This is a great educational video on some of the heat stress that we have been dealing with on the golf course over the last week. This turf stress was brought on by record high temperatures and high winds over the last week as well as no measurable rain in 22 days. I hope this educates our members on the problems of turf heat stress and the actions we take on a daily basis in the summer.
Localized dry spot or (LDS) are found on all types of turf grasses and soil conditions all over the world. These LDS areas are characterized by non-wettable or hydrophobic soil conditions. These areas usually have excessive organic mater and a waxy fungus in the soil medium called mycelium. Controlling localized dry spots is an ongoing and some times difficult battle, especially if you let the areas severely dry out. If localized dry spot is present it is best to spike areas, apply a wetting agent and immediately water in . The wetting agent helps breaks up the waxy build up and allows the soil to take the water. Other practices to minimize the severity of localized dry spots include thatch removal, application of a fungicide or core aerification.
