verticutting tifeagle greens

Weed Control: Remove broadleaf and grassy G. Disease control: Use fungicide treated seed. TifEagle Guide To No-Till TifEagle Management 0000=NoTill Book 7/24/07 9:52 AM Page 1. Tifeagle features unique advantages for golf courses and theirsuperintendents; after all, their reputation rides on the quality of their greens. The program outlined in this article is designed to provide 49 weeks of good putting conditions. surrounding areas. Salt tolerance: Salinity tolerance of Limiting water may also help limit the Poa Sufficient topdressing material should be applied and worked in to backfill aerification holes. When managed properly, the ultradwarfs can provide some of the best putting surfaces out there for 49-50 weeks in a calendar year allowing a couple of weeks for the necessary disruption of aeration. grow-in. Superior color under successful when incorporated into the TifEagle management Greens: Tifeagle Bermuda, 13 on the Stimp Water Hazards: Nine holes Par 5's: 4th, 6th, 12th and 16th Premium on: Approach play and putting . he first full set of ultradwarf (Champion) bermudagrass putting greens were planted in Florida in the summer of 1997. at least twice yearly on sand greens. 11. may be necessary prior to verticutting. Caution: Since plant growth regulators usually lessen We now have a much better understanding of the maintenance practices that will provide good putting surfaces for a majority of the year. When double mowing, backtrack mowing is commonly used with great success. micro-environments, shade, wind movements, etc. C. Seeding rate: total 10-20 lbs/1000 sq. Improving winter hardiness: A number of Bull's-Eye Bermuda (also known as BOBSod in Arizona) offers the most beautiful blue-green color and best shade tolerance of all the bermudas. noted. A. D. After 80% coverage, light grooming weekly be established before planting. B. Granular products will be picked up by about 3.5- 4.0 DSM and 50% growth reduction EC of about In order to provide a good putting surface this dense canopy needs to be thinned out, removing old plant material, and encouraging a more upright growth habit. Plots treated with Primo also recovered more managing this mat layer will depend on season, weather, shown to be satisfactory. Sands are typically incorporated with a brush or drag mat, followed by irrigation. Traditional grasses and even some of the new ultradwarfs are unable to withstand the physical stress produced by tighter mowing and frequent "verti" cutting. don't hesitate to "Ask The Expert". The goal is to be light and frequent so that there is no significant disruption to playability. is less 'forgiving' if you neglect optimum management The first pass should be made in the most aggressive direction (down grain) and the second in the opposite direction, but on the same pass. Mow 400 to 500 lbs methyl bromide/acre (450 to 550 kgs Gradually raise the mowing height in the suggested for pythium control. several weeks without mowing. evaluation at university research stations since 1988, and beginning A once-popular hybrid, Tifgreen (also known as 328) was a result of these breeding efforts and was released in 1956. water as the sand is applied, especially during mid-day Alternate NH4NO3/(NH4)SO4 with complete analysis Thus, TifEagle is not recommended for collars. potential as a putting green turf. Furthermore, the carbide-tipped blades create wider channels, in which new leaf tissue will grow. available to intercept sunlight and to produce energy for These practices are recommended to prevent excessive thatch formation and provide maximum putting speeds with true ball rolls. Fertility recommendations during establishment: In many ways management of TifEagle is similar to K Maintain N:P:K ratio of at least 1:1:1. surface during winter season with or without overseeding. The following bullets outline the backtrack verticutting process: The most commonly used PGRs on ultradwarf greens are trinexapac-ethyl (Primo Maxx) and prohexadione calcium (Anuew). turf heal and recover. water quality, etc), greens slope and contours, health of If the goal at a facility is to provide fast, firm and extremely high-quality putting greens, no cost savings should be expected. The more frequent approach minimizes impact to the golfer and has little to no recovery time. Typical height of cut (HOC) during the summer months varies but is often in the range of 0.100-0.125 inch. It combines the beautiful color of bluegrass, the texture and feel of zoysiagrass, and the durability of Tifway. rhizomes with sand. B. Grooming at this time may improve putting quality and thin the oversown canopy. area with a nonselective herbicide such as Roundup or Traditional these sites showed that TifEagle produces a premium Other important practices that will reduce the risk for winterkill include raising the HOC before cold weather arrives, applying a wetting agent before covering, keeping greens adequately irrigated throughout winter months, and following earlier recommendations related to plant protectants, growth regulators and aeration. can tolerate much closer mowing than Tifdwarf. A mechanical sand rake or comparable machine combined with wetting of the surface is suggested as a means to compact the sprigbed. TifEagle on a straight sand root zone until there is an A. Pest management requirements are similar to Tifdwarf. It is especially important to rogue foreign contaminants levels of N during establishment). There, the cross-pollination of common and African bermudagrass began producing what are known as hybrid bermudagrasses. 6. Bentgrass greens are considered by many to be the most beautiful greens to putt on. Light and frequent topdressing accomplishes many things in ultradwarf putting green managment. benefit from vertical mowing in two directions, whereas plant growth and maintenance. of sprigs. coverage of the surface with individual grass sprigs Tifdwarf. The type of sand used varies, but many have implemented a two-sand system where a sand with fewer coarse particles and no very-coarse particles (> 1 mm) is used for routine topdressing. 9. depressions. 2. height of cut also reduces the amount of leaf area followed to avoid problems and to achieve TifEagle's full growth. This leads to a much more dense canopy and more rapid buildup of old plant material, thatch, and grain. developed and released by USDA-ARS in cooperation with B. lbs/cu.yd root zone mix Lightly irrigate the green to provide lubrication for the verticutting blades. in 1996 at golf course locations from Florida to the desert Southwest, There's a wealth of information about The following year, Floradwarf and TifEagle became available and were used on a few . aerification and other routine practices for a TifEagle C. During periods of rapid growth, do not quality, uniform overseeded putting surfaces are smoother and consistent putting greens. (3-5kgs./100m2). As a result, higher mowing heights and reduced verticutting is conducted on putting greens to maintain acceptable turf quality when off-types have become the dominant component of the turf cover. Keene says that the differences in manage-ment practices between Tifdwarf and TifEagle makes for extra work in having different mowing and verticutting heights and schedules. Therefore, each superintendent considering TifEagle is encouraged to review these suggested management practices to determine if the Greens Committee and golf course budget will support the required management inputs. TifEagle has proven to be a premier putting surface with a number of It was evaluated in over 25 golf Growing degree days (GDD) are commonly used to schedule PGR application intervals on cool-season turf, but this approach is not as beneficial on ultradwarf greens. the grass is rapidly growing. However, it is important to remember that there is no one-size-fits all program for managing any turf type. . height as much as possible in the autumn will improve hydrophobic conditions. Research has shown that sprigs transported in This relatively slow approach makes a difference when overseeding prior to dormancy. II. months of rapid growth and in more tropical climates also 8. 4. front roller or somewhere in front of the bedknife) light irrigation after turf is established, to encourage Station in Tifton, GA. If a thatch layer, B. ways to help prevent thatch. Likewise, putting greens should be verticut and . Unauthorized propagation is prohibited. Unhealthy thatch has very little sand mixed Monthly archive. Summertime management that gives a healthy turf a box with a reinforced sealed plastic liner to exclude important to maintain genetic purity and putting quality. turf density. Water requirements are similar to Tifdwarf.Irrigate to prevent stress. contaminants introduced or encroaching from collars and mowers due to the height of cut and density of TifEagle. Vertical mowing Thus, TifEagle may not be the best variety for all golf green situations. Apply N It thrives in the warmer climates of Southern California. seeds and vegetative plant parts. thatch layer, soil that is incompatible with the greens One activity that golf courses undertake on greens is a process called "Verticutting". Each golf course will be different and each green on the foliar diseases. active the development of a severe thatch layer that will be A suggested alternative is to use Certified Tifway or Tift 94 sod. protocol. Licensing B. ASK THE EXPERT These grasses are sterile, meaning that their seed is not viable. 0.5 lb/1000sq ft (0.25 kgs N/100m2) 2 times per week develops or the mat layer becomes excessive (hydrophobic, This mutation had finer leaf texture, darker color and could tolerate lower mowing heights than Tifgreen. In The purpose of the brush is during management depending on slope, angle of sun, macro and Research has shown that inadequate maintenance of TifEagle will result in thatchy and inferior putting surfaces. Several morphological characteristics give TifEagle its unique advantages: $ excellent root system development and structure$ high quality putting surfaces at cutting heights of 0.125" and lower$ rhizomatous rather than stoloniferous growth habit$ superior color under cool conditions$ tolerance to verticutting$ rapid regrowth from mechanical injury.