#14 Fairway

#14 Green






















 









As I sit to write this very informative Blog post about Evapotranspiration and the effects it has on our turfgrass, it is raining.  I am not sure if I am blessed or cursed, a teaching moment turned into a lesson on timely rain.  Evapotranspiration(ET) is the total loss of moisture in the plant through the processes of evaporation and transpiration.  Many factors influence the ET rate, including; temperature, humidity, soil conditions, light intensity, wind, plant cultivar, traffic, fertility and cultural practices.  These, among others, dictate how much water is loss in the plant on any given day.  My challenge is to replace that water every day.  This challenge is an uphill battle in the early Spring where humidity is low, light intensity is high, we have high winds and high traffic.  These conditions are mirrored in the Fall.  Mother Nature tends to outrun us sometimes and sometimes we get the best of her, that is why I love the "give and take" of growing grass.  The brown spots on the golf course are not unhealthy, they are simply a sign of the ET rate exceeding the amount of water being absorbed into the plant.  "A Little Rain goes a Long Way"

#16 Fairway