Fall is Here / Let the Healing Begin

Now that aerification is behind us and we are into the season when we get rain (in a normal year) we expect the course conditions to be very good. For the most part they are, but coming out of summer this year we have thin spots in our rye grass which is not totally surprising when you look at the weather.

The drought has had little effect on rye grass turf color

Rarely if ever just one thing causes a problem when it comes to turf health. There are 3 components that have made for a  difficult summer this year. 1) Irrigation water reduction 2) heat 3) prolonged drought.

All cool season grasses struggle in our heat. Soil testing through the year has shown steadily increasing sodium and chloride levels and that leads to increased stress. Add to that temperatures that favor Bermuda grass and you can guess what is going on with the rye. We had one additional thing to deal with this year and that was a 20% irrigation water reduction.

Overall though this is a time of year to enjoy after the stress of summer has passed. Rains will come our way and grass will recover and thicken up. Every year it is very much the same cycle, it is just that this year has been more difficult with the drought. Seed has been added to the areas that are most in play and additional fertilizers added.



What is the probability of the Bay Area having a normal amount of rainfall this winter? Check out the link to the National Weather Service long range prediction center by clicking here.




Kevin