Well, it appears that Spring has officially sprung, and while the good weather brings mostly positives for our golf course, one negative is the increase of Poa annua germination on our greens. This is a natural occurrence late winter, early spring, and I want to take a moment to explain how we are managing it.
One of the key advantages of maintaining non-overseeded greens is our ability to combat Poa annua chemically. The herbicides that effectively control this invasive grass weed also kills the grasses used for overseeding a green, making chemical control much more challenging on overseeded greens. However, while we have more flexibility in treating the greens, we must still be careful with chemical applications to avoid any impact on the ryegrass collars, which remain vulnerable to these herbicides.
In addition to our strategic chemical program, our team is manually removing Poa annua daily as it germinates. This proactive approach helps us maintain the health and playability of our greens while ensuring protecting the rye grass surrounding the greens.
There’s nothing better than spring time in Scottsdale, Arizona, and while there are always opportunities for improvement, the golf course in thriving and will continue to do so as we get further removed from the frosty nights and mornings of January! As always, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Maddie