Last week we did our final chemical application on greens for the year. The main target of this application is a disease called Snow Mold. Snow Mold is a fungus that strives during the cold, winter months and takes advantage of weakened turf plants while temperatures are low and also when there is persistent snow coverage. The turf is weak this time of year because it has used up all of it carbohydrate reserves and energy to try to stay green and healthy before going dormant for the winter.
Snow mold can affect all types of turf in our region but Creeping bentgrass and Annual Bluegrass, Poa, are most susceptible. Since the primary turf type on our playing surfaces in Creeping bentgrass this is a disease that we do need to be cautious of and try to prevent. A big component that brings about this disease is periods of elongated snow coverage, 20+ days in a row, which we don't typically have every year but there is always a chance that we can get a huge snow storm that brings about that type of snow. This is why every year it is in our chemical program to treat greens sometime after Thanksgiving for snow mold.
Infected turf from this disease is typically collapsed and has visible mold on it. Also the diameter of these rings range anywhere from 6 inches to 18 inches to even a yard wide in extreme cases.
No comments:
Post a Comment