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October 14, 2011 Scouting Report
It's Cloudy: Goodbye Indian Summer, Dollar Spot Returns, Watching Yellow Tuft, Fall Color and Tim's Tenacity vs Bentgrass Update
Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle
An interesting week weather-wise. We continued a record pace of completely cloud-free days until Monday, October 8. On that day we saw 95% of full sun and it meant our record 8 days of 100% straight had come to an end. In the interim it was a nice experience. Arguably, we had experienced some of the best fall color ever to be produced by deciduous trees. The main thing is that rain, and associated wind, can easily knock colorful leaves off as their petioles teeter on the edge of senescence. Quick story. I met some out-of-town friends on Sunday. As I was passing through Millennium Park my eyes were filled with gold - the golden color of honeylocust and ash trees within the venue. I said, "To arrive in Chicago this week was just genius!" They agreed.
In my scouting this week I saw a few things. I saw golf courses do their final push of core aerificaiton (greens and fairways). I saw dollar spot return (lows rose to 50˚). I saw yellow tuft continue to do its thing (bentgrass fairways). I saw a golf course continue drainage installation (on greens). I saw earthworms return (with rain). I saw leaves fall (with wind). I saw trees with great color (honeylocust, black locust, red bud, sugar maple, ash and cottonwood). I like to scout.
Click here to view the October 14, 2011 Scouting Report.
Have a great weekend and hold onto your hat - it's gonna get windy!
Derek Settle, PhD
Director of Turfgrass Program |
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