Rob Golembiewski, Ph.D., a turf specialist with Bayer Environmental Science, visited today. Dr. Golembiewski has had a busy spring, making site visits all over the Midwest inspecting winter damage.
He thought our turf looked pretty good considering the soil temperatures have not warmed enough to see any significant recovery. He agreed with my assessment that the plants are 10-14 days behind schedule. And he reiterated traffic should be limited on the greens until the plants begin growing.
Dr. Golembiewski saw some commonalities among our winter injury and other properties he has visited. The worst damage is in areas on the greens that are shaded. Turf that receives limited sunlight, photosynthesizes less; this results in less carbohydrate production and weaker plants. Carbohydrate production and storage are extremely important going into winter. In the fall when the days are already shorter, it is imperative for the plants to maximize what little sunlight there is. Shaded greens do not allow sunlight to be fully utilized. Shade is not the cause of winter damage, but it certainly plays a large role in the process.
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| Dr. Golembiewski identifying problem trees behind #18 green |
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| Dr. Golembiewski inspecting winter injury on #13 green |