Q&A: Seed/Divot Mix

Q: Is there seed in the divot mix we use on the driving range at Fieldstone? I have seen the seed in the mix at other courses but don't see it in ours.

A: Yes we do put seed in our mix. We are using bentgrass seed which may be why it is not as noticeable. Bentgrass seed is extremely small, maybe as much as a tenth the size of ryegrass or bluegrass seed. At other courses and particularly southern courses this time of year, they use ryegrass or bluegrass seed. Southern courses are over-seeded in the winter months because the bermudagrass goes dormant and brown. They over-seed with ryegrass to make it green and aid in healing throughout these months. Below are pictures showing the differences in seed sizes. On top of that, we use a divot mix that is green and has organics in it which makes it even more difficult to see the seed.




bluegrass/ryegrass seed mixture (similar to what you may use at your home)


bentgrass seed (literally millions of seed here)


Side by side comparison


bentgrass in our divot mix

Fairway "scarring"

As many of you have seen if you played the last week or so, the fairways have some scarring as many have put it. What you are seeing unfortunately is the result of a fungus commonly called "dollar spot." If you read my earlier post about the color's on our greens, you'll remember I briefly talked about different varieties of grasses and the traits they have been cultivated for. One of the traits the bentgrass on our greens exhibits is a resistance to dollar spot fungus. It definitely still gets the disease, but not nearly as bad as the bentgrass on our fairways. Greens are A4 bentgrass, one of the newest varieties when our course was built. The fairways are a blend of two different bentgrass called "Princeville" and "Putter." Neither one of these two grasses has great fungus resistance, but may have had other desirable qualities at the time. They are not terrible grasses, just different.

Prior to top dressing fairways three weeks ago, we did not see much dollar spot. It has since been fairly wet yet cool enough with short daylight hours to stop the turf from growing much. Over the last couple of years we have been able to grow out of this late season fungus from the heavy organic fertilization we do at the time of aerification. This year we have not been able to do that yet. We plan on spraying some Iron and possibly a small amount of fertilizer to help us heal up.

Below are several pictures of the problem in question:

Colors on our greens

Question:
Why do our greens have different colors in them if they are only one kind of grass? Specifically, the red or purple patches that we see on the greens right now.

Answer:
Although our greens are 100% of one type of bentgrass (A4 creeping bentgrass), this grass was breed from several different varieties. The turfgrass breeders (yes there are people who do that), look at existing grasses and try to single out the genes in them for specific characteristics. They may pull a gene from a grass that exhibits resistance to a specific fungus, or one the has good drought tolerance, or maybe one that survives well under extremely low mowing heights. The red and purple colors that you see are patches of grass starting to go dormant and are revealing more of one type of "parent" grass than another.


View of #1 green


Close up with my radio antenna showing a spot

Audubon Update

As you may know, Fieldstone is working towards our "Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary" status. We began this last winter and believe we will finish this winter. There are 6 different categories to achieve prior to being awarded certification. They include; Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, Water Conservation, Environmental Planning, Wildlife and Habitat Management, Water Quality Management, and Outreach and Education. Of those, we have been certified in the first three, have sent in the required paper work and documentation for two more and are almost finished with the last category. This is all documented in our shop and below are pictures of the Audubon display we have.


bulletin board with certifications

certificate from completing one of the categories

Limb on 16

The only severe damage Fieldstone had from IDA remnants and the following Nor'easter as of Saturday morning was this limb across the cart path on 16. The pictures below show how we roped and coned the area off for safety until we can get equipment in there Monday or Tuesday to bring down the limb and clean up the other branches that have been damaged.


View from 16 tee prior to roping area off

View from 17 fairway side showing safety cones marking the tree.

View from 16 tee after roping off the cart path and creating a new path to go around the tree/limb

from behind 16 green

bunkers on 16

Here are pictures updating the #16 bunker project. We have removed all the fescue surrounding these and replaced with bluegrass.

Guys "pulling" the old fescue up with a hoe since we can't get a sod cutter on the slopes


Another crew cleaning up and hauling away the fescue

Laying the sod. The right side and bunker behind the green are finished

firewood

During frosty mornings again this year Fieldstone is splitting firewood to sell. We are selling firewood for $75/cord. Anyone who has bought in the past knows we will work with you on price if you can only handle a trunk load or small amount. Unfortunately, we do NOT deliver. Please call the maintenance shop to arrange pick up at 254-4569 and ask for Brad.


Leobardo stacking wood. A cord of wood is
4' high x 4' wide x 8' long



Victor splitting the wood

Top Dressing Fairways

Today we started top dressing fairways. This is a practice we began four years ago and has helped tremendously. Fieldstone is very rocky with poor soil quality, especially in the fairways where there was a lack of good top soil. In brief, adding sand has helped reduce compaction, allowed for better water infiltration and improved turf quality tremendously.

spreading the sand

A thin layer applied

dragging in the sand after


Donovan, one of our assistant superintendents doing the dirty work

Wednesday, October 14

First Frost!


Ice crystals on the leaf blade





Frost out over #1

Blog test

Welcome to the new Fieldstone Golf Course Update blog. I have set this up to keep members as informed as possible and to hopefully make it easy for you to check on what is happening at your course.

It is my intention that this be an informative blog, where I will post project status, picture references, explain whys and how's of what we are doing, and editorials on these and many other things. I will try to update this as much as possible and hope everyone enjoys what we post. Who knows, maybe this will help answer a question someone might have without having to ask it.

Thank you,
Brad Smith
Golf Course Superintendent




Post #1 Slit Seeding
Tuesday, October 13

Today we have begun slit seeding the rough. We use a tractor and implement on the back of it to slice "channels" into the soil and deposit seed in those channels. The machine does this with the blades you see in the picture and also helps to remove thatch at the same time. Unfortunately, the thatch is just shot out from behind the machine and left on the turf. This does cause a little mess, but will be mowed over and disappear soon. The de-thatching helps with the turf that is still there to allow water and air infiltration for root growth and loosen the soil to help establish the seedlings that will germinate soon.

Blades on the back of the slit seeder

Andrew (Drew) one of our assistant superintendents, doing the slit seeding

Seeds in the channels