6
❘
THE DIVOT
❘
AUGUST 2019
●
FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
K
eeping the greens in
top condition over the
summer requires a lot of
care and attention. With
the buildup of salts and the lack of
rain during this time of year, the
greens need to be leached on a
monthly basis.
Once completed, you should ex-
pect softer greens and surrounds
and slower putting surfaces for a
few days. This is a small price to
pay to keep our greens healthy. Within a
few days, everything will firm back up and
the Stimp speed will increase.
So why is leaching necessary?
When there is enough rain, salts are
rarely a problem. This is because rain helps
to leach, or wash away, the salts that accu-
mulate near the soil surface. Rain pushes
salts down into the soil, beneath the area
where plant roots grow. But during periods
of low rainfall like we are currently experi-
encing, this natural leaching does not
occur, and salts build up.
Salts hurt turf in three different ways.
>
The most important of these is known
as physiological drought. When this occurs,
the plant can't get water from the soil, even
when the soil is moist. This is because salts
in the soil literally suck water away from the
plant roots. The effect can be devastating,
particularly to salt-sensitive turf such as an-
nual bluegrass (our greens) and bentgrass.
> Secondly, accumulation of sodium
salts in the soil damages the structure of
the soil itself. This can result in poor
drainage, low soil oxygen and poor water
infiltration – all of which result in even
more stress to the turf.
> Finally, salt stress on turf makes it
more susceptible to diseases, weeds and
insects. The key is to keep turf healthy by
avoiding the build-up of soil salts before
damage to turf occurs. And the best way
to avoid salt build-up is to implement a
leaching program.
During this leaching process, a few
inches of irrigation water is required in an
eight-hour period to drive salts below the
root zone. This is why greens and sur-
rounds can be soggy and soft following
leaching. But the benefits are enormous.
When done on a preventative basis –
before turf damage due to salts is serious –
turf and soil will become healthier, pest
damage will decrease, and greens will re-
main green. It's just that simple.
HANDLED
WITH CARE
■ THE LEACHING PROCESS HELPS KEEP
THE GREENS HEALTHY DURING SUMMER
BY MATTHEW MARSH, SUPERINTENDENT
"The key
is to keep
turf healthy
by avoiding
the build-up
of soil salts
before
damage to
turf occurs."
– MATTHEW
MARSH,
Golf Course
Superintendent
Leaching during the summer helps
keep the putting greens in top shape.
