GREENKEEPER BLOG
Don’t Let the Tail Wag the Dog
Many factors influence turfgrass growth rate. Some are beyond the manager's control while others are frequently manipulated through normal management. Environmental factors including the recent weather and soil conditions, turfgrass genetics, traffic levels and even...
Invest in Yourself & Your Staff this Off-Season
Labor shortages continue to be a major threat to the turf management industry. Field managers, golf course superintendents, and LCOs from around the country have struggled to find and retain qualified turfgrass professionals at all levels. Many managers have to...
Moving Beyond PGR GDD Intervals
For nearly 15 years, Dr. Doug Soldat and I have been creating growing degree day (GDD) models for plant growth regulators (PGRs) and now DMI fungicides. These sinewave shaped models predict how these routinely applied products affect the relative growth rate of...
Be Careful with Fall Growth Regulation
Fall weather is coming, and that should bring changes to your plant growth regulator applications. For over a decade, we've known that PGRs - and even DMI fungicides - produce longer growth suppression during cooler weather. This is why we use growing degree day (GDD)...
Application Summary Aids EOP Planning
Early fall can be a stressful time of year for golf course superintendents and field managers. Staffing levels start to decline as students head back to school, the summer stress doesn't seem to end, and Early Order Programs for pest control products, wetting agents...
Mixing PGRs can transform your putting greens
Doug Soldat and I have been developing PGR growing degree day (GDD) models since 2008. These models have helped turfgrass managers understand how clipping yield - a.k.a. ClipVol - is affected by a single PGR application. They also provide golf course superintendents,...