Saturday, May 24, 2014

Native Areas

Yellow Rocket will be hand
picked from native areas
As the native fine fescue areas are establishing from last years seeding, there are also some opportunistic weeds deciding to make their home inside them as well. Although temporarily unsightly, some of the weeds are a good thing.  While fescue can get dense very quickly after seeding which does not provide the best playability for golfers, some other vegetative growth can be helpful at establishment to keep the fescue stand thin.  As the summer progresses our staff will be pulling large weeds by hand to help maintain these areas followed by chemical applications in the fall. Applying herbicides to control weeds while the fescue is still young can damage the new fescue seedlings.  A good analogy would be how a common cold can be very harmful to an infant but just annoying to an adult.  Same is true for herbicides used on juvenile
Turf inten Derek Sawle hand pulling
weeds from new fescue areas
fescue.  They can be very damaging until the plant is mature.  As these areas mature, weeds will become much less of an issue.  The dandelions that can be seen right now will subside and the chemical treatments done this fall will remove them.  Our staff will also be reseeding select areas that did not establish as well last year so a few areas are still a work in progress.  The fescue areas that have produced seed heads this year will give you a nice feel for how they will all look in the next 3-5 years.

Great definition can already be
seen in this fescue area.  In July the seed
heads will turn golden brown and
provide a very nice, clean look to the course!

Enjoy your holiday weekend and we look forward to seeing you on the course!