When you’re cleaning up your course to control end-of-season diseases and putting down preventatives to curb the ones that appear in the spring, it’s important to have the right strategy and products for each.
Clean-Up Applications
Preventing and controlling fall diseases will help keep your course healthy as the season winds down.
Pythium Blight
Pythium blight can appear on bermudagrass greens in the fall during rainy, cool conditions. This disease causes sunken, discolored spots to appear on the turf. These spots are irregular in shape and range from about a half-inch to four inches in diameter.
Pythium blight is not only an eyesore; It can also affect playability. Plus, since Pythium blight can spread rapidly and cause major damage, prevention is the best control option. Preventative fungicides that treat Pythium blight include ArmorTech CYA 345, Mefenoxam 2AQ, and Serata.
Pythium Root Rot
Pythium root rot (PRR) is common in the spring, but it’s not limited to that season. Rather, it can appear during any time period where the course experiences excessive moisture and/or rainfall. It’s also common in areas with poor drainage. PRR will appear as irregular, yellowish spots on the surface and the roots will be waterlogged, dark, and smell foul.
Preventative options include Serata and ArmorTech CYA 345. Adding ArmorTech Zoxy-T as a tank mix can provide better results when mixed with ArmorTech CYA 345.
Dollar Spot
Effective dollar spot control starts in the fall, since the disease can overwinter on bentgrass greens. It can also flare up during this time, too. Dollar spot creates sunken patches of browned turf about the size of a silver dollar, hence the name. Applying nitrogen is an important step, since dollar spot is a low-nitrogen disease, but fungicide applications will be the key to effective control.
Fungicide applications should be made near the end of summer and the beginning of fall. For example, in the transition zone, applications should happen in late August. Some of the best dollar spot fungicides include ArmorTech TMI 2020, a preventative that has two active ingredients for maximum control, and Encartis, a preventative and curative product. ArmorTech CLT 720 and Maxtima are also great options. Be sure to rotate fungicide classes to avoid resistance and keep scouting for dollar spot throughout the fall.
Spring Dead Spot Prevention for Bermudagrass
Spring dead spot starts affecting bermudagrass between late summer and early fall, presenting symptoms as the turf emerges from dormancy in the spring. The disease causes circular, tan patches to appear on the still-dormant bermudagrass. The affected turf then dies and sinks down, making spring dead spot detrimental to playability and the visual appeal of your course.
Applying a preventative fungicide like ArmorTech TEB 360 XL can help prevent spring dead spot. The fungicide will keep the disease from rotting away the turf’s roots, stolons, and crowns, which weaken the bermudagrass and make it more susceptible to injury during the winter.
Zoysia Patch Prevention for Zoysiagrass
Zoysia patch causes large brownish circles of diseased area to appear on zoysiagrass. While this disease won’t harm the turf’s roots, it will slow recovery. That, combined with the fact that symptoms start appearing in April, makes prevention key to ensure guests have a healthy course to play on when it opens.
ArmorTech TEB 360 XL and ArmorTech Zoxy-T are excellent, effective fungicides for zoysia patch prevention. Whichever product you choose, two applications should be made in the fall. The initial application should be made between the end of September and early October, and the second should be made one month later. A third application will be needed between mid-March and late April of the following year.
Snow Mold Preventative Applications
Snow mold is a significant concern for superintendents in the northern United States and is also worth treating in the transition zone. Courses experiencing snow mold will be covered with circular patches that grow in size as the disease progresses.
There are two types of snow mold: gray and pink. Gray snow mold requires extensive snow cover to appear and results in grayish-white patches on the turf. Pink snow mold can appear without snow cover and at temperatures between 30°F and 60°F, exhibiting a pinkish-white or tan color. Regardless of the type, snow mold can affect playability and even make a course unplayable.
Preventative fungicide applications are crucial, and so is timing. Applications are most effective in the late fall, before consistent snow cover. The farther north your course is, the earlier you should apply. In states like Wisconsin and Michigan, for example, superintendents often make applications in mid-October. For superintendents in the transition zone, a decision on whether to make an application should be made by November. One application should be sufficient, but some customers will make an additional application.
When choosing a fungicide, pick an option with multiple active ingredients. Spray products like Enclave, Interface Stressgard, and Premion will fit the bill. Reapplication may be needed if heavy rains occur from late fall to early winter. Granular options like ArmorTech Zoxy-PG and Pillar G are excellent options, too, and can be used in conjunction with a cover to help protect young turf.
Tank-Mix Partners for Snow Mold Sprays
It’s a good idea to prepare for any kind of winter, and tank mix products can provide peace of mind that regardless of conditions, your course will emerge from winter healthy.
Surfactants can enhance a fungicide’s efficacy by helping it adhere to turf for longer. Products like Percolate and Infiltrip help prevent desiccation during an open winter without snow cover, too.
Pigments give turf a green-up effect and can offer some UV protection, enhancing the overall appearance during the dormant season. Products like Optimizer Green Shade can provide an even color across the treated area and protect it during the winter. The color can also help warm the ground, which can help turf emerge in the spring as a healthy, dark green. A pigment can also be used as a spray pattern indicator, helping you apply your snow mold spray uniformly.
PGRs (Plant Growth Regulators): PGRs can help slow down turf growth, saving valuable energy that can be used against snow mold and other diseases. A product like ArmorTech PGR 113 MC can help fight disease pressure in the winter and also combat weeds in the spring. A PGR containing ethephon can prevent Poa annua seedheads in the spring, too.
For more information about golf course diseases and control methods, reach out to your ATS rep. They’ll work with you to develop a fall treatment plan and help you see it through to the spring.