This morning we started the week off right by changing pin locations and mowing greens and collars. This time of year, mowing is less about managing growth and geared more toward cleaning and smoothing the putting surface. As long as the weather is warm, we will continue weekly mowing to keep our greens in shape for play. In the coming weeks we will apply a heavy layer of topdressing sand as cold weather sets in. The sand serves as a blanket for the winter, protecting the crown or growing point of the bent grass (and poa) plant from winter desiccation. Desiccation is a concern without snow cover, and to this point we haven't had much in the way of snow and have been irrigating fairly regularly.
Just as snow protects the plant from desiccation, too much snow cover can lead to snow mold, and for that we are planning our second preventative fungicide application this week. For this application we will be applying Instrata and Rhapsody, which should carry us through February. About a month ago we applied Spectro90 which we use for a short term preventative in case of big, early snowstorm. That product has all but worn off, so as soon as the wind dies down we will put out the Instrata/Rhapsody combo that has worked nicely for us that last couple of years in preventing snow mold. As winter sets in fully, we will discuss different forms of snow mold and hopefully continue answering the age-old question, "so what do you guys do in the winter".
