This summer, in addition to the routine cultural practices (aerification, vertical mowing, etc.) we will undertake a couple of significant summer projects at Olde Florida. The first is an in-house collar renovation.
The collar renovation will be a repeat of a project we performed in 2013. In 2013, the existing 48" collar surrounding our TifEagle greens was converted to the turfgrass variety, TifGrand. TifGrand, which was released to the market in 2010, is a semi-dwarf bermudagrass with a naturally blue green leaf blade that performs exceptionally well in shade. The dense turfgrass also has a vertical blade orientation, requires less nitrogen, less water and has better cold tolerance than older bermudagrass varieties. In addition to the aesthetic value of the TifGrand collar, the collar provides a barrier/buffer between the TifEagle greens and the surrounding, more aggressive turfgrass varieties.
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| TifGrand collar/TifEagle green interface |
Since 2013, we estimate that approximately 50% of the existing TiFGrand collars has been contaminated by the surrounding bermudagrass varieties. Therefore, it has done its job of maintaining the integrity of our TifEagle putting surfaces. Due to the contamination, it is now time to repeat the process.
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| Encroachment of surrounding bermudagrass into the TifGrand collar on #11 green |
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| Encroachment of surrounding bermudagrass into the TifGrand collar on #11 green |
The initial non-selective herbicide application was made to the collars on Monday, May 1. A second herbicide application will be made in approximately three weeks.
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| Applying a non-selective herbicide to the 48" collar on the practice green |
After eradication by the herbicide, removal of the dead turfgrass will be the next step, followed by leveling the 48"swath with greensmix (sand/peat mixture). Clean TifGrand sod from Pike Creek Turf in Adel, Georgia will then be installed.
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