FROM THE STONE HARBOR GOLF COURSE MAINTENANCE BLOG

HERE ARE SOME OBSERVATIONS STONE HARBOR GCM BLOG A NEW USER OF THE PRODUCT THIS YEAR: HIGHLIGHTED IN BOLD ARE SOME INTERESTING COMMENTS.

WE WILL BE AT STONE HARBOR ON THURSDAY THSI WEEK FOR "THE WAR ON THE SHORE" JOINT GCSAA EVENT.

GenNext Observations

Looking at some of the greens a little more closely this morning where we have applied GenNext Complete A & B, I have made a few observations.

So far the "GenNext greens" have had a total of .8# N/m applied to them and the check plots are at .3# N/m. This is much more nitrogen then we are use to applying at this point in the growing season. We are typically around .3#-.5# N/m at this point. With that said, we have noticed the greens where we have had a moss infestation, such as holes #2, #3, the moss in the check plot areas seems to have a green color and only has a few bentgrass/poa plants emerging through the moss. Where as the rest of the green surface where the GenNext has been applied is showing more bentgrass plants especially emerging through the moss. The moss also seems to be "suppressed" and not as active as the check plots. This can be attributed to the increased level of nitrogen that the greens have received that we tend not to apply at this point.

The second observation is the rooting depth in both the check plot areas and GenNext applied areas appear to be the same at about a 3-4" depth.

The third observation made is the clipping yield from the "GenNext greens" to the "non-GenNext greens" is approximately the same. The "non-GenNext" greens have a total of .675# N/m applied to them of ammonium sulfate. With .8# N/m applied in one month you would expect a dark green color on the greens which we have seen. However the growth seems to be more lateral then upright which is desired to help encourage more bentgrass into the putting surface.

Our last observation made is with the warmer temperatures we have had we have had poa annua seed heads emerge on the putting surfaces. Even though we made a seed head suppression application 3 weeks ago, our timing has seemed to be off, which is disappointing. However, the "GenNext greens" have significantly less seed heads then the "non-GenNext" greens. The only difference in applications besides amount of nitrogen is the applications of GenNext Complete A & B.

To also note the soil temperatures in the greens as of today is 60 degrees at a 2" depth and 58 degrees at a 4" depth.

Moss in the GenNext Complete A & B area on #3 green

Moss within the check plot on #3 green

THE MEMO THAT CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION!

Years ago a group gave a presentation to a number of investors in a Nashville Airport conference room.  Below is the details we received after we inquired about what they were doing in turf. As part of our business planning process we brought the document out again. This time we decided to share it with others.

INTRODUCTION “THE BASES FOR THE PRODUCTS”

Beautiful turf that is easy and inexpensive to maintain have always been the desire of professional turf manager’s and homeowners ever since turfgrasses have been used to cover the soil. Today, lawns, sport turf and golf courses have become one of the most important factors reflecting prestige, value, quality, environmental concern, as well as beauty.  Most everyone realizes that "First Impressions are Lasting Impressions".  The first visual contact one makes with any building or site is its outdoor setting; including the landscaping, building and turf areas it is that first visually retained image that is so important.  It is this image that will be associated with a specific company, governmental agency, golf course, building site, home, etc.

People love and appreciate beautiful turf and landscapes. They expect dense, deep-green turf at the establishments they do their business.  This is the chief reason advertising agencies always place beautiful lawns and landscapes on the outside cover of their ad materials.

Turf Managers also realize that beautiful turf not only adds beauty and warmth to their properties, but also significantly increases its value. Professional turf managers’ attempts to obtain this desired "beautiful first impression turf" often become expensive and frustrating investments in time and money. To add insult to injury, these attempts require a continuing increase in time, energy, and expenses. Yet, the agonizing poor results keep showing up despite these repeated efforts one would expect that the turf should become stronger, denser, and less expensive to manage, and gain in beauty as they become more mature.  This is a very logical conclusion for anyone to reach; but, in reality, it most often does not happen.

One would also expect that the more expensive the products used on turf, the higher the application rates, and the more frequently they are applied, the better the results, the more the turf is "babied", the stronger, healthier and more beautiful turf.  Again, the complete opposite usually results:  The more products and care provided, the weaker the turf and the more susceptible it becomes to insects, diseases, adverse weather conditions, wear and tear: Eventually the turf loses its natural ability to fight off such adversaries and heal from the damage; the results never seem to justify the efforts or expense. 

What’s different about our approach? The answer is Nature!