Root Pruning

December was a busy month for us on the golf course.  We saw unseasonably high amounts of rain fall and unseasonably low temperatures.  This is a result of the El Nino year that we have had.  The latest reports are that the trend will likely continue into February and then we will move back into a more seasonal pattern.

This past month we were conducting a practice called root pruning.  As many of you know and can see, the large pines that we have around the golf course have extended their roots into the fairways quite a distance. These roots are competing with our fairway turfs for water and nutrients.  Looking at the picture to the left, this is well documented by how green the middle of the fairway is and the drier grass along the edge.  Next year, we expect to see a significant improvement along the lines cut. 

To combat this, we used a trencher to cut the roots within the top 12 inches of the soil and give the turf a better chance for survival.  We hoped to get all of the front 9 finished in December.  Unfortunately, this turned out to be much more man power intensive than originally intended and we were able to finish holes 1, 8, and 9.  There is a wonderful piece of equipment that would take a 4 man job and make it a 1 man job, but at this time cost is a major prohibitor.  We may look into demo-ing the piece of equipment as it would make a nice addition to this necessary job.

Our plan for January is drainage along cart paths and in some fairways.  We'll accomplish some root pruning then also.