If you happen to be keeping score, we've been winning the Poa annua seedhead battle over the last eight years. As you know, our greens are comprised primarily of Poa annua. This grass type has two major limitations: it has poor heat tolerance and it is a prolific seed producer. The seeding of the Poa annua in the spring can be a playability issue
due to the bumpiness and slower speeds caused by the seedheads.
Seedhead suppression is a complicated endeavor due to numerous Poa annua biotypes and environmental factors that affect seedhead production each year. We have been extremely successful over the last eight years of suppressing the seedheads with properly timed applications of growth regulators throughout the spring. The applications do not eliminate the seedheads, but they do suppress them and keep them low enough in the turf canopy not to affect ball roll.
Below is a photo from an untreated check plot on #17 green. As you can see in the photo, the seedheads are exploding in the area that did not receive any regulation. The leaf texture is also much wider and much more coarse. If we did not treat for seedhead suppression, the entire green would look like the check plot in the photo.
I'm proud of the playability and greens speed we have been able to produce in the spring despite the Poa seedheads. I look forward to continuing to win the battle and produce a consistent product we can be proud of.
due to the bumpiness and slower speeds caused by the seedheads.
Seedhead suppression is a complicated endeavor due to numerous Poa annua biotypes and environmental factors that affect seedhead production each year. We have been extremely successful over the last eight years of suppressing the seedheads with properly timed applications of growth regulators throughout the spring. The applications do not eliminate the seedheads, but they do suppress them and keep them low enough in the turf canopy not to affect ball roll.
Below is a photo from an untreated check plot on #17 green. As you can see in the photo, the seedheads are exploding in the area that did not receive any regulation. The leaf texture is also much wider and much more coarse. If we did not treat for seedhead suppression, the entire green would look like the check plot in the photo.
 |
| poa seedheads quite evident in untreated area inside the white dots |
I'm proud of the playability and greens speed we have been able to produce in the spring despite the Poa seedheads. I look forward to continuing to win the battle and produce a consistent product we can be proud of.