March 31, 2010
Managing turfgrass thatch with aeration is an important cultural control for superintendents across the country. While it improves long-term turfgrass playability, it often creates short-term inconveniences for players.
For Matt Kowal, golf course superintendent at Twin Hills C.C. in Longmeadow, Mass., weak turf caused by a heavy level of organic matter on his course’s original pushup greens led to year-round disease pressure.
Kowal and his crew address the issue by aerifying four times a year, which can interfere with play.
“We’re forced to aerify during prime golf months,” Kowal said. “It can be an inconvenience for our members, so we sought a chemical solution that could provide disease control, while also helping our greens bounce back faster and develop healthy root systems.”
In preparation for his first round of half-inch quad-tine aeration last April, Kowal applied Honor® fungicide by BASF Professional Turf & Ornamentals at the high rate of 1.1 ounces per 1,000 square feet to all 18 greens.
“Within a week after aerifying and applying Honor, our greens were back in business,” Kowal said. “I was amazed. The holes were ‘healed’ and the turf was very, very strong. The difference in the turf was dramatic.”
Kowal said he previously experienced a two-week recovery time after aeration when using stand-alone strobilurin chemistries, but with Honor fungicide he witnessed improvements in his turf’s health in less than half that time.
“After seeing how Honor improved recovery on our greens, it’s now the product I recommend to other superintendents for greens care,” Kowal said.
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Photo Caption: Twin Hills C.C., Longmeadow, Mass.
