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Choosing grass

Posted by mynormas on October 18, 2011

One of the most common question I get asked is; what type of grass should I use?

There are actually three important criteria to think about when choosing grass, and I write this in layman terms, mainly:

  1.  The condition of the area – whether it is shaded, it gets too much water (for example it is next to non-porous area e.g. road or pavement or perhaps it is out in the open with poor or no irrigation).
  2. The budget for future maintenance of the grassed area and
  3. The use of the grassed area; simply whether it is more for aesthetics or more as a playing field. In the golf course, this question will also refer to whether that area is a green or a rough.

Now for home-owners (and I get a lot more questions from these people) I usually tell them the order of priority will be 1. The condition of the area; 2. The budget and time they are willing to spend on maintenance and 3. The use; whether the lawn is for impressing passers-by or is it for grandchildren to play on? Stuff like that.

The Bermuda carpetgrass planted at cost under the bamboo? Dead. The Cowgrass that came on its own for free? Nice. Lesson? Use cowgrass under shade.

For golf courses, playing fields, stadiums and large areas like municipal councils, the order of priority is reversed: I ask them to think of what is the use of the area – whether it is for greens, for tees, for out-of-play areas,

football, picnic, or whatever. Then they should think of the budget they are willing to spend for maintenance (and I would like to emphasise FOR MAINTENANCE) and lastly only about the condition of the area. Why is the order reversed? Because, for these kind of construction, the condition can be modified, trees can be moved, or the green can be redesigned away from the large 100 year-old tree, for instance.

Most of these owners, be them developers, local government or large bungalow owners etc, will have a huge budget during construction but when it comes to routine daily maintenance; they scrimp and save.

Zoysia is a nice grass but needs to be cut once a week - at least. If you can't afford to do that, why use it?

So what I advise is: design and pick plants for the place so that it will be cheap and easy to maintain in the future! Naturally,  people want the best and most designers/contractors who are paid by percentage don’t mind at all to oblige.

But I digress. The world of grass is divided into three main areas; warm-season and cool-season. The third area? What is termed as the transition zone area, this area is cold enough in the winter to make it difficult to maintain warm-season grasses and warm enough in the summer to make it difficult to grow cool-season grasses, therefore, no single species of grass is well adapted in this region.

So there are only two types of grasses; warm-season and cool-season grasses. In the transition zone areas, they will use quick growing cool-season grasses in the autumn and early winter and warm-season grasses in spring/summer.

What are the characteristics of warm season grasses? They thrive in air temperatures from 27 – 35 degrees Celsius and soil temperatures of 21 – 32 degrees Celsius. They’ll lose chlorophyll in autumn and turn from green to brown.

Cool-season grasses grow very well when soil temperature is between 10 – 18 degrees Celsius and air temperatures a cool 15 – 24 degrees Celsius.

Tall fescue is a cool-season grass

Other than those, there are of course a few other things that should be taken into consideration too. Soil types, quality of water for irrigation – in fact, quantity of water too; there are a few other things if we want to go into details. But lets leave it at that for now.

 

Weights and Measures, Metric Conversions Weights and Measures,
Metric Conversions


Posted in Fields, Greens, Landscape, Lanskap, Maintenance, Padang, Padang Golf, Rumput, Rumput halaman rumah, Rumput secara am, Taman | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Menyiram rumput

Posted by mynormas on October 16, 2011

Bagaimana patut kita menyiram rumput? Ada dua tiga sebab kita menyiram rumput.

  1. Kerana rumput memerlukan. Diantara tanda-tanda: tanah kering atau rumput layu: ini ertinya perlu siram.
  2. Kerana kita meletakkan bahan keatas rumput yang perlu di siram supaya ia meresap ke tanah. Contohnya baja, setengah jenis racun, bahan pelembab (wetting agent),  topdressing dan sebagainya.
  3. Kerana cuaca terlalu panas dan kita menyejukkan permukaan tanah untuk melindungi akar rerambut atau menurunkan suhu permukaan. Siraman ini dinamakan ‘syringing’ dan bukan bertujuan memberi rumput air; HANYA untuk menyejukkan permukaan. Ertinya siraman dua minit biasanya mencukupi. Untuk kawasan yang rumput di potong pendek, contohnya green di padang golf (3-6mm) kadang kadang syringing di lakukan hingga dua kali sehari (contohnya kul 11pagi dan 2 petang)

Jangan, jangan, jangan siram mengikut jadual. Contohnya setiap Isnin, Rabu dan Jumaat. Atau setiap hari pukul 4pagi. Jangan siram jika ia akan menyebabkan tanah lembab hingga ke malam: ini akan menyebabkan penyakit. Ertinya elakkan menyiram di kebanyakkan tempat selepas pukul 5 petang (ada tempat pukul 3petang pun dah tak boleh siram contohnya jika tempat yang teduh).

Amalkan siram di awal pagi. Ini memberi peluang tanah menyimpan air hingga ke tengahari di waktu ia paling memerlukan air. Menyiram di waktu petang; rumput mungkin kata “Aku dah nak mati kering baru kau nak siram!” dan juga akan menyebabkan tanah lembab hingga ke malam yang boleh menggalakkan kulat dan lumut.  Lagipun waktu pagi kurang angin yang menyebarkan air terlalu jauh/dekat (bergantung arah angin dan arah air).

Berapa lama nak siram? Siram jarang-jarang tapi lama-lama (Water irregularly but deeply). Ini akan menggalakkan akar tumbuh panjang mencari air. Siraman terlalu kerap akan memanjakan rumput. Pasal tu kita siram hanya bila rumput memerlukan, bukan ikut jadual. Biasanya saya siram 20 minit. Tapi awas, untuk kawasan yang terlalu curam atau tanah yang padat (air akan bertakung atau mengalir dan tidak masuk ke dalam tanah) saya mungkin akan menyiram 10minit x 2 ataupun 5minit x 4; tunggu hingga air meresap… dan ulang. Perkara ini perlukan pemerhatian dan pemahaman.  Lain tanah, lain siraman.

Sprinkler irrigation in a golf course

Sprinkler irrigation in a golf course.

Posted in Fields, Golf club, Landscape, Padang, Padang Golf, Rumput halaman rumah, Taman | Leave a Comment »

How many staff in a Malaysian golf course?

Posted by mynormas on October 11, 2011

I visited a golf course that was built in an oil palm plantation; for the second time yesterday. The golf course was started in 1917 as three holes, finished as 9 holes in 1929 and was completed as 18 holes only a few years ago.
But what fascinated me was that it had only 5 permanent workers to keep it going. I guess it had to do on how it was built. It was flat, it had few landscaping features and there were almost no slopes (whether drain, bunker, hill etc) there. They also had big trees that were planted far enough apart that machine can mow between them. And they had cowgrass on fairways and serangoon on the old 9.
The guy in charge believed in mechanization and I could see the big and relatively new machinery working on the golf course. And best of all? I’ve seen worse golf courses that had more than three times the number of staff this course had. When I praised him and his assistant (who attended to me in my second visit because the boss was sick) their immediate reaction was to say: I have dedicated staff.
We have a lot to learn from En. Azman and his team Carey Island Golf Club.

Posted in Golf club, Golf Course Superintendents, Padang, Padang Golf | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Managing Malaysian lovegrass (C. aciculatus)

Posted by mynormas on September 15, 2011

Lets not kid ourselves, there are many Malaysian golf courses, football fields and tamans that are plagued by the lovegrass (presumably named because it loves our pants). I have seen golfers comments that hate a particular golf course because that golf course has a lot of lovegrass on its fairways.

Lets start a discussion – although from experience this ‘discussion’ will end up being a monologue – but lets discuss anyway. Lets clarify what is ‘lovegrass’. Its that type of plant that has seeds that sticks to pants or socks. The leaf are light green. It is sometimes called as ‘kemuncup’ in some places in Malaysia. In the U.S it is called as the pilipiliula or golden false beardgrass or false beardgrass (http://plants.usda.gov/java/profil

This field was cut about 5 days ago! But the amount of lovegrass now would make a pious man curse...

e?symbol=CHAC) and Mackie’s pest.

What ever it is called I am sure most of us agree that it is a pest.

The leaf and the plant per se is tolerable but it is the seeds and how they were made to propagate that gets most golfers, footballers, joggers (or their wife, mom or maid) worked up. They stick to the pants and socks with no regard to price, brand or label.

Why on earth Malaysians called it love grass is a mystery.

It is also a stubborn pest. The only effective selective pesticide I know that we can use against it is Facet (available in Malaysia). Of course you can use Round-up but that may fall into the ‘overkill’ territory.

It resists mowing with regular reel mower, no matter what brand or how many reels. I have had arguments with two golf course superintendents (actually, make that three but in the end that one guy bought a rotary mower though I suspect it could be because of the price)   who insisted to buy five-gang reel mowers even though their fairways are infested with lovegrass. Why? Because all the other golf courses use a five-gang how can I use a tractor mounted rotary mower?

I have pictures of this golf course with better stripes; but no tractor, so this will have to do. Not to mention that I'm late already. Just take my word that rotarys make stripes

Using Facet has its drawbacks, one of it (other than price) is that it affects cowgrass. I am currently helping a Superintendent testing a few rates of Facet to see which will not kill cowgrass permanently. Lets see what happens; I have my doubts because as I see it, there is just too much lovegrass on his fairways. In my opinion, he would be better off changing his old five-gangs with second-hand mini-tractors equipped with new rotary mowers and mow twice or thrice a week.

Newsflash: Facet kills lovegrass. But the broadleaf survives! Not the cowgrass. And those are RM240 Hush Puppies.

Of course, if your golf course, field, taman or lawn that was planted with Bermuda or Zoysia, by all means; spray it out. Unfortunately, if your bla bla bla was planted (or is now covered) with cowgrass or Serangoon then your options are limited: if not much or only a few areas are invaded by lovegrass – you still could do chemical control. Otherwise you may have to replant (though I would still advise you to use chemical first to ensure no seeds or roots are left behind to continue) or buy new rotary mowers. For lawn owners, you may need to buy your own cutters or adopt one of the foreigner-who-mows-house-lawns as ‘anak angkat’.

Plus, a certain brand of golf course machinery is now coming out with five-gang rotary mowers too so you don’t lose your prestige when talking to other peers at the networking dinner of the club/stadium/local council/dewan bandaraya. And don’t worry, rotary mowers can make stripes as well as reel mowers too.

Try it.

The lovegrass just springs back up behind the mower. But notice that the leaves are quite nice.

Posted in Fields, Golf club, Golf Course Superintendents, lovegrass, Padang, Padang Golf, Taman | 1 Comment »

A slow green is better than a fast brown

Posted by mynormas on July 16, 2011

I just came back from a golf course in north Malaysia where the weather has been hazy; little sunlight. But at the same time, in central region, we are having thunderstorms/heavy rains in the evenings with about the same result; little sunlight.

For both situations, I would advise people to raise their cutting heights. But please don’t stop or skipping mowing. Just mow higher. For green, raise it by 0.5mm and for fairways and fields, well, if the weather doesn’t improve soon or when you start to notice that you are cutting more leaf or the grass starts turning brown after mowing; raise your mowers by a notch or by 2mm.

For rough or fields under shade (trees, buildings etc) you may need to take action sooner.

Remember that grass is a plant that uses photosynthesis to make food and that process needs sunlight to work. If there is not enough sunlight, the leaf and stem will start to lengthen

Same grass. Gues which one got not enough sunlight

. When they lengthen and you cut at the same height; you are cutting off more leaf than usual.

The usual response I get to that advice is: but my greenspeed will be slower! And my usual answer is: A slow green is better than a fast brown.

Posted in Fields, Greens, Padang, Rumput secara am, Taman | Leave a Comment »

Slicing on fairways/fields/padang bola

Posted by mynormas on June 7, 2011

Many – or maybe I should say all – Malaysian golf courses would do cultural practice on their greens. They would dethatch, they would scarify and they would aerate them by hollowtine at least once a year, more often, twice a year. But rarely do we see the same thing being done on fairways or fields; whether football or municipal.

Why not?

Most of the time it is because the size of the area demands that a lot of resources; machinery and manpower have to be devoted to complete the job. In the case of dethatching or hollowtining, we will have to get rid of the

Many machines needed to just collect the thatch. Not all in picture; the trailer not here.

thatch and cores and over the size of the 18 holes; that is a lot of stuff. Plus the work will also be in the way of the golfers. If the weather is unkind, a sudden downpour halfway through the job may mean a messy fairway for days if not weeks.

should we?

You mean should we actually do these cultural practice on fairways, roughs or fields? Of course lah! For the same reasons that we do the work on the greens. The fairway has thatch, it needs aeration, bla bla bla. We may not need to do it at the same frequency or intensity of the green, but do it we must. In fact, for areas close to the green like approach and collars, perhaps we shuld do it at the same intensity. Because they are played on  with almost the same pressure as on the green.  Plus with too much thatch, there will be less ball roll espcially when wet. Same principal for padang bola too coach. The thatch acts like a sponge holding water.

How?

I would recommend dethatching to be done at least once a year. And hollow-tining too. The thatch will have to be sweeped and disposed. The cores can be flailed or perhaps mown with a rotary to break them up (I’ve never actually tried that though) and then dragged as topdressing.

Really?

I understand, it is tough to do, what with not enough equipment and the pressure of trying to fit in as many golfers as possible during the dry periods and these works can’t be done in the wet season. So what can be done alternatively 1. Do it only at the landing areas (though you may get fairways with different characteristics) 2. Do it only on selective fairways (but do it on whole fairways) or 3. Slice.

A slicer that is used regularly.

Now we get to the punchline for this whole post. Why are some golf courses, football fields, padang bola letting their slicers rust in the workshop? I seen it with my own eyes. The slicer, can be used frequently to help water and air penetrate through to help the micro environments under the thatch to do their stuff. Slice the fairway once every two months alternating with rough; that way, we could create a contrast between rough and fairway more. Some golf courses have this expensive small flags to mark their sprinklers, but I used to have workers who mark the sprinklers with oil palm leaves (not fronds) that they can afford to just leave there after the operation or let the mower run over.

Slicing during dry season tends to leave a dry edge to the sliced turf but it is temporary and I think it is better than the alternative; localized dry spots!

Posted in Fields, Maintenance, Padang, Taman | Leave a Comment »

Senaman = amalan kultura?

Posted by mynormas on May 18, 2011

Samada di kawasan padang bola, taman ataupun padang golf; semua jenis kerja yang mengganggu pelawat atau pemain adalah isu sensitif. Terutamanya bila ia melibatkan wang ‘tak masyuk’ yang di anggap sebagai kerugian. Kerja-kerja yang saya maksudkan ialah kerja-kerja amalan kultura (sila lihat senarai topik sebelah kanan laman web ini untuk lebih terperinci) seperti vertical-cutting, pengudaraan (hollow-tine atau slicing), penyiraman dan seba

Membuang thatch

Adakah dethatch padang = detox badan? Kenapa tidak?

gainya.

Sebenarnya saya selalu umpamakan kerja-kerja amalan kultura dengan senaman kepada manusia. Kalau kita terlalu sibuk untuk buat duit dan mengabaikan senaman untuk kesihatan badan, suatu hari nanti, kita akan menerima padahnya.

Tiap-tiap awal tahun, penjaga padang akan membuat dan menyusun jadual untuk melakukan kerja-kerja amalan kultura untuk mempastikan kesihatan padang jangka masa panjang. Sama

seperti kebanyakkan kita membuat “Resolusi Tahun Baru” untuk membuat lebih banyak senaman untuk menjaga kesihatan.

Dan tiap-tiap tahun cerita yang sama untuk kebanyakkan dari kita (contohnya saya), akan ada kepentingan lain yang mengganggu. Boss beri kerja tambahan, kita dapat assignment baru, ada orang nak buat appointment, cuaca tak baik dan berbagai lagi alasan.  Kita cuba untuk adjust jadual, kadang-kadang boleh adjust; tapi selalunya kita putus asa dan give up. Untuk jadual amalan kultura; kita akan ada cabaran dari segi jadual perlawanan, sewaan padang, pertandingan private, cuaca, pekerja dan bermacam-macam lagi. Kadang-kadang kita boleh adjust date untuk postpone jadual. Kadang-kadang kita give up.

Satu hari, kita bangun dan rasa pening, jumpa doktor; dia kata tekanan darah naik, kolestrol naik, gula tinggi, lemak banyak dan sebagainya. Masa tu mungkin dah terlambat untuk mengubah keadaan. Kita beli kasut mahal, kita jogging petang; kita beli raket badminton, kita sewa gelanggang. Kita makan vitamin dan sebagainya. Kadang-kadang ada perubahan, kadang-kadang tiada perubahan. Kita perlu mengambil langkah drastik. Mungkin masuk gym cari trainer. Duit habis, badan tak improve, kita salahkan trainer.

Soil profile 8 inci teratas.

Lihat ini dan ingat salur darah penuh kolestrol dalam badan kita.

Satu hari kita bangun dan kita nampak padang kita layu, lembik, banyak rumput liar dan berpenyakit. Bila kita check dengan soil test dan menggunakan soil profiler; kita dapati pH rendah, sodium tinggi, Calcium berbanding alkali lain rendah, tanah padat, terdapat lapisan hitam mengandungi hidrogen sulfida, air tak tembus dan sebagainya. Masa tu dah terlambat untuk mengubah keadaan. Kita cuba untuk buat pengudaraan, kita hollow-tine, topd

ress, slice, baja dan sebagainya. Kadang-kadang ada perubahan, kadang-kadang tiada perubahan.  Kita perlu mengambil langkah drastik. Mungkin tutup padang dan panggil konsultan. Duit tak masuk, padang tak improve, kita salahkan konsultan.

Hakikatnya, pengurus kelab, pengurus stadium, pengurus padang, tuan punya taman, pelawat, pemain dan juga penganjur pertandingan perlu paham bahwa jadual amalan kultura adalah jadual untuk kesihatan jangka masa panjang.  Sebarang perubahan akan memberi kesan yang perlu ditanggung bersama. Penjaga padang juga perlu memainkan peranan untuk berbincang dengan pengurus umum dan pengurus pertandingan untuk mempastikan jadual amalan kultura tidak mengganggu musim pertandingan atau musim lawatan.

Sama seperti kita tidak akan membuat jadual senaman pada hari anniversary perkahwinan. Nak cari gaduh?

Posted in Maintenance, Padang, Padang Golf, Taman | Leave a Comment »

Awas suhu panas

Posted by mynormas on May 9, 2011

Suhu tempatan sekarang semakin panas. Pertama kalinya saya nampak thermometer mencecah 42 darjah Celsius.

Rumput musim panas (warm season grasses) aktif pada suhu lebih kurang 27 – 35 darjah Celsius. Jadi suhu sekarang dah terlampau panas untuk rumput – ia akan menjadi dorman dan bertukar warna kepada perang/coklat. Terutamanya Cowgrass dan Pearlgrass yang mempunyai akar pendek.

Tanda-tanda awal ialah rumput layu dan tidak kembali pada ketinggian asal. Contohnya, bila kita pijak, kita boleh nampak kesan tapak kaki kita. Atau boleh nampak kesan bekas tayar kenderaan.

Jika anda lihat rumput anda menjadi coklat dan anda tak pasti samada penyakit atau suhu; lihat pada daun, jika daunnya kecut bergulung – ianya akibat suhu panas. Kadang-kadang ia hanya bertukar coklat dan di kelilingi daun hijau. Itu juga tanda kekeringan. Daun yang berpenyakit akan berbintik-bintik atau berjalur-jalur dan akan berjangkit ke rumput sebelah.

Rumput di kawasan kering

Sejukkan rumput dengan ‘syringing’ iaitu merenjis atau menyiram secara ‘ringan-ringan’ pada waktu matahari terik. Jangan takut tentang teori bahwa air akan menjadi kanta untuk memfokuskan cahaya matahari dan membakar daun. Ia tidak pernah di buktikan. Jika matahari cukup panas untuk membakar daun; ia akan menyejat air itu dahulu.

Jangan siram terlalu banyak. Bahagian bawah tanah akan tepu dan bahagian atas masih boleh kering – dan di situlah di mana kebanyakkan akar berada. Jangan siram lewat petang, tanah basah hingga ke malam boleh menjadi punca penyakit kulat.

Jika anda ada wetting agent (agen pembasah): gunakan. Ia membantu menjadikan air lebih basah (?) dan menembusi kawasan kering yang benci air (localized dry spot).

Jika anda ada spiker atau slicer, ini waktu baik untuk menggunakannya, tapi ingat, pada awalnya, luka pada tanah bekas slicer itu akan kering dahulu. Tapi ini lebih baik dari seluruh kawasan kering. Bukan?

Posted in Fields, Greens, Landscape, Maintenance, Padang, Padang Golf, Rumput halaman rumah, Taman | Leave a Comment »

Menyiram rumput di waktu kemarau.

Posted by mynormas on May 7, 2011

Dah dua hari berturut-turut, temperature di kawasan Shah Alam mencecah 37 darjah Celsius.

Mungkin tidak semua tempat yang sepanas ini, mungkin ada yang lebih panas, mungkin ada yang sejuk. Walau macamanapun anda rasa tentang suhu di sekeliling anda, ingat bahawa rumput mempunyai iklim-mikro nya sendiri. Kita dalam rumah, ada kipas; dalam kereta, ada aircon; naik motorsikal, ada angin bertiup; tak tahan panas boleh komplen. Rumput akan hanya berada di satu tempat terdedah kepada cuaca dan tak boleh komplen atau beritahu perasaan.

Selain dari terdedah kepada cahaya matahari, rumput juga mempunyai masalah dari bawah: akar yang pendek dan suhu tanah yang panas yang membakar akar. Ini di burukkan lagi dengan fakta bahawa kebanyakkan akar yang berfungsi untuk menyerap nutrien dan air ialah akar rerambut yang berada dekat dengan permukaan tanah. Bila tanah panas, akar rerambut terkorban dahulu.

rumput yang kekeringan.

Apa jadi pada rumput bila kepanasan? Ia akan tutup ofis untuk sementara dan pergi bercuti. Ia akan bertukar menjadi coklat/perang, daun kecut dan nampak macam mati. Sebenarnya ia menjadi ‘dormant’. Bila cuaca pulih ia akan kembali hijau. Of course ia ada limit jugaklah; jika kemarau terlalu lama, ia akan mati (cuti terus!).

Ok, orang tak baca laman web ni untuk tahu apa yang semua orang dah tahu. Orang baca pasal nak tahu apa nak buat.

Siram? Semua orang akan siram. Ramai orang siram dan rumput dia masih coklat jugak. Nasib baik kebanyakkan golfer, pemain bola, pelawat dan boss (termasuk isteri) pun merasa kepanasan cuaca dan biasanya memaafkan keadaan rumput coklat.

Tapi kadang-kadang teknik menyiram silap. Saya pernah tengok padang yang sangat basah – bila pijak air keluar – tapi mati kekeringan. Saya pernah tengok padang yang – di waktu musim kemarau – penuh dengan algae atau lumut.

Masa menyiram yang terbaik ialah di waktu awal pagi. Paling awal pukul 4 pagi paling lambat pukul 9 pagi. Pada waktu itu angin kurang, pemain golf/bola kurang, pelawat kurang malahan pekerja pun belum ramai yang dah mula kerja. Kita membantu rumput untuk menyimpan air di dalam tanah pada waktu pagi membawa ke tengahari di waktu ia akan perlu memerlukan air. Bila tengahari dan matahari makin terik, rumput mempunyai air yang di simpan di dalam tanah.

Menyiram air di waktu tengahari akan mengganggu pelawat, pemain dan pekerja lain. Waktu itu juga angin kuat dan air yang di siram tidak akan sampai ke tempat yang memerlukan.

Menyiram di waktu petang akan mengganggu lebih ramai pelawat dan pemain. Pekerja dah balik. Ia juga akan menyebabkan green menjadi lembab diwaktu malam. Ini akan membantu pembiakan kulat, algae dan lumut.

Jadi, waktu yang paling baik utk menyiram rumput ialah di waktu pagi. Siram jarang-jarang tapi cukup untuk air tepu dalam tanah. Biasanya saya cadangkan sekitar 20 minit jika menggunakan sprinkler. Jika tanah adalah dari jenis tanah liat (menyimpan air) tak perlu siram hari-hari. Siram selang sehari atau selang dua hari. Terlalu banyak menyiram = manjakan rumput dan ia akan menjadi malas = akar pendek.

Tetapi di waktu tengahari bila matahari panas membakar kulit kita yang berada di luar, rumput perlukan sedikit bantuan. Walaupun ada air dibawah permukaan tanah, tetapi tanah yang paling atas akan tetap kepanasan dan membakar akar rumput. Oleh itu saya menasihatkan ‘syringing’ atau merenjis rumput dengan tujuan menyejukkan permukaan tanah; bukan menyiram. Biasanya saya cadangkan dua pusingan penuh sprinkler. Mungkin sekali pukul 12 tengahari dan sekali pukul 3. Mungkin tidak disemua kawasan tetapi di kawasan yang penting, kawasan yang selalu kering, dan kawasan yang di potong lebih pendek dari 0.5 inci.

Posted in Fields, Greens, Landscape, Maintenance, Padang, Padang Golf, Rumput halaman rumah, Taman | 2 Comments »

I’m mowing in the rain…

Posted by mynormas on March 22, 2011

No one can deny problems of mowing during the current rainy spell. Its not about worrying about the machine being in the rain or operators catching cold, it is more about tyre marks and tracks left behind by the machine.

bekas tayar

Deja vu? You've seen this before? Pretty common sight nowadays.

The tracks can churn up the soil and cause more damage than just un cut grass. However, there are times when out of habit or necessity, the Superintendent has to have a crew out to cut the grass. After all, the rains may have caused the slow-release fertilizer in the ground to suddenly release all nutrients; causing rapid surge growth of the grass. Then there is also the issue of greens, how do you not cut the greens? Especially if the rains has been pouring almost daily?

What are the options open for the Superintendent or the caretaker (some of the concepts apply to parks/stadiums too)?

  1. The Superintendent may try to use a lighter machine, like a triplex on fairways/roughs and walk-behinds or push-mowers on greens or tees.

    This will take forever! What to do? Boss say do, I do lah...

  2. This is one reason I have always specified 4-wheel drive or all-wheel drive machines for fairways, roughs, fields and parks; less slippage for mowing on wet ground. Those people that are stuck with 2-wheel drive machines are … well… stuck.
  3. Use bruchcutters – the machines that the crew carry on their backs to mow.
  4. Concentrate on mowing only important places like landing zones, greens, blue & red tees when there is a break in the weather pattern.
  5. Lastly (maybe I should have put this as first) use turf-growth-regulator products (the only brand popular in Malaysia is PrimoMaxx). I highly recommend using this just
    TGR = turf growth regulator

    Same species of grass. Same age. Same fertilizer. Same everything. The one on right is applied with TGR

    before the start of the rainy season, in fact, I use this all year round on fairways, bunker face, slopes, and greens. So when there is prolonged wet weather, the growth of the turf is slow enough that I’m not under too much pressure to mow. Spraying during wet season is tough, it needs 4 hours of dry weather to become rain-fast. Be warned there is a slight discoloration the first time you apply because the stem is visible under the shorter leaves: stem brown, leaves green. The stem will become shorter, later than the leaves. Then it will be back to normal color.

I also advocate marking the worst areas and prioritizing them so that come dry weather (I know some days we despair of ever seeing that!) we know the locations where we want to put extra or repair existing sub-soil drains; reshape the area surrounding it; put an extra layer of topdressing; bring out the deep-tine machines or at the very least spiker/slicer; dethatch or scarify the areas since thatch and mat can become like sponges soaking up water; call a bomoh/medicine man or whatever can be done to alleviate the soggy areas.

I pity the members of the club/field/park that face the same problems in the same areas over and over again. You would think the management would have done something to ensure it does not occur again next season. Oh well… maybe there are other issues that need to be considered: funds for one. I can’t argue with that.

Posted in Padang, Padang Golf, Taman | 2 Comments »

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