The heat is literally ON

Summer has certainly arrived as temperatures rapidly went from enjoyable to decidedly uncomfortable with the current nighttime lows in NE Ohio hovering around the dreaded 70°F mark and concern rises about the arrival of the dreaded Pythium word. As of 6-13-17 the moisture has been limited with this hot spell (in reality it has been more hairdryer like) however with thunderstorms forecast and an increase in atmospheric moisture accompanying that then problems are certain to follow. As we get ready for the 100 days and start the countdown to August 15th remember – no rash decisions!

To help your self aim to vent or poke holes with non invasive pencil tines as much as possible – getting oxygen into the rootzone (which we hope is not compromised with spring rains) is critical to overcoming the issues. Further to that ensuring the plant protectant processes are on time and covering the expected issues is going to be critical at this time of year. Do not get behind the game early on turf conditions as summer is a very hard time to recover from problems. Further to that water management and ensuring maintenance conditions are not too stressful will be critical to help get the summer golf season off to a good start – so watching mowing heights, roller types and reducing inputs from a fertility standpoint will need to be given consideration. Finally – it is starting to get into insect activity time so using the model systems will be critical – if conditions stay hot and dry like this it could be a long summer!

Ensure staff are well hydrated and also protected from sun issues at this time also – they are your most valuable asset.  Good luck out there!