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Published byMagnus Hardy Modified over 9 years ago
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Cultivation & Layering Information courtesy of Texas A&M University Turf Grass http://aggieturf.tamu.edu/aggieturf2/golf/gcindex.html
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Cultivation Improves Putting Greens Cultivation affects putting quality over turf quality Unique to putting green maintenance because it affects ball rolling and holding Methods – Spiking – Coring – Brushing – Verticutting – Topdressing
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Method Benefits Spiking, Coring and topdressing – Help soften green and improve ball holding Brushing verticutting and topdressing – Reduce graininess and thatch accumulation – Improves uniformity, trueness and speed of green
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Brushing Can be done in conjunction with mowing to reduce graininess Frequent brushing reduces the need for vertical mowing – Although vertical mowing is required to help control grain and thatch and increase speed of greens Light and frequent mowing is still required during the growing season
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Spiking and Coring Helps with – Both important to aeration (root growth) – Water penetration – Thatch – Ball Holding Greens should be cored 2 to 3 times annually Greens should be spiked often as needed to maintain water infiltration rate, break surface crusts and hold properly played golf shots
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Spiking & Coring (cont.) Greens can be spiked frequently with little disruption to play Coring provides more effective – aeration and thatch control but causes a greater disruption – ball holding than spiking
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Topdressing One of the most important methods – Also most neglected – Was used for fertilization, disease control, thatch control and improving putting quality – The “art” has been lost with the use of commercial fertilizers, pesticides and mechanical aerifiers Light and frequent topdressing is recommended
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Topdressing (cont.) Topdressing materials should be: – Screened – Sterilized – Composted – Evaluated by a laboratory (to avoid excess silt or clay) – Prepared during the off-season
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Layering Greens are designed based on USGA recommendations – 12 inch deep uniform root zone over gravel drainage blanket – Careful mixtures are designed to have specific particle size distribution, saturated hydraulic conductivity and pore space distribution
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Principles of Layering Must have a uniform root zone mixture so water and air can pass through all layers appropriately
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Layers of Thatch and Topdressing
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Black Layer Layer that forms when soil is slow to drain (and high in organic matter) stays wet for an extended time Layer becomes anaerobic (without oxygen) – Oxygen gives soil its bright orange, tan and yellow colors – The soil turns black and smells of rotten eggs without oxygen Roots cannot survive without oxygen
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Silt/Clay Layers When flooding occurs, silt and clay will sometimes cover a flooded area – If not carefully removed, water and air will be restricted Fine silt and clay materials can also be transported & deposited by wind Irrigation water from ponds high in suspended solids can also contribute to the accumulation of fines at the soil surface.
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Cemented Layers Under certain conditions root zone mixtures containing calcareous sands may become “cemented” – Calcareous sand: Soils containing sufficient free CaCO3 and other carbonates – This also blocks air and water Most often occurs at the bottom of the root zone above gravel layer
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Solutions Address these issues when resurfacing is taking place Black layer – Reduce irrigation – Begin aggressive aerification and sand topdressing program Silt/Clay Layers – Remove Layers carefully and effectively Cemented Layers – use sulfur, sulfur containing fertilizers, and other acidifying agents sparingly. – Occasional foliar applications of micronutrients may be needed to compensate for the reduced availability of micronutrients due to the high pH associated with calcareous soils. – Should a cemented layer form, core aerification and sand topdressing may also help (do this with care)
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Summary Layering of sand based putting greens is a common problem Causes – Excessive thatch accumulation – Improper topdressing materials – Unwashed sod – Deposition of fine materials To fix problems use – Remove problem area (if possible) – Aggressive core aerification and sand topdressing
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