The  mild weather and higher than normal temperatures for this time of the year has put the greens under intense  pressure from Micodochium nivale or Fusarium disease. To help maintain a clean putting surface we have to work to encourage a healthy turf with our routine maintenance programme of regular aeration, balanced nutrient and chemical programme. From September we are already watching the weather forecasts for wet and mild weather which will encourage the development of the disease  and before any development we apply a preventative fungicide,to ensure a clean putting surface,this is then followed by another preventative fungicide in late October when we hope the weather conditions have changed and are less favourable to disease development. This  preventative strategy is much like those who are vulnerable to flu and go and have a flu jab .The following photos show an untreated collar next to the green with disease and the green which is clean.

 

When the weather conditions prevent using our triple ride on mowers we then have to hand mow the greens which are now being mowed at 5mm.

                                                            setting up the mowers

 

 Mowing the greens

 

The wild flower areas have been mown and the arisings removed to take away the nutrient stored in them

 

Strimming work has been carried out to define the ditches

                                                                           before

after

 

Recently Paul Selbie (Course manager Stapleford Abbotts) Nick Roberts and Myself attend the BIGGA South East Regional Seminar day at Harlow College where a number of speakers covering a variety of relevant subjects relating to our work spoke.

 

 

 

                                                

 Early morning sunrise recently