Poa Annua Root Systems

Poa annua's Achilles heel has always been its shallow roots.  This year has been particularly hard on the root system due to the record setting amount of rain we had in the spring (constant saturation of the soil depletes oxygen levels which allows for little root growth).  Spring is the optimum time for turf growth, and the plants need to develop a deep enough system to survive the summer months.  Contrary to the heavy precipitation we received in April and May, this summer has seen precious little rain events and many days breaching 90 degrees.  This all adds up to a stressed out plant. 



Fairway Profile Sample

As we enter the end of summer, the plants themselves have a significantly reduced root system and will need to be maintained carefully.  Our irrigation has to be frequent and light, in order to keep the shallow .25"-.5"  rootzone moist.  This will interfere with play, in respects to softer playing surfaces and sprinkler head syringing, and we hope the golfers will bear with us through this difficult time.  Along with being an annoyance to members, the constant moisture in the soil allows for higher diseases pressure in regards to fungal pathogens.  Pythium and anthracnose are two diseases that can cause significant turf loss and thrive in saturated conditions.  To combat outbreaks, we will have to remain diligent with our fungicide applications. 

Disease outbreaks are only one of the problems we face when dealing with shallow root systems.  Traffic (or wear on the plants) becomes a major concern, especially at the end of summer with busy tee-sheets.  Carts and even walkers can significantly damage fairways, tee's and greens.  To avoid putting excess stress on the turf we have raised the height of cut on fairways (from .5" to .7").  In addition, fairways 5, the bottom of 12 and the hill on 14 are being mowed with triplexes.  The lighter weight of these machines should save us additional wear and tear on these highly susceptible areas. 
On average the weather begins to turn in turfs favor towards the end of August.  If we can get by the next couple weeks, the cooler temperatures of Fall will allow us to perform maintenance practices that will encourage root growth.  Aerification is a great way to introduce air into the root zone and we should see a substantial root increase.  Fall is also an excellent time to grow grass and we plan to overseed damaged areas on fairways with Pennlinks Bentgrass.  The coming weeks will definetly be a test of our irrigation and cultural practices but cooler temperatures and heads will prevail.