Grooming the Greens

topdressed green


groomer in action

this is what it looks like after the groomer has passed

It seems summer is coming to an end and fall is right around the corner. The temperatures and sun angle have changed, so the days are becoming more comfortable instead of miserable. Yesterday we groomed the greens for the last time this year. This was a process we did every Monday to help control surface grain and to work sand into the turf canopy.

The process goes like this:

1. topdress
   
2. groom
   
3. brush with mechanical broom
   
4. roll


5. mow


6. gypsum application
   
   

We have changed the order of this process since the first of the summer. Now we brush and roll before the mowers. We find that this makes the surface a little firmer so the mowers do not dig in and cause damage to the turf.

Topdressing

topdressing application


Everybody wants to know, what is with all the sand on the greens? The answer to that question is, topdressing sand. Topdressing sand is a prepared sand mix added to the surface of a turfgrass and worked in by brooming, matting, raking, and/or irrigation to smooth the surface. This also firms the turf by working soil in among stolons and thatch forming materials, and enhances thatch decomposition.

We topdress greens for several reasons:

• smooth the playing surface


• control thatch development


• promote recovery from injury and disease


• protect the crown of the plant from desiccation
  

The days proceeding a topdressing you will see us brushing and rolling the greens to help the sand penetrate the turfgrass canopy. Please do not be confused, topdressing is a cultural practice that is vital to the health of our turfgrass .

Winter Maintenance

The hydroject has lost itself over the years because of the amount of time it takes to operate. This machine injects ten-millisecond pulses of highly pressurized water deep into the turf to alleviate compaction and flush harmful minerals through the compaction layer without disrupting the surface. It increases percolation, improves gas exchange, and enhances the turfs overall health. It is a very timely process that takes three days to finish all 18 of our greens. With that being said, we find this machine to be an outstanding tool and try to use whenever we have the opportunity.