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On my way to school, driving along HWY#22 I inhailed a smell that brought back some chidhood memories. A house owner burning leaves, piles of leaves. Though childhood memories of jumping through piles of leaves, building forts and smelling the sweet smell of leaves burning seemed pleasent, I could not help thinking of the affect on the environment. Due to smog, pollution and out of control fires, burning leaves has become unacceptable.
There must be a better solution, golf courses for years have been mulching leaves just by running over them a couple of times to shred them enough so that they filter into the soil, to the turfs benefits.
If leaves are so abundant that they would smuther turf, rake these areas under shrubs and trees to help protect exposed delicate roots. As the leaves (organic matter) decomposes it will benefit the texture, structure and aerate the soil. So why waste a valueable natural resource? You wouldnt just throw a bag of fertilizer out or burn it, so why do the same to leaves. Trash? Not so fast!
Is it dollar spot? Superintendent Brad Anderson says no. On putting green turf, dollar spot appears as small spots, approximately the size of a dollar coin, that are bleached-white or light tan in colour. On turf mow heights greater than half an inch, the spots may expand in size up to 6 inches or more in diameter. The infected leaves typically remain upright and are characterized by having white or light tan lesions with light reddish-brown margins. As the lesions expand, the leaves are girdled and the upper part of the leaves die slowly. Distinct lesions are sometimes not evident on close-cut turf grasses; instead, the leaves die back from the tip and turn white or light tan in colour. Short, fuzzy white mycelium is often observed on infected turf the morning when dew is present.
Dollar spot(sclerotinia homoeocarpa) is somewhat of an easy disease to diagnose. Pros and general managers almost paranoid of any type of disease, waste no time in diagnosing dollar spot. Its aggressiveness and ability to destroy a once perfect putting surface one can understand their paranoia.
If you take a step back, really take a look, you will notice all is not what it seems. Poa annual seed heads though light in colour on a mixed green ( creeping bent+ annual blue) are not signs of dollar spot. Take the time and properly diagnose diseases. If uneducated it is far to easy to waste money on unecessary spray applications, not to mention the effects on the enviroment.
