The first day of Autumn was September 22. We now have 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. What this means is the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer! The growing season for Bermuda grass is coming to an end and cool season grasses are getting ready to start their cycle.
At this time of the year, soil temperatures start dropping, and as it nears the 70 degrees F mark, germination of Annual blue grass (Poa) is triggered. The trigger of Poa growth is one major reason we at Angeles National do not aerify our Bentgrass greens in the fall. If we were to aerify during the prime growing season for Poa we would open up the turf canopy in our greens, creating a place for poa to germinate and take it's foot hold.
Most golf course in the area have already aerified or they are getting ready to aerify their poa greens. And as you know, this process is very disruptive to golfers but a very much need process for the turf that has been through a long hot summer and now needs to recover by allowing oxygen and nutrients into the root zone so it can start to re-grow the roots it has lost over the summer months.
With respect to course maintenance, we will begin to overseed our tees during the last week in October. This process is non disruptive to play and will give us a nice playing surface for winter months.
Please come on out and enjoy the golf course as we transition into fall.
See you on the course!
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