From the Greens by Scott Coogan - February 2011
From the Greens by Scott Coogan: Daffodils, Tulips and Poa Annua Flowers - Oh My!
Although it seems far away, Spring will be here soon. Flowers will emerge and trees will bud. Also the white seedheads will form on the annual bluegrass (poa annua) greens throughout the Northwest. These pesky "flowers" turn the greens into "whites" every Spring creating slower and bumpier putting conditions. Superintendents will employ numerous strategies to minimize the effects of seedheads.
Additional topdressing, double cutting, vertical mowing, application of PGR's (plant growth regulators), morning and evening cutting of greens, and rolling in various combinations will be used to reduce the negative impact on ball roll caused by seedheads. While there can be measurable results with these cultural and chemical practices, most often the end product falls short of the golfer expectations. Luckily, this period of heavy seeding usually only lasts about a month. Before and after the seeding is less dense and less noticeable to the rolling golf ball.
Some golfers may notice that certain courses may seed profusely while others are not. This phenomenon (in most cases) is a result of natural selection within the turf stand population. The more years that greens are maintained under intense programs, the less likely those turf stands are to contain the most "seedy" biotypes of poa annua. There are hundreds of poa annua strains and most are truly annual plants. There are some biotypes that are more perennial in nature, seeding very little. Those are the most desirable strains to have on your greens. Royal Oaks, Green Meadows, Lewis River, Broadmoor and Columbia Edgewater are examples of courses where over time, the most desirable strains have become dominant in the turfstand.
So, why not plant the most desirable strains in the first place? Lack of seed yield. Because the very nature of the desirable strains of poa annua is not to produce seeds, it would take the entire Willamette Valley planted in these strains to produce enough seed to sell at market. Imagine what the price of this seed would cost if it could be produced! So, patience, persistence and time will ultimately be the key factors toward creating more desirable putting surfaces during the Spring seed-producing season.
Remember, the golf course Superintendent hates the seedheads every bit as much as the golfers do!
Although it seems far away, Spring will be here soon. Flowers will emerge and trees will bud. Also the white seedheads will form on the annual bluegrass (poa annua) greens throughout the Northwest. These pesky "flowers" turn the greens into "whites" every Spring creating slower and bumpier putting conditions. Superintendents will employ numerous strategies to minimize the effects of seedheads.
Additional topdressing, double cutting, vertical mowing, application of PGR's (plant growth regulators), morning and evening cutting of greens, and rolling in various combinations will be used to reduce the negative impact on ball roll caused by seedheads. While there can be measurable results with these cultural and chemical practices, most often the end product falls short of the golfer expectations. Luckily, this period of heavy seeding usually only lasts about a month. Before and after the seeding is less dense and less noticeable to the rolling golf ball.
Some golfers may notice that certain courses may seed profusely while others are not. This phenomenon (in most cases) is a result of natural selection within the turf stand population. The more years that greens are maintained under intense programs, the less likely those turf stands are to contain the most "seedy" biotypes of poa annua. There are hundreds of poa annua strains and most are truly annual plants. There are some biotypes that are more perennial in nature, seeding very little. Those are the most desirable strains to have on your greens. Royal Oaks, Green Meadows, Lewis River, Broadmoor and Columbia Edgewater are examples of courses where over time, the most desirable strains have become dominant in the turfstand.
So, why not plant the most desirable strains in the first place? Lack of seed yield. Because the very nature of the desirable strains of poa annua is not to produce seeds, it would take the entire Willamette Valley planted in these strains to produce enough seed to sell at market. Imagine what the price of this seed would cost if it could be produced! So, patience, persistence and time will ultimately be the key factors toward creating more desirable putting surfaces during the Spring seed-producing season.
Remember, the golf course Superintendent hates the seedheads every bit as much as the golfers do!
