High Qualtiy H2O, well sorta...

Picture at 5am didn't come out very good...

Over the last three years we have taken samples of water both before and after it has been applied to our greens.  We installed what we call our sampling pits on four greens #6, 8, 10 and 16.  These greens were selected primarily because they have one drainage outfall, or one pipe where all the water exits.  It is important to that other drain lines tie in below the point in which we sample, so the results aren't skewed by bunker drainage or trunk lines carrying runoff. 

We installed what is basically a 10" drain basin that extends 2-4' down to the trunk drain line carrying water away from the green.  There is enough room to reach down with a plastic bottle and draw out water running through the basin.  We drilled holes in the bottom of the basin and bedded it with gravel to prevent water from stagnating in the bottom between irrigation cycles.     

We have the ability to test for a variety of things, our primary focus to this point has been on monitoring sodium content of the water, and therefore the sodium content of our soil.  Soil salinity is measured as the salt concentration of the soil solution in terms of g/l or electric conductivity (EC) in dS/m.  Our reclaimed water was quite high in sodium when the system first began operating, but has since dropped down to more manageable levels.  The key in that sentence is manageable, it must be managed regularly with deep flushing, calcium and magnesium applications, and most of all aeration.  Extreme sodium buildup can lead to a variety of soil and turf problems, in short it prevents water and nutrients from "attaching" to soil colloids, thus creating less than optimal growing conditions.

We measure the EC of the water we irrigate with, we then soak greens with up to 2" of water, the next morning we measure the EC of the water exiting the green, which tells us how much sodium we flushed.  This helps in determining how heavy we need to water and when we need to apply gypsum to aide in the "flushing" mentioned above.  We typically water greens only as needed which normally equates to 6-10 days depending on weather.  Many courses employ a similar means of monitoring their sodium levels, so this isn't anything new, just another way to better manage our facility.       

That Smell???

That smell you may encounter today is the result of an application of DPW or dried poultry waste to our Tees and Approaches.  Even though the product we use from Earthworks contains some other choice ingredients including Ammonium Sulfate, a product we employ quite often and Methylene Urea, which is an uncoated version of slow release fertilizer, we still prefer to call it DPW.  Over the last few years we have made the move towards organic products.  As we attempt to strengthen our microbial populations with compost/compost tea applications, we are applying products that compliment and create synergies amongst our fertility programs. 

Ammonium Sulfate provides a quick shot of Nitrogen, while the Urea and DPW work more slowly.  This is a product we use very often, it's cheap, available in liquid or granular and oh did I mention it's cheap?? 

Without getting too technical (or over my skis);    DPW provides carbon rich organic matter to soil microbes which in turn release nutrients available to the grass plant.  So in reality it's feeding the soil moreso than feeding the plant directly, which is environmentally responsible and far more sustainable than merely applying a completely synthetic product.  

Methylene Urea is a different sort of animal involving a reaction between urea and formaldahyde, but also requires the "assistance" of soil microbes.  The reaction creates a polymer chain molecule, the length of which dictates how long its release will last.  It must be dissolved first, broken down by microbes or hydrolysis (secondary means), and finally depending on the length, mineralization takes place and the nutrients become available to the plant.  Whew!

With an analysis of 10-2-5, we put down about 5lbs of DPW per 1000 sq ft this morning so the smell while a little strong, should go away over the next few days.  Any questions about DPW, please contact your local chicken farm...  

    

Rain and more rain

In the last two weeks we have received 4.16" of moisture at the golf course.  The rain is a huge blessing, especially when you consider how dry this past winter was.  The course is completely saturated and is extremely soft, so carts have been restricted to the cart path for all players and likely will be for a least another day or two.  Compaction is amplified when soils are saturated and permanent damage to soil structure occurs when carts or equipment drive through saturated soils.  Soil make-up contains organic and mineral matter (50%) with equal parts of water and air (25% each).  When a soil is beyond field capacity (saturated) air space is lost to make room for water, which results in a very delicate state where damage is inevitable. 

We have been able to do a minimal amount of mowing the last week, so you could say we are behind on a lot of our daily maintenance.  The weather for the next few days looks to be improving with sun forecasted until early next week.  This means optimal conditions for rapid growth and by the time Monday rolls around, the course will be shaggy to say the least.  We will do our best to get the growth under control quickly and keep the course in tip-top shape.  Please pay extra attention to cart signage and course rules as the course will be soft for some time to come.