Homeowners; Annual Flower Warning

Impatiens are an annual flowering plant that thrive in shaded areas, making them a popular addition to homeowner landscapes.  However there have been recent grim reports of a fungal pathogen, downy mildew, spreading throughout several continents that is lethal to impatiens walleriana.  Reports have just started in the United States and homeowners who planted impatiens this spring are encouraged to look for the following symptoms:





Light-gray fuzz on underside of leaf


• Yellowish foliage
• Downward curling leaf
• Distortion of the leaves
• White to light-gray fuzz on the undersides of the leaves
• Emerging leaves that are small or discolored
• Flower buds failing to form
• Stunted Growth

Once downy mildew has infected the host plant there are no treatment options (the new genetic strand of fungus is resistant to current fungicides).  Worse, the disease can harbor in the soil over winter and re-infect planted impatiens the following spring.  Homeowners are recommended to remove the infected plants and any healthy plants that are adjacent.  Other annual ornamentals that tolerate shaded conditions are begonias, new guinea impatiens and coleus.  There are a variety of perennial plants that will perform well too, including hostas, ferns, yellow rocket, astillibe, blue fescue and hakonecloa. 

Course Detailing

New mulch beds around tree's damaged by herbicide have required the majority of the crews efforts over the past month but with those completed, the existing beds now become the focus.  Neatly edged mulch beds speak for themselves from an aesthetics standpoint and the crew hopes to finish the daunting task over the next few weeks.   

Mulch and pine needle beds serve other purposes besides aesthetics as well.  Exposed soil eventually will turn into a plot of weeds so mulch and pine needles act as a deterrent in that effect.  They also protect tree trunks and limbs from mechanical damage, mowing units do not have to get as close.  Damaging bark at the base of a tree is a sure way of shortening that trees life expectancy.  Finally, double shredded hardwood mulch (the mulch utilized by MCC) decomposes over time, adding organic matter to the soil where the majority of the tree roots are located.  Organic matter will retain water and nutrients in the root zone for longer periods of time. 

600 yards of double shredded mulch will be applied to a numerous amount of beds throughout the course.  Along with 2000 bales of pine straw, the course will really shine on completion of this project.  We hope the members will avoid driving through the mulch beds and enjoy the views. 

 

The Heat is on

Michigan is heading into summer with a full head of steam, making golfer etiquette even more important.  In a turfgrass community the first organ to be sacrificed during periods of high temps and drought are the roots.  As roots degrade the plants ability to withstand traffic (i.e. Carts) decreases as well.  Following these simple guidelines will not only help the crew but assist in keeping the golf course as playable and photogenic as possible. 

1. Smooth acceleration and braking when using carts.  Remember, you are driving and walking on a living carpet that has a lower threshold for damage during periods of stress (heat and drought).  Due to minimal root mass any hard acceleration or braking will rip the turf from the soil.
2. Limit carts to cartpaths as much as possible.  Cartpaths are there exclusively for carts, utilizing them would be of extreme benefit to the crew and course as a whole.  Following groups will not pass you if you park on the paths.
3. Do not drive up green banks or park in the surrounds.  The green complexes see a higher degree of traffic than most other areas on the course.  Limiting the amount of stress on these areas to only foot traffic will keep the turf healthy and playable throughout the summer months. 
4. Follow the MCC preferred divot pattern on the range tee.  Re-establishing or growing turf in the heat of summer is difficult to impossible.  The preferred divot pattern effects the least amount of area and gives the grass the best opportunity to regenerate (illustrated in the picture below). 
5. Fix ballmarks.  The majority of members follow this rule consistently but as a reminder always fix your ball mark or voids will appear leading to a decrease in green smoothness. 
6. Remove broken or used tee's when leaving the tee box.  While not directly related to heat stress, the crew has noticed an inordinate amount of tee's left on the tee box.  These can significantly damage the reels used to mow the tee's and we would appreciate member cooperation on this issue. 
7. Do not drive through or park in mulch beds. 

MCC Preferred Divot Pattern





Tree Care Management

Due to herbicide injury on white pines and other conifers, the crew has had to re-think its tree care management plan.  Prior to this season, tree care was limited to the removal of dead limbs and contracted chemical applications when the need was greatest.  However, with over 150 white pines on the course all showing signs of chemical injury a more integrated approach of pest management and tree care is needed.  With input from certified arborists, professors of entomology at Michigan State and Arborjet Plant Health Solutions, a conclusive IPM and health care plan has been put into practice over the past week. 



Much Needed Irrigation



The first step was a simple one, in theory.  Large amounts of water from the irrigation system have been applied to stands of white pines around the course.  These stands are out of the irrigation sprinklers reach so quick couplers have been installed at necessary points to allow watering of these areas.  The past month has shown precious little rain making the need for irrigation even stronger on weakened trees. 

The dry months experienced by Michigan increases the amount of time the irrigation system is used, not only on tree stands but the course in its entirety.  Meadowbrook does not use municipal waters so whatever comes out of the wells is applied to the course.  The results of a water test have shown that the concentration of sodium bicarbonates is well above recommended levels, a definite cause for concern.  Bicarbonates destroy soil structure within the profile, compacting the ground.  Extended periods of no precipitation events will lead to a decrease in turf density, especially on fairways where the soils are namely silts and clay.  An acid injection system installed in the pump house will decrease the pH of the irrigation water, lowering the concentration of sodium bicarbonates. 

Mulch beds are an effective way of decreasing damage done to the tree by mechanical means (mowers and weed whips stripping the bark at the base of the tree).  Members have probably noted the appearance of several new, large mulch and pine needle beds around the course.  These beds cover areas where turf barely clings to life, making the stands more aesthetically pleasing.  Aesthetics is only a secondary benefit though, the main benefit being an alteration of soil types in these stands.  A heavy layer of chipped mulch is applied to the area first.  This large amount of carbon will increase microbial activity in the area, breaking down the mulch and adding organic matter to the soil profile.  Organic matter has excellent soil moisture and nutrient retention, making these more available to the white pines in the area.  Finally, pine straw covers the mulch adding to the aesthetic value and decreasing the weed pressure.  As pine straw decompose it slightly acidifies the soils beneath it, a tough environment for weeds to germinate or grow within.  300 yards of mulch have been applied to various new beds and over 2000 bales of pine straw have been placed on top. 



Devising a Tree IPM Strategy



Trees have feeling too.  Not emotions that people would recognize but they can be "stressed out".  When a tree is injured it gives off a pheromone that insects can sense, making that tree a beacon for insect feeding and habitation.  Numerous white pines on the course have the potential to become hotels for a variety of bark beetles and borers.  Worse, if only one tree in a stand is giving off the pheromone, the insect population attracted to the tree will spread to the other healthy trees around it.  To combat this problem, on the recommendations of our arborist, preventative measures have been taken.  Arborjet Plant Health Solutions sells equipment and chemical products for a means of insecticide application known as tree injection.  Tree injection applies chemicals directly into the vascular system of the tree, limiting the exposure of the harmful insecticide to the applicator and surrounding environment.  It also guarantees that a larger amount of product is taken up by the target tree (more so than a base drench, the alternative that relies heavily on root uptake).  This practice should nullify the amount of damage done by insects to already threatened white pines. 





Tree Injection



Many turf management professionals view trees as a hindrance, even a weed in some cases.  They can make maintaining a healthy stand of turf a nightmare (shade, root competition, leaf and needle drop).  However, with a tree population as old as Meadowbrooks, many of the white pines have stood for over 70 years.  They add a majestic quality to areas of the course and would be sorely missed, by member and crew alike, if it becomes necessary to remove them.  Remember to look up every once and a while, and enjoy.