Turf

Summer 2014

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20 www.westernturfmag.com SUMMER DROUGHT, THE wear and tear of use, approaching dormancy tem- peratures, eye- sore bare patches; whatever the rea- son, all can have adverse effects on your turf. As summer winds down, superintendents, turf managers and groundskeeping crews will look to fall as a period to revital- ize their turf and prepare for winter use patterns. Overseeding is one method often employed by turf managers to help manage their courses and playing fields for optimum performance through the winter months. A long-used method—overseeding is the planting of grass seed directly into existing turf to promote new growth or to swap out seasonal turfs, replac- ing one type of grass with another. Late summer or early fall is the time for over- seeding warm season grasses such as Bermudagrass. Overseeding warm-season grasses can often present turf managers with a hand- ful of challenges including less than opti- mal growing conditions, coupled with the peak tourist season and added pressure in providing vibrant, playable surfaces. In regards to cool-season grasses, fall is also the best time to overseed these grasses, because as their name implies, those grasses grow best when air tem- peratures are between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. It's important to note that while there's a general calendar associat- ed with fall, daily temperature monitoring should ultimately determine when you decide to overseed. Turfgrass needs time to germinate the seeds and seeds need time to mature enough that they can sur- vive the winter. Find out how to improve your turf Overseeding Underperforming? COURSE CARE By Doug Kremer, TerraMax CEO Late summer or early fall is the time for overseeding warm season grasses such as Bermudagrass. Microbial inputs can help increase the population of helpful microorganisms in the living soil. Grant Trenbeath

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