AUGUST 1984 M I C H I G A N A PATCH Official Publication of the Michigan & Border Cities Golf Course Superintendents Association MICHIGAN & BORDER CITIES GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION P R E S ID E N T MICHAEL EDGERTON Meadowbrook Country Club 3066 Sesame Howell, Michigan 48843 Off. 349-3608 - Res. (517) 546-5927 V IC E P R E S ID E N T KEVIN DUSHANE,CGCS Bloomfield H ills Country Club 159 Willards Way Union Lake, Michigan 48085 Off. 642-0707 - Res. 698-2924 S E C R E T A R Y -T R E A S U R E R THOMAS MASON, JR. Birmingham Country Club 3640 Oriole Rd. Troy, Michigan 48084 Off. 644-6320 - Res. 362-3201 BO AR D OF D IR E C TO R S CLEM Detroit Golf Club 530 Kendry Bloomfield H ills, Michigan 48013 Off. 345-4589 - Res. 334-0140 Y/OLFROM KEN DEBUSSCHER Wabeek Country Club 33128 Richard 0. Drive Sterling Heights, Michigan 48077 Off. 851-1689 - Res. 268-4423 CHARLES GAIGE L akelands Golf & Country Club 7390 Rickett Brighton, Michigan 48116 Off. 231-3003 - Res. 227-4617 CRAIG ROGGEMAN St. Clair Shores Country Club 22185 Masonic Blvd. St. Clair Shores, Michigan 48082 Off. 294-6170 - Res. 774-1394 DANIEL UZELAC Dominion Golf Club RR No. 1 Oldcastle, Ontario, Canada NOR 1LO Off. (519) 969-4350 - Res. (519) 969-4350 ED HEIN EM AN, C.G.C.S. Waters Edge Country Club 10531 Bellevue Grosse lie, Michigan 48138 Off. 675-0927 - Res. 753-4188 P R E S ID E N T E M E R IT U S BRUCE WOLFROM, CGCS Barton H ills Country Club 435 Stein Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103 Off. 662-8359 - Res. 663-9213 MA PATCH OF GREEN” P u b l i s h e d m o n t h l y by the MICHIGAN AND BORDER CITIES GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION Circulation: 1,250 Ted Woehrle, CGCS, Oakland Hills C.C. EDITOR P r i n t e d A t BLAKEMAN PRINTING COMPANY 31823 Utica Road Fraser, Michigan 48026 Phone: (313) 293-3540 M O N T H L Y A D V E R T IS IN G R A TE S D o u b le P a g e S p r e a d ..............................................$ 1 5 0 .0 0 B a c k O u t s i d e P a g e .................................................. 7 5 . 0 0 F ul I P a g e ........................................................................... 6 5 . 0 0 H a l f P a g e ........................................................................ 4 0 . 0 0 Q u a r t e r P a g e .................................................................. 3 0 . 0 0 E ig h t h P a g e ................................................................... 1 5 . 0 0 S i x t e e n t h P a g e ............................................................. 1 0 . 0 0 C l a s s i f i e d A d ( p e r c o l u m n 7 . 5 0 i n c h ) .................... D I S C O U N T R A T E : O n e Y e a r 10% N o t e : A d v e r t i s i n g f e e s m a y n o t be d e d u c t e d fro m t h e a b o v e r a t e s . r t d v e n t iw u - • • Armstrong Law n & Tree, Inc. Century R ain -A id G o lf C ar D istributors H i T eck Enterprises Ideal Mower S ales, Inc. Law n Equipm ent Corporation L esco, Inc. Lebanon C hem ical Corporation W. F . M ille r Garden & Equipm ent Oxford P e a t Company Rhone-Poulenc Wm. F . Sell 8i Son, Inc. 0 . M. Scott & Sons T ire W holesalers, Inc. T u rf G rass, Inc. T u rf Supplies, Inc. USS A gri-C hem icals W ilkie T u rf Equipm ent D iv is io n , Inc. 2 TO RO S p rin kler Problem s? If your 650,670,690 cause problems like... D O N U T S • N O T E N O U G H D IS T A N C E • L E A K S E X P E N S IV E R E P A IR S Pick your Worst Problem area and try Gearshifter for 30 days If not Fully Satisfied return for Full Refund. LOW INTRODUCTORY PRICES < B uckner® GEARSHIFTER — Install in Minutes without Disturbing Case FULL LINE of Buckner PRODUCTS and PARTS . . . ...a :'V'' m. jM jpj* | | | 1 id | .-- 0 1 1 1 ' ’ 'i/iji; ij/jj,| I P i i l m t f i T — - QUICK COUPLER VALVES AND KEYS IMPACT SPRINKLERS BRONZE ROTARY PO P-UP VALVES m U T U T n a m a iD iy Sisco T u rf Jim Vince (313) 398-9552 Jim Sage (616) 452-3373 Bob Neumaier (313) 588-2992 Ben Taliaferro (313) 588-2922 Jon Rittman (313) 358-2994 3 But if you treat your turf with Chipco* RONSTAR* G herbicide, it makes no difference. RONSTAR gives excellent control of both, season-long... and it’s convenient to use, because there’s no leaching prob­ lem, no root pruning, and no problems with ornamental plantings. So, for the best control of grassy weeds, use RONSTAR. Rhone- Poulenc Inc., Agrochemical Division, Monmouth Junction, NJ 0885a ( > „rRHONE POULENC Please read label carefully, and use only as directed 4 caused by damage to the cambium, and these branches should be pruned out as they die. (Excerpt from Purdue University, Plant Diseases No. 5)--C. STEPHENS, BOTANY 7 PLANT PATHOLOGY FRIT FLY TO BE STUDIED IN OHIO The frit fly, Oscinella frit (L.), is a small black fly often present in large numbers on golf courses and seen by golfers when it lands on white clothing or golf balls. Recognized as a nuisance to golfers, the frit fly larvae can and do cause damage to turfgrass, especially greens, collars, and aprons. Adults lay eggs that hatch into small maggots which tunnel into grass stems to feed on growing tissues. Little is known about the insect; in fact, it has never been studied on turfgrasses in the U.S. Research is currently underway to study the biology, seasonal life history and distribution of this pest on golf course turf. The work is being conducted by Mike Tolley, Ohio State University Ph. D. graduate student, under the guidance of Dr. Harry D. Niemczyk, Professor of Turfgrass Entomology at OSU’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Develop­ ment Center, Wooster. The project is being supported, in part by the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation. L E S C f for all your golf course needs. • Lescosan* • Sulfur-Coated Fertilizers • Chemicals • Seed • Equipment • Accessories *Betasan — A registered trademark of Stauffer Chemical Company. L E S C f Inc. 20005 Lake Road Rocky River, Ohio 44116 (800) 362-7413 In Ohio Moving Trees up to 14” Trunk Diameter CALL FOR ESTIMATE (313) 229-4657 COLD INJURY COLD INJURY BECOMING MORE APPARENT--AS we continue into the summer months it is evident that many of the less cold-hardy plants suffered extreme winter kill from the 15 degrees F. to 25 degrees F. temperatures ex­ perienced this past December. Pyra- cantha, contoneaster, holly, rhododen­ dron, ornamental peach and cherry- and the list goes on-are showing exten­ sive injury. Symptoms vary, depending on the degree of injury. The more common cold injury symptoms include: a) dead plants; b) partially dead plants; c) individual dead stems; d) delayed leafing out; e) new growth suddenly wilting and dying with the onset of hot weather. This last symptom is likely to become very common in the next few months. (Excerpt from Purdue Univer­ sity, Plant Diseases No. 5) —C. STEPHENS, BOTANY 7 PLANT PATHOLOGY CORRECTING COLD INJURY DAMAGE-If your plants suf­ fered from winter injury, the following steps will reduce permanent damage to the plants involved: 1) Prune only the obviously dead or damaged branches. 2) Fertilize the damaged trees or shrubs with a complete fertilizer, such as 10-6- 4. The fertilizer can be spread on the ground surface under the area where the branches extend (drip line) in the early spring so the rains will wash it into the root zone. 3) Winter-damaged trees and shrubs should be watered during dry weather thoroughly with a sprinkler, or use a root lance for deep watering. 4) Branch die-back may occur after growth starts in the spring. This is Hi TECK Enterprises (800) 321-5325 Nationwide LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR Mechanical Tree Transplanters 5 Poa Annua Management or Control: The Superintentendent's Dilemma MR. STANLEY J. ZONTEK Director NORTH-CENTRAL USGA GREEN SECTION CRYSTAL LAKE, ILLINOIS One of the most difficult decisions facing the golf course Superintendent in the more Northern cool, humid parts of the country is . . . do you fight Poa annua or do you live with it? As early as 1948, Dr. Fred Grau, then the Na­ tional Director of the USGA Green Section, published an article entitled, “Poa annual-Friend or Foe” Even then annual bluegrass was recognized as a type of grass that, when it is alive and growing, can be a true friend but, in the tradition of Jekyll and Hyde, when it dies, it can become an enemy. The reason for this Love/Hate relation­ ship is fairly easy to understand. Poa annua, but its very nature is basically a winter annual plant. That is, its seeds which are produced in the spring germi­ nate in the fall and the new seedlings rapidly develop into a mature grass plant. Going dormant over winter an­ nual bluegrass breaks dormancy early in the spring and later develops the profusion of seedheads that completes the life cycle for this type of plant. Thus, physiologically, after the seed- head production period Poa annua had completed its life cycle and is ready to die come the heat and humidity of the summer season. Winter annual plants like Poa annua simply do not tolerate heat stress very well. However, today’s golf course superin­ tendent by using a combination of management practices including proper irrigation, fertility management, pesti­ cides, proper mowing procedures, soil cultivation to relieve compaction, etc., can more or less successfully help the Poa annua plant to survive the summer season making a winter annual plant into a biennial. As long as weather is moderate during the summer, a Poa annua maintenance program can be relatively successful. All of this is well and good except for two basic weaknesses of annual blue­ grass. They are, this grass’ general inability to tolerate heat or cold weather stresses. Poa annua is the first of our major cool season grass species to winterkill. It also exhibits poor tolerance to summer heat stress. Therefore, the golf course superintendent in this part of the country is faced with several hard realities when he must deal with CONTINUED PAGE 8 Tire Wholesalers Company, Inc. 19240 W «*t Eight M O* Southfield. Mich. 40075 Phone: (313) 354 5644 TRUCK CAR TRAILER M O TO RCYCLE INDUSTRIAL TIRES A umiroyiu:mnSy LAWN & G A R D EN E Q U IP M E N T T IR E S 6 'For Land's Sake-'Use Peat'' OXFORD F E W CO. 1430 E. Drahner Rd. Oxford, Michigan 48051 PROCESSED PEAT Top Dressing Blends Custom Blending FREDLATTA 313/628-5991 MOWER SALES, INC FOR A DEMONSTRATION ON YOUR TURF, CALL ED STESNEY, TURF MANAGER. 811 WOODWARD HTS., FERNDALE, Ml 48220 (313) 541-4200 (313) 541-4660 7 Super Dilemma, cont. Poa annua They are: A) Poa annua is extremely prolific and aggressive so, if it is not already, it can soon become the principal type of grass especially on the fairways that the golf couse superintendent has and therefore must either manage or work towards controlling. High Poa annua populations in a turf stand can be an inherited problem and a good case can be made to “live” with Poa annua especially if it already predominates in a turf stand. B) Until recently, there never really was an totally effective, inexpensive or entirely controllable means of Poa annua control. There still may not be any program that meets all of the above criterial, but even a few years ago, Poa annua control on large acreages of turf was not all that practical. Realistically, then, there truly was no effective means of Poa annua control and many good turf managers have had no choice but to live with Poa annua in the absence of an effective control program. C) By accepting the reality that the majority of the low cut, in play turf on the golf course is Poa annua the golf course superintendent faces the real possibility of loosing all or part of this annual bluegrass turf either through winterkill or loss during unusually hot summers like the record breaking summer of 1983. Other factors such as water restrictions, irrigation pump fail­ ures (which are of lessor concern on permanent grass golf courses), now become critical factors in the suvivability of Poa annua on that golf course during the summer stress period. Unfortunately, even the most competent golf course superintendent has no real control over such factors as a record breaking heat wave, extended dry spells, pump or irrigation well failures, local restrictions on water usage, winter in­ jury from desiccation, ice damage, crown hydration, etc ... all the factors that can contribut to Poa annua turf loss, often regardless of the efforts of the golf course superintendent, his crew, budget of the golf course or all the other work that was done to help keep Poa annua alive. When conditions “right”, Poa annua can die. It is a hard fact that Poa annua does not tolerate extremely hot or cold tem­ peratures. When these extreme tem­ peratures arise, especially during ex­ tended periods of time, Poa annua Scotts most successful product is not available for s a le - only for advice and support... your ProTurf Tech Rep. ProTurf. JIM BOGART Executive Technical Representative ProTurf Division O.M. SCOTT 8t SONS DAVID SAPP Technical Representative ProTurf Division O.M. SCOTT & SONS 66 G ilb ralte r Road Rockford, M ichigan 49341 Telephone: 616/866-9389 28319 Seven Oaks Farmington H ills , M ichigan 48018 Telephone: 313/553-0095 8 can and will be killed... sometimes you can’t do much to prevent or avoid it. This is where the golf course superin­ tendent with a lot of Poa annua on his golf course wishes he didn’t have it! D) The vast majority of golfers don’t know and most probably don’t care what type of grass is being grown on that golf course. They only know that when the turf is green, it must be alive and all is well with the golf course superintendent and his turf manage­ ment program. On the other hand, if some Poa annua is lost and the grass is dead and brown, then something must be wrong with either the grass or the care that the grass has received. This may be over simplistic a bit, but one reality is that the golf course super­ intendent is responsible for the turf quality on the golf course and if that quality isn’t good, then the average golfer wants to know why and, if there is a problem, how to best control it. PRO ANNUA CONTROL Summer just like the one just exper­ ienced where substantial losses of pre­ dominant Poa annua turf occurred renews the debate of Poa annua main­ tenance or control. Do you live with it or do you try and control it? It is interesting that you almost never hear this question following a good year with littel or no Poa annua turf loss. Stres­ sful years, be it winter injury or a hot summer, brings on the debate. Fortunately, for the first time in some years, the golf course superintendent has some workable alternatives to either maintain or control annual bluegrass. New techniques, chemicals and equip­ ment which will be discussed later in these proceedings are now available to give the golf course superintendent and his membership some relatively clear cut choices to make on whether or not to live with all of the strengths and weaknesses of Poa annua or to begin programs to suppress and hopefully eventually control Poa annua from large turf areas, including and especially on fairways. These new control programs center around some new growth regulating materials like Rubigan (a combination fungicide/herbicide), EL-500 (a growth regulator to be marketed as Cutlass) CONTINUED PAGE 13 D I S T R I B U T O R S A d iv is io n o f A n d ers on S a le s & S e rv ic e , Inc. FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS THE AREA’S BEST FULL-SERVICE CUSHMAN DEALER SALES*SERVICE*PARTS*LEASING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT AT THE RIGHT PRICE 1980 W. WIDETRACK PONTIAC, MICHIGAN 48058 Sales 8t Leasing Service 8i Parts 338-1590 338-0425 9 Plant a fairway. O verseed with winter rye. Fertilze a green .V T 3 takes care of the watering. Autom atically. We gave Toro VT3 a green thumb. For example, if the seed gets dry when you're planting a new area or overseeding an old one, you’ll have to start over again. That’s one reason we gave the VT3 central programmer up to 30 random start times per day. You can use half a dozen or so on that new seed and have plenty left over for the rest of the course. Or say you're feeding greens and need watering to flush the fertilizer off the grass and into the roots. You can punch in the new running times and schedules you need on up to six stations. Then, when the job is done, VT3 goes back to normal operation. Automatically. What's more, any Toro VT3 satellite will operate on its own — independent of the central programmer — when you want it to. That way you can take control of a temporary localized irrigation need right on the spot. A weather eye on the system and an eye on the weather. VT3 always keeps you posted on what's going on. For example, digital displays give you the next start time all the time. Even if it's next week. And while you keep an eye on the system, VT3 is watching the weather. If it rains enough to water the course, it shuts itself off and waits for you to push the reset button. A single wire is par for the course. VT3 does all these things through a single control wire connecting the central unit with the satellites. So you buy and bury only a sixth of the wire you would use with an ordinary system. That means installation of the VT3 costs a lot less than you might have guessed. You don’t have to be a great golf course to have a great golf course. Give your players fair and honest fairways and fine greens and they’ll forgive you if you're not Augusta National or Pebble Beach. Carefully controlled watering can do a lot toward that end. That’s what VT3 gives you. And thanks to the miracle of modern electronics, it gives it to you at a price that won't put any golf course in the hole. WILKIE 1Urf Equipm ent D ivision, Inc. 1050 OPDYKE ROAD P.O. BOX 749 PONTIAC, MICHIGAN 48056 (313) 373-8800 10 TORO worth more GROUMDSMASTER 72' Durability, versatility and top performance features make the Groundsmaster 72® worth more. WILKIE I W f Equipme nt Division, Inc, 1050 OpdykeRoad • P.0. Box 7 49• Pontiac • Michigan • 48056 • 313/373-8800 TREE TRANSPLANTING LARGE TREES UP TO 11" DIAMETER ARMSTRONG L A W N A N D Your Evergreens should be moved now 44275 Whithorn Sterling Heights, Michigan 48078 With 27 field-proven formulas w e may have more solutions than you have problems. Distributed by: LAWN EQUIPMENT CORPORATION 46845 W. 12 MILE ROAD NOVI, MICH. 48050 ;t P.O. BOX 500 SERVING ALL OF MICHIGAN! (313) 348-8110 731-5550 264-8803 Home:731-2148 the professional's partner' I h e ^ E E S * A n d e r s o n s Lawn Fertilizer Division P.O. Box 119 Maumee, Ohio 43537 Ohio: 800-472-3220 Outside Ohio: 800-537-3870 12 Super Dilemma, cont. and Embark (another growth regulator), plus other new compounds including Prograss. Old materials including the arsenicals are also returning to the market. The pre-emerge herbicides continue to have their place in suppressing Poa annua seed germination. Finally, and perhaps as important as any of the above, is the use of solid management practices in­ cluding good soil aeration, irrigation, fertility, seeding along with some of the before mentioned chemicals and the use of lightweight mowing equipment and clipping removal. This final kpoint is important. Today there is conclusive evidence that the use of lightweight mowing equipment and clipping re­ moval contributes to an increase in permanent grasses especially bentgrass in combination/Poa annua fairways. All of the scientific reasons for this phenomenon are not clearly understood but the fact remains, where golf courses have adopted this program along with a sound overall fairway management program, the population of bent in­ creases and the amount of Poa annua decreases. It is a fact! Therefore, the golf course superin­ tendent and his club officials for the first time in many years has an effective program (it will take some time and money as there are no overnight cures) to suppress and substantially control Poa annua on fairways. Today it is possible to control annual bluegrass with combinations of equipment, clip­ ping removal and management program on fairways along with the use of good management and some of the now or old chemicals on greens . . . also to achieve Poa annua suppression and control. POA ANNUA MAINTENANCE Some of the new management programs to be discussed by our distinguished panelist superintendents deal with Poa annua maintenance. In this part of the country, an excellent case can be made for maintaining and accepting Poa annua as the predominant turfgrass species especially on fairways. Since the publishing in 1978 of Research Report No. 352, ANNUAL BLUE- GRASS (Poa annua L.) Description, Adaptation, Culture and Control, from the Michigan State University Agricultural Experiment Station, East Lansing, Michigan 48823, we now have a much clearer understanding of what Poa annua is along with all of the strengths and weaknesses of this type of grass. Even though Poa annua is grouped together as one species, the research report shows a number of sub-species and generally highlights how much we really didn’t know, but how much we now do better understad the annual bluegrass species. If you don’t have this bulletin, and you are interested in either Poa annua main­ tenance or control, you should acquire it from the above address. It contains a wealth of information on annual blue- grasses never before published. Per­ haps by reviewing this information, the golf course superintendent can adjust his management program to accent its strengths and work towards minimizing Poa annua’s weaknesses. Some of these programs to help main­ tain Poa annua include: A) A good soil aeration and cultivation program. Poa annua or any other grass species does not grow well in compacted soil. Its rooting systems are restricted by this tight soil. Therefore, good soil aeration allows for a deeper and more fibrous rooting system and this generally makes for stronger grass plants regardless of the species and a better all around environment for the stronger and healthier growth of the grass plant. Programwise, depending upon the soil type and amount of compaction present, two to four aerations per year may be in order. It is also interesting to note that we are now seeing more and more golf course superintendents using putting green aerators on their fairways. These machines seem to punch more and deeper holes besides bringing up more soil which acts as a topdressing. This operation is extremely slow and labor­ ious, but the results to date have been excellent. Finally, soil cultivation especially early in the fall during this peak seed germin­ ation time for Poa annua can help to stimulate seed germination to fill-in any voids resulting from the summer season and to generally rejuvenate the CONTINUED PAGE 15 13 SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER NOW FOR RETIREMENT 1. At what age should I retire? 2. Will I need a part time job to supplement my income? 3. How much income do I need per month? 4. What will Social Security be when I retire? 5. Am I willing to scale down my life style to less income? 6. How is my health? Do I need a good long term fitness program? 7. Do I have enough insurance? Will my family be well taken care of or will they be burdened if something should happen to me? 8. Do I have a will? How often should I update it? 9. Where do I want to live when I retire? 10. How often would I see my children and grandchildren if I moved away? 11. Can I make the adjustment from a heavy and stressed work life to a care free retirement? 12. What kind of hobbies and interests do I have to occupy my time? 13. Does my wife share in my interests? Do I want her to? 14. Will I drive my wife crazy being retired? 15. When I retire, should I see to it that my wife is retired too? 16. Would I like to start a business of my own? 17. could I get a part time job, mowing rough, gardening etc.? 18. Would my wife and I like to travel? Where would we go? 19. Do I want to retire, when I’m eligible? 20. Have I learned anything from others who have retired, whether it be right or wrong? 21. Do I have the discipline to live a long and constructive retirement? Agri-Chemicals Division of United States Steel P O. Box 1685. Atlanta. GA 30301 14 Super Dilemma, cont. stand of grass. Thus, to encourage Poa annua, it is advisable to aerate, slice and to cultivate the supper soil layer early in the fall. B) A good irrigation program. Such things as withholding irrigation early in the spring in order to encourage a deeper rooting system is always a good idea. Then, once irrigation does begin, try and apply light and more frequent applications of water never flooding or over saturating the soil (this can shorten the roots). Then, when air temperatures rise above 83°-85° F or when the first moderate wilt appears, begin lightly syringing the grass. The key here is to apply just enough water to cool the leaves of the grass plant. One to turns of the sprinkler head should do it. In reality, there really is no reason to apply any more water during a syringe. It is a cooling operation. Obviously, an automatic irrigation system with a good syringe cycle is an indespensible tool to have available when you are attempt­ ing to keep Poa annua alive during the summer stress season. It should be stressed that good water control must be exercised, never under irrigating nor over irrigating the turf. They both are equally as bad. C) A good fertility program. One of the natural tendencies of Poa annua is to develop an extensive rooting system in the thatch layer during the summer. These surface or adventitious roots can be the primary water and nutrient absorption sites of the Poa annua plant during the summer stress season when the roots of annual bluegrass are extremely shallow anyway. Realizing this, the golf course superintendent should plan on applying light (1/16th to 1/4 pound) applications of fertilizer periodically during the summer. The key element here is to apply light rates (you don’t want to over stimulate the grass) of fertilizer whether it is a liquid application or a granular fertilizer that has enough bulk (low analysis, high bulk fertilizes like Milroganite are an option) to be effectively spread at these light rates. Also, it seems advantageous to apply more than just nitrogen alone. All the other micro and macro nutrients, especially iron, are also required. The idea is to supply the annual bluegrass plant with just enough plant food to keep it growing at a reasonable rate and to avoid nutrient deficiencies dur- in the time of the year when its rooting system is extremely shallow. One way to observe this is to note the color of the annual bluegrass. If it is a dark green color, then nutrient deficiency is not a problem. If it begins to lose color and becomes a chlorotic yellow/green color, then you know that either nutri­ ents are deficient, the grass plant is under stress or disease is active. A careful summer fertility program thus can help avoid the problem of chlorosis and perhaps can help keep the Poa annua growing stronger and healthier during the summer season which makes it naturally more resistant to diseases as well as other types of stress. D) A good pesticide application prog­ ram. It should go without saying that to help keep the predominantly Poa annua stand of grass alive during the summer, a good chemical application program is required. Insects like the Ataenius Beetle grub, Japanese Beetle grub and for the first time this year, Cutworms and Sod Webworms can and will cause damage to the turf. Fortunately, there are any number of good insecticides to control these prob­ lems both as a quick-kill and also as long residual insecticides. Fungicides also need to be applied to control diseases such as Dollar Spot, Brown Patch, Pythium Blight and An- thracnose when these diseases are active. Remeber, use management practices like aeration, balanced fertility, proper irrigation and a good mowing program to grow a strong grass plant that sould be naturally more resistant to paint diseases . . . but when these diseases are present, then plan on applying the proper pesticides at the correct rate in enough water for good coverage and thus good control. It shousl also be pointed out that some of the newer classes of pesticides like Bayleton, Subdue, Banol, Rubigan, etc. probably work better as preventative materials vs. curatives. Also, as with any good fungicide application program, be sure to alternate materials between system- ics and contacts. This helps to avoid fungal resistance problems besides ap- CONTINUED NEXT PAGE 15 Super Dilemma, cont. plying occasionally a good general biocide. E) A good general management prog­ ram. Remember common sense points such as not cutting during the heat of the day (cut in the early morning or better yet, cut during the late afternoon and evening), correcting drainage prob­ lems, proper mowing heights and using lightweight mowing equipment. This final point needs to be emphasized. It is becoming very clear that heavy mow­ ing equipment, for a variety of reasons, places extra stress on the Poa annua plant. Where lightweight mowing equip­ ment has been used on predominantly Poa annua turf, this annual bluegrass, seems to tolerate the summer heat stress better. This is an observation on this author’s part but during this dif­ ficult summer season, on fairways where lightweight mowers were used, the an­ nual bluegrass held up better and ex­ perienced significantly less turf loss than on fairways at other golf courses where heavier equipment was used. It should be pointed out that when you want to maintain Poa annua, clippings need to be necessarily removed. They can and it is beneficial to remove them, but it is where there is a desire for a conversion from Poa annua to bent fairways that clippings must and should be removed. Solely for Poa annua maintenance, clipping removal is op­ tional. F) Public Relations. As mentioned ear­ lier, the average golfer probably doesn’t know what type of grass there is on the golf course. Therefore, it should follow that it is in the best interest of the golf course superintendent to communicate clearly what is the goal of their golf course management program for specific turf areas including fairway mainten­ ance. This can and perhaps should be written our and understood by the Committee structure within the club. If it is the goal of the club to live with Poa annua, then this should be clearly stated along with the realizaion that there are weaknesses with this type of grass plant and there is the real pos­ sibility that turf can be lost over the winter or during the summer just be­ cause of the genetic weaknesses of CONTINUED NEXT COLUMN 7 ^ Let’s Talk Fungicides! We stock the Proven Best. Tersan 1991. 2#-Ptoven systemic action. Tersan LSR. 3#-Leaf spot & rust control. Tersan S.P.. 3#-Snow mold & Pythium. Daconil 2787. 2#-Very broad spectrum. Daconil 2787 2 Gal.Flowable, liquid. Benomyl Gran. 24#-Dry. spreadable. Chipco .26019. 2tt- Broad spec, systemic. Fore (Dithane). 50#-Leaf spot & Rust cntl. Acti-Dione Thiram, 10#-Brown & Dollar Acti-Dione R.Z.. 1Ott-Anti-biotic Fungicide Acti-Dione TFG, 1#-Water-Sol, Anti-biotic Bayleton 25W, 2#-Fusarium prevent & cure Dyrene Gran.. 10#-Snow mold cntl. & cure KEIM, DAVE, GEOFF & CINDY WOULD LIKE TO TAKE YOUR ORDER 6900 Pardee Rd. Taylor, Ml 48180 (313) 291-1200 16 annual bluegrass and not necessarily due to a poor management program. In my opinion, this is a key point. It should not be the decision of the golf course superintendent alone to live with or attempt to control Poa annua. It must be part of the long range golf course management program and accepted and understood by all parties involved. On the other hand, if after considering all of the pros and cons and there is a desire to control Poa annua and ac­ cepting all that is involved with this type of effort, then this, too, should be a part of the long range goals and plans for the golf course. Thus, in the pure sense of it all, the decision on Poa annua management or control should not be the decision of the superintendent alone. Too much is involved one way or the other. Ob­ viously, the superintendent should have substantial input into this decision be­ cause he is the professional in charge of the turf on the golf course. However, in the end, the decision should be a joint one and then once the commitment has been made for either Poa annua con­ trol or maintenance ... the commitment should be carried through to completion. You just can’t ride the fence when it comes to Poa annua maintenance and control. If you want to maintain it, then you should do everything possible to keep it alive. If you want to discourage it, then you should do everything pos­ sible to encourage the growth of other grasses. In conclusion, for the first time in many years, the golf course superintendent and his course have some viable alter­ natives to either live with or to control Poa annua on the golf course. No program is totally foolproof but in comparison to only a few years ago we as an industry have some a long way in developing program, equipment and chemicals to do a better job of either controlling or living with Poa annua, However, in the final analysis, this decision should be more than the golf course superintendent’s alone. It should not be his dilemma. He can and should have club backing and understanding of what it to be done and a commitment to do it. In this way, Poa annua man­ agement or control becomes the super- CONTINUED NEXT PAGE Professional Turf Products — Homogenous Granulation — High Methylene Ureas (W.I.N.) — Balanced Feeding — Fits Your Budget A valliS le »r F e r tiliz e rs in clu d e : C.C. 18-4-10 C.C. 18-5-9 C.C. 19-4-4/Dureban L et. F ert.+ 1 .5 * O ftenol Sprayeble 33-0-16 LEBANO N CH EM ICA L CORPORATION 1-800-637-2101 P.O. Box 647 DarmBe, I I 61832 V Wm.F.sell & son,inc. SINCE 1923 RENTAL SALES - SERVICE Tractors Equipment * SWEEPERS * LOADERS * TRENCHERS* MOWERS * ROTARY CUTTERS * BACK HOE DIGGERS * BACK FILL BLADES * POST HOLE DIGGERS Complete line ol JOB TAILORED EQUIPMENT / / Q Q Q C l f l H Materiel Handling A Farm Equipment M m O m m m % 3 1 0 0 16555 TELEGRAPH RD. — TAYLOR 1 MILE SOUTH OF EUREKA 17 Roster Additions JEROME M. CYR 30321 W. Huron River Drive Flat Rock, Ml 48134 782-3553 Huron C linton Metro A uthority/Low er Huron 697-9181 DAVE ALDOUS (Mary Jane) 844 Laurier Drive LaSalle, Ontario, Canada N9J 1 N1 734-1737 Dominion G olf Course 969-4350 JIM JOHNSON 844 Noel Drive Mundelein, III 60060 Lakeshore Equipment & Supply Co. 216 333-9250 JIM WARREN 16555 S. Telegraph Taylor, Ml 48180 Wm. F. Sell & Son 282-5100 WILLIAM PALMER (Gail) 700 Leona Ann Arbor, Ml 48103 662-7476 Barton H ills CC 662-8359 RICK MORAN (Maria) 1010 Dixboro Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48105 769-2666 Radrick Farms G olf Course 764-0329 B D F F D A THOMAS SCHALL, JR. (Change) 12644 Pearl Southgate, Ml 48195 Super Dilemma, cont. intendent’s and the club’s dilemma, decision and goal. With what we know today, along with the tools available, Poa annua maintenance control or maintenance is not really a dilemma... it is a choice. Serving you better - ■•U-’ S'-- W ith QUALITY----- M A LLINCKRODT LEWIS FORE PAR CLEARY CLUB CHICOPEE Upjohn FOX VALLEY Chipco d ia m o n d sh a m r o c k Yankee c y c lo n e P B I Gordon Aquatrols Turf grass Products PanaSea SOUTH LYON, MICHIGAN 48178 Phon* Ar.o 313 437-1427 G EN E JOH AN NIN GSM EIER CREDIT: The proceedings of the eighteenth Annual Wisconsin Golf Turf Symposium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October 26-27, 1983 18 HOWARD COMMERCIAL TURF EQUIPMENT COMMERCIAL 60” MOWER The Howard 60” Commercial Mower with forward mounted cutting head affords maximum visibility, non-tracking per­ formance and unparalleled trimming capabilities around and under bushes, chains, guard rails, picnic tables, etc. By having your cutting head out in front, independently attached, you can actually see the mower following the contour of the ground, not the tractor. The Howard Commercial Mower with hydrostatic transmission enables you to set your cutting speed to an infinite range, between the speeds of 0 and 6.2 M.P.H., depending on your m owing conditions. The heavy duty transmission and differential allows for a responsive, yet smdoth, operating forward and reverse action in open or congested areas. The transmission is backed by the strongest warranty in the field. The outstanding versatility of our tractor is evidenced by the attachments which are available. The attachments are quick change and may be run off our live P.T.O. LAWN EQUIPMENT CORPORATION 46845 W. 12 MILE ROAD P.O. BOX 995 NOVI, MICH. 48050 (313) 348-8110 19 Four-wheel drive, four- wheel steering and a low center of gravity are key features of the Jacobsen G-4X4, a 24hp diesel powered machine designed to serve as a mobile power source for rotary and flail mowers, rotary broom and snowthrower, seed and fertilizer spreader and blower. It also has a synchronized eight forward and four reverse speed transmission, four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes and an all weather cab plus front and rear lights. W .F . ]V t i l l e r Eqmpmeiit^Companv 1593 S. WOODWARD AVE. BIRMINGHAM, MICHIGAN 48011 TELEPHONE: (313) 647-7700 " A Patch of Green” 31823 U T I C A R O A D F R A S E R , M IC H IG A N 48026 DEPT, SO IL & CROP SCIENCES TEXAS A & M UNIVERSITY COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS ATTN: DR. JAMRS BEARD 7 7 8 4 0