Black Layer

Black layer is a common problem in sand based putting greens. Black layer is the result when metal sulphide occurs in the rootzone. It occurs when H2S gas combines with minerals in the rootzone which then leads to the formation of the metal sulphide. These conditions will ultimately result in root decline to the point that the grass plant will eventually die. When oxygen levels decrease in the rootzone we then see an increase in black layer formation. 

Practices such as over irrigating and fertilizing can help to promote black layer. When the soil is saturated commonly and for extended periods of time we see oxygen levels lower which can then lead to the increase of black layer. Using soil profilers/soil probes to take samples out of the green to look at along with submitting soil samples to soil labs can all be tools used to identify the presence of black layer. The black layer will be a very visible contrast when looked at compared to the existing sand base found within the rootzone. The smell can also be a very good characteristic in identifying black layer as the rootzone will have a "swampy/rotten egg" smell which is very distinguishable. 

Black layer from a creeping bentgrass putting green

 in northern Michigan. Photo by William Berndt

When black layer forms within the rootzone the most effective way to get rid of it is through cultural practices. The most effective cultural method will be by removing material from the act of core aeration. If the black layer is severe enough multiple aeration events may be required. Topdressing the greens with a new, clean sand material is also very helpful when performed in conjunction with aeration. These practices aid in increasing oxygen levels within the soil while also removing the areas of high sulphur contamination. Excessive thatch also helps to promote black layer by acting like a sponge that holds water at the surface so the aeration and topdressing helps to remove and dilute the excessive thatch that may be present. 

When it comes to products that may be available to aid in repairing issues from black layer there are a few options available on the market. Products that aid in promoting beneficial bacteria/microbial activity can be helpful in increasing soil oxygen and they can also aid by feeding on thatch. The use of aggressive acid based products can also be helpful to combat the black layer within the rootzone. Penetrants and surfactants that help to move water away from the surface/upper rootzone and lower into the profile can also be helpful and increase surface oxygen levels.

While curing black layer is important when it becomes present in your golf greens it is even more important to understand why it formed in the first place. Most often it is due to the overuse/improper use of irrigation water which leads to oversaturation in the soil. If this is the case it is important to make some changes to your irrigation program/practices to ensure the plant is being provided with only the amount of moisture it requires. It is also important to perform soil testing if black layer is becoming a problem to determine if anything in your soil is also helping to contribute to the black layer. If soil tests do indicate any problems then some changes to your fertility/amendment program may be required. 

Turf Fuel has a product called D-Solve that can be very helpful in attacking the mineralization buildups within the rootzone from black layer. D-Solve is a proprietary blend of strong, yet safe acids that are designed to solubilize exchangeable calcium, dissolve bicarbonate layering and move sodium from the soil. 

The Kraken Plus can also be a helpful water management tool for managing black layer as it can effectively move water downward and away from the surface of the rootzone. The Kraken Plus is a premier soil surfactant that provides tournament quality playing conditions. Built with two advanced polymers, fortified with S4 solvent. It is an effective tool against localized dryspot. 

Turf Fuel is committed to developing products that are not like any other on the market and finding solutions to the problems that have been plaguing turf managers for years. They are committed to always improving the already great products they currently have. Turf Fuel has solutions available from the most simple aspects of nitrogen nutrition to the much more complicated solutions that you have been looking for such as stress management.

All About Moss

Silvery thread moss can be a common problem on putting greens of all grass species types and construction methods. Dealing with moss can be very frustrating for turf managers due to the fact that once it has established itself it can be very difficult to control. Moss is a perennial weed that can tolerate most weather and environmental conditions and most often is most active during the times that the desirable turf you are maintaining is least active. Silvery thread moss commonly spreads throughout golf courses from the moss structures being detached and physically moved from one site to the next (mowers, golfers, etc). Once these plant structures find their new home, they can very quickly establish themselves if conditions are favorable.

Most maintenance practices that take place on a golf green can either hinder or enable the spread and establishment of moss. Moss generally will be more common on greens that are watered light and frequently resulting in upper surfaces that are more wet compared to surfaces that are allowed to dry down. As the height of cut on greens decreases it has also been shown that moss establishment and severity will increase at lower heights. Nitrogen fertilizer sources have also been shown to have an effect on moss populations. Soluble and ammonium sulphate based applications of fertilizer have shown to help promote moss compared to other nitrogen forms. Frequent, light topdressing has shown to aid in reducing the amount of moss present. The belief here is that the introduction of sand helps to keep the growing medium less tightly bound with heavier materials which will result in greater water and air movement. 

Aeration and verticutting are generally believed to be helpful when it comes to Silvery Thread Moss control. Although these actions can certainly help in spreading moss across the property it is still accepted that the benefits of these practices will still be greater in helping prevent moss. Aeration and verticutting help to breakup and create open areas in the tight matted layer of moss that create an opportunity for your desirable grass species to then enter. The act of these practices will help with water and air movement at the surface which will be beneficial as the turf will thrive in these conditions where the moss will prefer a tight soil surface that holds moisture. Aeration and verticutting will also aid in turf density which is very important as the less gaps there are within the turf; the less likely moss can establish. 

When moss infestation become so severe though the most necessary and effective method of control will be done through the use of herbicides such as QuickSilver. Initial application of herbicides on moss is best done a week after an aeration or verticutting event when the moss has been disturbed and actively growing. Generally, applications of the herbicide every two weeks after initial application have proven most effective. You do need to ensure that the moss is becoming active again though prior to your next application to ensure herbicide uptake. Moss will turn a dark shade (mostly black) after herbicide application. Around two weeks after application the moss should begin to lose that colour and turn a brown/green. When this colour change is occurring, we know the moss is active once again and it is time to re-apply. The use of a non-ionic surfactant added to the herbicide during application has shown to improve application with a more active uptake and spread of the herbicide within the moss resulting in greater efficacy of applications. Under severe infestation numerous applications may be required but the best control will always be done by combining herbicide applications with good turf management practices (water and fertility management, cultural practices, etc) to promote as healthy of a stand of turf as possible while eliminating stress. 

In Canada we have a product available called Tank pHix Plus that can be used as our tank mix companion partner to QuickSilver, which is also available from us at Target Specialty Products. This is our all-in-one adjuvant product. This product aids spray applications with buffering/acidifying the spray tank water, drift control, enhancing compatibility of products in your spray solution and reducing the risk of alkaline hydrolysis.  

 Turf Fuel is committed to developing products that are not like any other on the market and finding solutions to the problems that have been plaguing turf managers for years. They are committed to always improving the already great products they currently have. Turf Fuel has solutions available from the most simple aspects of nitrogen nutrition to the much more complicated solutions that you have been looking for such as stress management.

                                                                                   

I've Got Ice Damage... Now What?

We have now reached that time of year when turf managers start to get the first glimpses of whether or not Mother Nature has been kind to them over the winter. This can be one of the most exciting times of the year knowing that a new golf season is almost here and that we will soon be seeing the grass grow! Unfortunately for what we hope is always a small few people though the spring can be a very stressful time as the melt reveals damage from ice encasement. 

Ice damage is now becoming a more and more common issue in the prairie provinces in recent history with more unpredictable late fall/winter weather. It is now almost certainly a guarantee that a certain area is going to suffer from ice damage each and every year. On my last post we discussed what can be done to help prevent the occurrence of ice damage but unfortunately there is no way of 100% preventing the damage. So the next question we must ask is now that I have ice damage; what can I do to recover from it as quickly as possible?

My first answer for those of you who are fortunate to have a larger, high quality bentgrass nursery is without hesitation to use that nursery for its intended purpose. Nothing will get you back on track quicker then removing the dead areas of turf and replacing it with new healthy turf that was grown on site. If you do not have the area for a nursery but have the money to order in bentgrass sod from a sod grower this can also be a good option but it will be quite costly and require some extra work as sod grown offsite will never blend/thrive within an existing green as well without aggressive cultural practices during the rooting stage. Aeration/topdressing is always important for new sod to help blend the different growing mediums that the sod was grown on compared to the growing medium within the green it is being transplanted on. 

When sod is not an option then seed will be your next step. Reestablishing from seed will be slower but it can be done. There are always a few things that can slow seed establishment down though that we need to be mindful of. Early spring soil/air temperatures can always be an issue as spring weather is unpredictable and the seed will only germinate under consistently warmer soil conditions. The use of tarps or any type of blankets that can help to trap heat will always be of great value to increasing seed germination success and speed. Golfer/equipment traffic is always a major factor on recovery seed success as well. If activities can be limited on the surface during the seed establishment stage this will always help. The biggest influence on seed success when overseeding into ice damage though is actually dealing with the anoxic conditions that still exist in the soil following the turf death from ice encasement. The high concentrations of CO2 and toxic gases that exist under the ice do not immediately disappear when the ice melts. A lot of these gases remain trapped within the soil and thatch and prevent seed from establishing if not dealt with. Aggressive cultural practices to open up the soil and thatch to breathe along with diluting these areas with clean topdressing material is very important. This is quite often why people see greater success from aerating areas and then adding seed to the aeration holes compared to just slit seeding as the aeration opens up the soil much more effectively and allows for the exchange of these harmful gases. This is another reason why sodding is so great though as it is completely removing this entire layer of dead material and toxic gases. Consistently opening up the soil and reseeding ever week to two weeks max is valuable as it continually is allowing the soil to breathe and increasing the seed bed.

Seed selection is also very important. It is always good to stick with the variety of bentgrass that you greens were currently seeded to unless you are wanting to long term change the variety within them. In these reestablishment circumstances you are going to want to look at bentgrass seed varieties that are more aggressive in spreading. Unfortunately many of the newer varieties of bentgrass that are currently available that we love for their playability advantages are not as effective in spreading during recovery due to their more upright and bunch-type growing habit. Many of these verities of creeping bentgrass do not "creep" as well as some older varieties so it is certainly important to look at these characteristics when selecting your turf variety.  

Fertility is always important during the new establishment stage as well. We believe that foliar fertilization is generally the most effective way of feeding for recovery during the spring. The use of granular fertilizer and its effectiveness will be greatly dependent upon environmental conditions such as temperature due to the fact that the granular fertilizer will not be taken up in solution through the roots as effectively unless adequate soil temperature and plant activity exist. Foliar fertilization removes most of these factors. We are not concerned with soil temperatures in the spring so long that the plant is not 100% dormant which is very unlikely. As long as there is some active metabolizing taking place with the newly germinated seed or the grass plants that did survive the ice encasement; they will then be able to take in and utilize the fertilizer you are providing. It is recommended to go at lower rates but very frequently (atleast ever week to few days) for best results as each time you fertilizer there will be more and more living tissue to take the products in and allow for more rapid recovery and spreading. 

Unfortunately recovery never occurs as quickly as you or your customers would like but these few steps will certainly help you in getting back to the shape you expect much sooner. 

With Turf Fuel we have a specific spray combination that we recommend for spring recovery that is tried and proven and has helped many turf managers get back on track these past few springs. The products you will find within this spray include Photo Fuel and Element 6 at 1.5oz/1000sq ft and Quick Green at 3-4oz/1000sq ft per application. This application is designed to target lateral growth, energy production and maximized recovery for the playing surface. 

Photo Fuel aids in enhancing photosynthesis for the plant through nutrition and biostimulation. It also features Nutrifense which we have discussed in the past. Element 6 provides maximum energy to the plant along with strength/stress management and root production. It contains a full dose of Nutrifense. Quick Green is a high phosphate biostimulant fertilizer. It aids in rapid new establishment, damage recovery and early season colour. 

Turf Fuel is committed to developing products that are not like any other on the market and finding solutions to the problems that have been plaguing turf managers for years. They are committed to always improving the already great products they currently have. Turf Fuel has solutions available from the most simple aspects of nitrogen nutrition to the much more complicated solutions that you have been looking for such as stress management.

Dealing With Ice

Ice damage has unfortunately become a very common problem in our province in recent years as mild winters and large weather shifts are seeming to become more common for our Saskatchewan winters. Ice can be very difficult to prevent but there are a few practices that can be performed to help decrease/eliminate the damage it causes. Anoxia is what takes place when turfgrasses die from being encased in ice for too long. What happens at this point is that the plant can no longer effectively "breathe" and harmful gases become present causing the plant too die from low to non-existent oxygen levels. 

Ice broken up that had formed on a permeable tarp

So what practices can be performed to help you reduce the damage that ice causes? The first and most important thing is promoting as healthy of a stand of turf as you possibly can going into winter. This would mean that activities such as adequate fertilizer and irrigation amounts have been maintained throughout the growing season, regular cultural practices (aeration, topdressing, verti-cutting, grooming, etc) have been performed throughout the growing season, and proper cutting heights and quality of cut has been present to name just a few of the many important practices that take place on the golf course during the season. There are some nutritional tools and products available that have helped extend the duration in which a plant can handle ice encasement. Products designed to help mitigate stress on the plant have demonstrated success in university trials against ice encasement. These products generally contain elements such as the plant defense activators, phosphites, extremophiles, humic acids, etc that are all things that we have talked about in the past that all come together to either promote a stronger/healthier plant or a more desirable porous rootzone that will result in better air/gas exchange and water movement. In areas that commonly collect water and form ice, late fall aeration can help to create channels for water to move down below the surface. Simple practices such as taking a cup cutter to the low areas or cutting sod strips in low spots to move water that collects away from the surface can also help. It is worth noting that some of these practices can help to promote faster drying out of the rootzone though so if you are in areas prone to dessication you do have to weigh the risks of ice protection vs. dessication protection. The use of ice shield tarping systems to separate the ice from the plant along with reclamation/geo-textile products and bubble wrap have also proven to be effective in creating air pockets to help the plant breathe with the ice. 

When ice does occur a superintendent does have to assess how long is too long for the plant to be under the ice and then if ice removal is viewed to be best how will you remove the ice? Taking turf samples from ice covered areas using a drill with a hole saw bit can be a helpful tool to assess damage by bring the samples indoors to warmer temperatures with lighting to see how much of the plants begin to grow back in more suitable growing conditions. If ice removal is to take place then tools such as aerators, mechanically powered brushes, jackhammers, etc can all be used to remove ice, but there always is the risk of these tools causing further damage. 

Next month I will continue with ice damage with some recommendations that will help in the recovery phase when ice damage does occur coming out of winter to help get the playing surfaces back in playing condition as quickly as possible. 

Turf Fuel has a winter hardiness program that is a combination of Element 6, Base K26 and MZ-23 or Phos-sil Fuel that has been university proven to help with ice encasement. Element 6 features a full load of Nutrifense which is a combination of protein pre-cursors, defense activators, extremophile extracts and anti-oxidants that provided the best results in the study when it came to plant survival under ice conditions. Our Base K26 was also included in the study and the K source (potassium acetate) also displayed strong results against the untreated control when it came to the amount of plants that recovered after ice encasement. 

Some quick details on this product combination can be found below along with the details of the university trial.  

Turf Fuel is committed to developing products that are not like any other on the market and finding solutions to the problems that have been plaguing turf managers for years. They are committed to always improving the already great products they currently have. Turf Fuel has solutions available from the most simple aspects of nitrogen nutrition to the much more complicated solutions that you have been looking for such as stress management.

 

Localized Dry Spot

Localized dry spots are brown and purple spots that appear out of no where and then once visible begin to show signs of drought stress. Many things can contribute to localized dry spot formation but some of those most common reasons include thatch, compacted soil, steep slopes, poor irrigation water quality, improper irrigation coverage, disease and high salt concentrations in soils. 

Localized dry spot present in bentgrass

The soil particles in these localized dry spot areas become hydrophobic (incapable of accepting/absorbing water and re-hydrating) because of an organic coating that becomes present on the soil particles. Localized dry spot has become a larger problem over the last 20-30 years as golf maintenance practices have changed. Previously golf courses used more water (saturating the surface more consistently) and did not prepare the playing surfaces as aggressively as we do now. Once the push came to use less water and to dry down the surface to produce much firmer and faster conditions, along with sand based construction becoming the norm the industry, we then saw localized dry spot become a more common issue. Excessive thatch can become hydrophobic as well which can lead to the water never getting into the soil because of the water droplets never being allowed to absorb below the surface due to the thatch layer. 

Aeration has been proven to help lessen the effects of localized dry spots. Aeration can help to relieve compaction in the soil that reduces water/air infiltration and it will also help to remove thatch that can prevent the water from entering the soil. Aeration will create channels in the soil that will most importantly allow water to enter the soil and enter deeper into the rootzone by the act of cultivating the surface. This will make overhead irrigation and hand watering practices more effective.

The most effective tool for dealing with localized dry spot is the use of wetting agents. Wetting agents help alter the soil to allow it to accept water and then allow for continual re-wetting of the rootzone. Wetting agents allow water to spread across the surface and penetrate into the soil by lowering the surface tension of the liquid. There are many different types of wetting agents available though so be sure to understand and choose the technology that fits your specific golf course and location needs. Are you simply just looking to rewet the soil that will not accept water where dry spots have occurred, are you looking to improve the efficiency of the water you apply to allow you to use less water, are you looking for a penetrant to move water through the profile, are you wanting a wetting agent to soften the surface or to firm up the surface, etc. All of these questions should be asked before choosing your wetting agent to allow the right product to be purchased from your supplier, so be sure to ask yourself and your supplier these questions to ensure you are using the best product for your needs!

Turf Fuel has many different wetting agent/surfactant options available for the consumer to choose from. Vanquish Plus contains three different polymers that aid in soil penetration, hydration and rehydration. Vanquish is the perfect treatment and recovery aid for dealing with localized dry spot and drought conditions. Vanquish will provide uniform hydration across the rootzone. 

Kraken Plus is a 30 day dry spot/drought preventative wetting agent. It contains capped polymers and is completed by a unique solvent technology. This product will provide unmatched tournament like, firm and fast, playing conditions. 

Distance Plus is a multiple branching polymer that is designed to provide long term (up to 120 day) protection against dry spot and drought conditions. This product is perfect for tee box, fairway, approaches, driving range and slope/traffic locations. 

Cleanse Plus is a solvent surfactant product that will improve water penetration and reduce hydrophobic organic materials that coat soil particles. By removing and reducing these organic materials this is the perfect clean-up product to reduce hydrophobic and localized dry spot conditions. 

Turf Fuel is committed to developing products that are not like any other on the market and finding solutions to the problems that have been plaguing turf managers for years. They are committed to always improving the already great products they currently have. Turf Fuel has solutions available from the most simple aspects of nitrogen nutrition to the much more complicated solutions that you have been looking for such as stress management. 

Calcium for Turf

Calcium is without a doubt one of the most important nutrients for maintaining healthy turf but quite often is overlooked. Calcium is important for cell strength as it will help the plant in strengthening cell walls. It also maintains osmotic balance (balance between electrolytes and non-electrolytes through the movement of solution through cell walls) with cells which helps keep cell membranes stable. 

Because calcium is important for cell wall strength we can then make the connection that it is important in managing plant stresses as the thicker/stronger the cell wall is, the less likely it is to be compromised from the attack of a pathogen or external stress. Foliar calcium can be helpful in managing heat stress as it allows the plant to go through respiration without using up its carbohydrate supplies. Because of this the plant still has the energy to carry out its normal processes as it is not having to turn around and reproduce all of its new energy.

As many people do know calcium is very important for improving soil structure. We typically use it as a soil amendment in Saskatchewan for dealing with high levels of sodium which we see as a large problem throughout the entire province. Calcium works by entering the soil and replacing sodium from soil particles. Once the sodium is no longer linked to the soil particles we have the opportunity to attempt to leach the sodium through the soil profile. The removal of the sodium from the soil is very important as we end up with a soil profile that is no longer so tightly bound where there is now pore/air space the allow air, water, nutrients, etc to move through the soil more freely. This is why when we have sodium effected soils that you see and feel that the soil becomes hard like cement and that water struggles to enter these soils (puddling) because the soil is so tight that the water can not enter the soil. Calcium can displace other cations so easily within the soil because it is a much larger cation in size so it can “out-weigh” other cations and it’s two positive charges can then easily  attach between different soil particles.

Turf Fuel has a few different calcium products available to help turf managers with the problems/solutions that we have discussed. Respo Fuel is a calcium-rich product that we use to mitigate heat stress. This product allows respiration to take place without the plant using up all of its energy. Respo Fuel also contains biostimulants, salicylic acid, Nutrifense, copper and silica resulting in the ultimate summer heat stress product. 

Lessen 11 is an acidified calcium product that physically removes sodium from soil particles. This then allows the sodium to be flushed through the rootzone by precipitation or irrigation. The acidic calcium in this product will also help to free up calcium that had previously been tied up in the soil as well.

D-Solve is a blend of acids and a soil penetrant that helps to dissolve bicarbonate layering. It does not contain calcium but because of this acidifying removal of sodium it frees up calcium and magnesium that had previously been tied up in the soil so you then can receive many of the benefits that calcium provides to the plant from what was already in your soil.

Turf Fuel is committed to developing products that are not like any other on the market and finding solutions to the problems that have been plaguing turf managers for years. They are committed to always improving the already great products they currently have. Turf Fuel has solutions available from the most simple aspects of nitrogen nutrition to the much more complicated solutions that you have been looking for such as stress management. 

Sea Kelp

Different forms of sea kelp are now very commonly being used in turf management for their numerous benefits. Sea kelp is very mineral rich and provides the plant with two major growth hormones. These two hormones are cytokinins and auxins. These nutrients are very effective in helping the plant to manage and recover from drought and heat stress. 

Kelp increases carbohydrate production which in turn enhances root and leaf production. Sea kelp will increase soil microbial activity; when this activity increases we will see more nutrients become available to the plant that may have previously been tied up by the soil and then because of this we will also see an increase in nutrient uptake with the plant. Kelp has been proven to also increase photosynthesis and chlorophyll production which will give the plant a major aesthetic boost. Sea kelp can also be very valuable and helpful with grow-ins and establishment as they will speed plant establishment/germination and increase new seedling development. 

The extra micronutrients provided by sea kelp have proven to be very effective in helping the plant to resist attack and infection from disease and insect pests. There has been research done with sea kelp applications in turf that has shown an increase in water holding abilities in the soil which is a great added benefit for a turf manager. 

Sea kelp products are readily available on the market now and as a turf manager it will be very easy for you to get your hands on them if you are not already using kelp products. Many liquid nutritional products and blended with kelp in them now but there are also products available that only contain kelp as well. 

Turf Fuel has many products available that contain sea kelp. Our sea kelp is Ecklonia maxima which is an auxin rich form of sea kelp. Our auxin rich formula will be the most effective in increasing root mass and system development while limiting the growth of lateral stems which is not desirable in turf.

XChange is a combination of sea kelp, humic acid, salicylic acid and iron. This product will greatly improve nutrient availability. XChange will also greatly increase root mass, antioxidant levels and colour. It will also help the plant to manage stress and disease.

 

Respo Fuel contains sea kelp, foliar calcium, silica, copper, salicylic acid and our Nutrifense technology. It is a fantastic product for managing and preventing heat and drought stress.

Turf Fuel is committed to developing products that are not like any other on the market and finding solutions to the problems that have been plaguing turf managers for years. They are committed to always improving the already great products they currently have. Turf Fuel has solutions available from the most simple aspects of nitrogen nutrition to the much more complicated solutions that you have been looking for such as stress management.