Most of Novembers conversations have just been about checking in with people to make sure they're OK. The implications of Novembers lockdowns have been different for all of us, many have used the opportunity to do much needed invasive work such as aeration or drainage, all courses have welcomed the break from golfers from a wear perspective but many are desperately in need of some green fee incomes.
Now more than ever it's time to check in on our friends and colleagues and just ask are you OK?
Overseeding - Shall I / Shan't I?
At the beginning of this lockdown several people asked if I thought they should overseed greens given the break in play and opportunity to relax cutting heights?
Well honestly - I said, I wouldn't - I just didn't think the temperatures would hang on long enough to take the risk.
I was wrong!
Climate change
The mild November got me and a few others thinking - what is the climate doing these days - November feels like it's getting warmer but is it? I pulled this data off to answer one customers question.
It shows temperatures from 1984 to now and shows that the highest temperature we get in November and the lowest temperature in November.
These aren't moving much. But when you look at the average temp you can see that is increasing at a scary rate. I reckon around 2 degrees C in the last 25 years.
This means that although we still see the same low temps we're sitting warmer for longer. A worrying thought.
Periods of growth later into the year, more disease pressure and the big one - more worm casting.
My dew control product doesn't last long!
We don't sell any dew control products so I have no agenda here, during these Autumn period, when temperatures are in that perfect Microdochium range, moisture becomes a huge driver for disease.
Breaking that moisture cycle is a great way to reduce disease pressure which will help improve putting surfaces, reduce fungicide usage and / or give you better results.
Just because you only get a few days out of them that doesn't mean it wasn't useful. These products are coating the leaf and rolling moisture off.
So whilst you still may need to run a dew brush over your greens the benefits of them is still there. The fact that dew is rolling off the leaf means it's tougher for the disease to spread it's hyphae out to infect the next plant through the static dew that would probably be there otherwise.
It's impossible to have no leaf moisture, guttation will still be taking place and the air will still release moisture at the dew point, it's just what speed will it roll off.
Yes they are more effective on day 1 than day 5 but that doesn't mean they're not doing a job for you on day 7.
If I were managing a course again now, even if I had a dew control product down I think I'd still commit some time to removing dew. From a disease reduction point of view - the more aggressively the better - Rolling, brushing all good - however you need to recognise the wear being imparted. The physical disruption of the fungal hyphae all helps slow it's progress.
How did the PestTracker data look?
Lots of Data this year - take a look at the dashboard and see what you make of it. PestTracker dashboard........
Happy birthday Jim
Of course we celebrated Jim Arthurs 100th birthday - Heres my thoughts on some of his views on managing Fuz Blog here............
Fingers crossed for a good December with some great playing surfaces for some golfers who will be desperate to get back out in December!