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.