Dollar spot has always been a potential problem at the Country Club of New Bedford in Massachusetts, where superintendent Neil Wendell starts his 12th year next month. A combination of usual cool, wet weather and proximity to the coastal waters provides prime conditions for dollar spot to take hold if he doesn’t do everything he can to stay ahead of it.
His keys for that include: preventive sprays, otherwise healthy grass and continual observation.
For sprays he uses a combination of products. He usually starts spraying the first part of May and continues through September, with a normal pattern of every 4 weeks. He likes to use Daconil as much as possible, but because Massachusetts has so many restrictions on it, he relies on other products for most applications. He tank mixes different products depending on the timing, what he used last and whether or not he needs any curative spray. Some of the products in his arsenal are Daconil Ultrex, Tartan, Banner Max and Stellar.
To keep the grass otherwise healthy he follows a comprehensive fertilization program. He waters as needed and he core aerates every October. He aerates with 5/8th inch tines. He uses a Toro Core Processor to break up the cores and spreads them out over the surface. He uses a Cyclone Blower to move the thatch into the rough. He’d like to catch the clippings, but due to manpower restrictions he had to stop that about five years ago. This creates some extra pressure in July and August. He says, “I feel that we can have a little more heat build-up under the clippings which adds to the disease pressure.” He adds, “Of course, the fairways look cleaner if the clippings are picked up, but we deal with what we are able to do.” To cut down on conditions that favor dollar spot he mows as early as possible. He says, “If we get out there early, we get the dew off earlier and that helps.”
For optimum results proper coverage is imperative when spraying. Neil’s assistant, Steve Ohlson is the one that does all the spray applications. He says, “You don’t want to overlap and waste spray any more than you want to miss spots and leave areas for a disease to start spreading.” He prefers foam markers to dyes, but says either one works, and its use is essential for even coverage. He adds, “Being aware of wind conditions is also very important.” He gets out on the course between 3 and 4 in the morning when the winds are at their lowest.
The third part of their plan is observation. Neil says, “One of us gets out and goes over the whole course as early as possible every morning. It lets us know if anything happened overnight that needs attention. It also lets us know if any disease or other problems are starting to appear. If there is a heavy dew cover, I know that there is more chance of dollar spot showing up.” For the most part the sprays are preventive, but if there is evidence of disease activity, a curative spray is scheduled. Neil says, “If I see it, I spray it. My every four weeks program is shortened to every three weeks.”