots. Thus it is important to take advantage of this time after renovation and get the most out of the root growth as possible as this will put us in good stead during the summer where the plant is under great stress. So our efforts we put in now will be seen in the summer period.
The Bindi in most fairways has been sprayed, and we have mowed as much as possible with the remaining time available.
Next week we will concentrate on the greens, 9th path, and weeds in bunker faces.
well till next time keep swinging....Pete
The greens are coming along very well, and with the rain last night (22mm) that will only help in the recovery. We plan to mow (high at 6mm to nip the leaf) early next week, hopefully Monday.
There are a couple of reasons we leave the greens for a few days after renovation but the main one is that it gives the turf time to extend its root system. As with all grasses there is a ratio that goes, that the length of the leaf directly affects the length of the roots. Thus it is important to take advantage of this time after renovation and get the most out of the root growth as possible as this will put us in good stead during the summer where the plant is under great stress. So our efforts we put in now will be seen in the summer period.
The Bindi in most fairways has been sprayed, and we have mowed as much as possible with the remaining time available.
Next week we will concentrate on the greens, 9th path, and weeds in bunker faces.
well till next time keep swinging....Pete
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Spring Renovation update
Well on Sunday afternoon I must say I was very worried rain coming down, forecast looking like more of the same, the reno contractors ringing up to ask if we will be able to core on Monday or was it too wet to get the equipment on the greens, we have had a good run over the last 9 years so we are due for a bad one, things were looking bleak.
Monday morning .... clear blue sky ..happy days.
Well its early Tuesday morning we have scarified all the greens two ways, all the scarrifings have been broomed of the greens and all greens have been cored.
We have added our organic mix to all greens ( fertiliser, nutri-smart, organics, wetting agent) and rubbed this in with the drag-mats. we also managed to top-dress 10 greens and get them rubbed in and got it all done just as the rain started to fall (10mm)...not a bad 14 hour day.
Today we will top-dress the remaining greens and take all the scariffings to the heap and cores out to bare areas then hopefully get 2 rub ins on each green to work the sand down into the core holes. then water tonight.
Well thats were we are up to thanks to all golfers going around us during the day, well better go load the top-dresser and make a start..till next time keep swinging...Pete
Monday morning .... clear blue sky ..happy days.
Well its early Tuesday morning we have scarified all the greens two ways, all the scarrifings have been broomed of the greens and all greens have been cored.
We have added our organic mix to all greens ( fertiliser, nutri-smart, organics, wetting agent) and rubbed this in with the drag-mats. we also managed to top-dress 10 greens and get them rubbed in and got it all done just as the rain started to fall (10mm)...not a bad 14 hour day.
Today we will top-dress the remaining greens and take all the scariffings to the heap and cores out to bare areas then hopefully get 2 rub ins on each green to work the sand down into the core holes. then water tonight.
Well thats were we are up to thanks to all golfers going around us during the day, well better go load the top-dresser and make a start..till next time keep swinging...Pete
Friday, October 1, 2010
week 40 update
Well this week has all been about getting the greens growing at optimal growth rate ready for Mondays renovations.
We need the growth rate as fast as possible to help the greens recover from coring as quickly as possible.
If you are wondering why we renovate the greens read the earlier blog on renovation.
The new roughcutter has arrived this is to replace the stealth slasher and just in the nick of time as with all the rain and heat we are having both machines are running flat out to try to keep up with it all.
Jon Boag our apprentice for the last 3 years has finished his trade course and qualified for his greenkeeping certificate and was signed off on Thursday so from all of us here good luck in your future endeavors.
Well to next time keep swinging...Pete
We need the growth rate as fast as possible to help the greens recover from coring as quickly as possible.
If you are wondering why we renovate the greens read the earlier blog on renovation.
The new roughcutter has arrived this is to replace the stealth slasher and just in the nick of time as with all the rain and heat we are having both machines are running flat out to try to keep up with it all.
Jon Boag our apprentice for the last 3 years has finished his trade course and qualified for his greenkeeping certificate and was signed off on Thursday so from all of us here good luck in your future endeavors.
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