Alabama Turf Times - Spring 2017

Spring 2017

Effects of the 2016

DROUGHT Diagnosing Nutrient Deficiencies in Ornamental Plants Also, ATA Member Spotlight on David Lawrence, Auburn University Turfgrass Research Unit

Spring 2017

TOP FEATURES 8

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Upcoming Event —

Reformatted 2017 Mole Cricket Classic Fishing Tournament ATA Member Spotlight —

David Lawrence, Auburn University Turfgrass Research Unit Cover Story —

Effects of the 2016 Drought Landscaper’s Corner —

Diagnosing Nutrient Deficiencies in Ornamental Plants Recent Events —

ATA’s 2017 RoadShow Seminars

Cover photograph courtesy of Jim Jacobi, Ph.D., Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

DEPARTMENTS 6 6 23 24 26 26

From the President’s Pen ATA Annual Sponsors News from ATA Welcome, New ATA Members Calendar of Events Advertiser Index

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www.AlTurfgrass.org 4

The Alabama Turfgrass Association serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation.

The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, Alabama Turf Times, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or their identification as Alabama Turfgrass Association members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this quarterly publication. Copyright ©2017 by the Alabama Turfgrass Association. Alabama Turf Times is published quarterly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of the Alabama Turfgrass Association. Third-class postage is paid at Nashville, TN. Printed in the U.S.A. We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. Contact the managing editor for contribution information.

Advertising: For display and classified advertising rates and insertion please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Franklin, TN 37064, (615) 790-3718, www.LeadingEdgeCommunications.com

From the President’s Pen >>>

Have a

GREAT GROWING SEASON!

Paul Patterson

The

start of another growing season is well underway. It’s the “busy season” as we call it on campus when the turf and the landscape come alive and spring sports are in full swing. The workload may increase this time of year, but it is always gratifying to see the results of the work put into making a golf course, sports field, lawn or sod-production field the best it can be. I hope that everyone’s busy season is a good one.

I would like to thank everyone who attended a RoadShow Seminar, the Lawn and Landscape Field Day or the AU Turfgrass Research Field Day. A big thank you as well to all our sponsors and exhibitors for their support of all our ATA events. A special thanks to Deven Peek and his crew at the Prattville Parks and Recreation Department for hosting the Lawn and Landscape Field Day. Not only are these events educational, but also they are a good chance to catch up with friends and colleagues in the industry that we might not get to see as often as we would like.

Thank you for your membership and support of the Alabama Turfgrass Association. Have a safe and successful 2017 growing season, everyone!

Paul Patterson 2017 ATA President

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2017 ATA ANNUAL SPONSORS

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GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

• • • • • •

• • • • •

• • • • •

Bayer Environmental Science Beard Equipment Company Greenville Turf & Tractor Harrell’s, Inc. Jacobsen Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation

BWI Companies Ewing Residex SiteOne Landscape Supply Syngenta

AGRI-AFC, LLC Agromax Aquatrols BASF Dow AgroSciences

• Humphries Turf Supply • PBI-Gordon • Southern States Turf • Sur-Line Turf

Alabama Turf Times is the <<< Upcoming Event official publication of the: Alabama Turfgrass Association P.O. Box 70 Auburn, Alabama 36831 Tel: (334) 821-3000 Fax: (334) 821-3800 Email: mailbox@alaturfgrass.org www.alturfgrass.org Published by: Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, Tennessee 37064 Tel: (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 Email: info@leadingedge communications.com Executive Director Tricia Roberts Alabama Turf Times Editor James Horton Birmingham Botanical Gardens

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President Paul Patterson University of Alabama Huntsville

Vice President Tres’ Wilkinson South Dallas Turf

Treasurer Kim Byram University of Alabama

Past President Jason Cooper Sweetspire Gardens

BOARD OF DIRECTORS At–Large Randy McQuenn TruGreen

Daniel Strickland SiteOne Landscape Supply

Golf Glenn Junkin True Point Yahct and Country Club

Industry Buddy Williams BWI Companies

Institution Joe Collins Samford University

Lawn Care Andrew Bice Blackjack Horticulture

Parks & Recreation Deven Peek City of Prattville

Salzmann Farms

EX OFFICIO/ EDUCATION ADVISORS Dave Han, Ph.D. Auburn University

Jim Jacobi, Ph.D. Alabama Coop. Extension System

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Sod Paul Salzmann

Upcoming Event >>>

Announcing an Open-Season Fishing Tournament!

ATA’S 2017 MOLE CRICKET CLASSIC, MAY 1 – JULY 28

We

are changing up the Mole Cricket Classic this year with an open season. Instead of trying to organize an event to take everyone fishing, we are going to let individuals submit their own saltwater “big fish” into the contest. It’s easy. Here’s how it will work:

1. ENTER THE TOURNAMENT. Complete the official entry form, and submit tournament fees ($50 per person, which will also include the awards dinner) to the ATA office.

2. GO FISHING.

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Plan your own trip, with a friend, a family member, customers, other ATA

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members, whomever. ATA can assist you in arranging a fishing boat with some of our friendly captains. The open season will start on May 1 and will conclude on July 28.

3. SUBMIT YOUR WEIGH-IN TICKET. Catch a big fish, have a weigh-in sheet witnessed by the captain, and submit it to the ATA office via text or email (334-319-0367 or mailbox@alaturfgrass. org). Photos will be appreciated, but not mandatory. Information that will be mandatory on your weigh-in ticket will be the type of saltwater fish you caught, the weight of your fish and the date. All entries must be received via email or text by 5 p.m. on Friday, July 28.

ATA will host a dinner and awards celebration on Saturday, July 29, at the Southern Tradition Fishing Lodge in Elberta, AL. This is a perfect setting for a casual dinner and fellowship with your fellow ATA members on the shores of beautiful Wolf Bay. All tournament participants will be automatically registered for this dinner, and tickets will be available to purchase for guests/spouses.

We appreciate our Mole Cricket Classic sponsors who help support the prizes of this great fundraiser for turfgrass research: AGRI-AFC, LLC, Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation, Greenville Turf & Tractor and SiteOne Landscape Supply. v

<<< ATA Member Spotlight

ATA Member Spotlight on

DAVID

LAWRENCE, Auburn University Turfgrass Research Unit

M

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Al ab ama Tu rf Ti me s >>> Spr ing 2017

any of you met David Lawrence at the Auburn University Research and Education Day, but if you didn’t, we’d like to introduce you to him.

David is the new superintendent at the Auburn University Turfgrass Research Unit. We are thrilled to have him on board and know that he will be an important part of our association and industry.

David is no stranger to Auburn. He graduated from Auburn University in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in horticulture, and in 2012, he completed his master’s degree in horticulture. The main focus of his master’s research was weed control in vegetable crops.

David reflects that he “didn’t go to college with the intentions of becoming a golf course superintendent or a sports turf manager, but managing turf was something that I could always see myself doing.” His father told David back in those college days to make sure he strove to be the best at whatever he does.

David has taken that advice to heart, as it is apparent in his daily job at the Turfgrass Research Unit.

After graduation, David took a job as the 2nd assistant on the Robert Trent Jones Trail at Ross Bridge in Birmingham. David attributes much of his knowledge of golf course turf equipment to “the great guys I learned from at Ross Bridge.”

He looks to Josh Dyer, superintendent at Ross Bridge, as a mentor. He “learned a lot from Josh, not only about managing turf and the golf industry, but also how to manage people and how to keep everything in perspective.” His experience at Ross Bridge led him to this job at the research unit back in December 2015.

Another mentor of David’s includes Dr. Scott McElroy, professor and weed scientist at Auburn University. “Dr. McElroy has had an influence on me since I took his class while in school at Auburn. Now that I work with him on a regular basis, he is always bringing up new ideas about how I can continue to develop myself,” David says.

We are excited to have David more accessible to the entire turfgrass industry in his new role with the Turfgrass Research Unit. A native of Clanton, AL, David married his wife, Montana, in 2012, and they are enjoying life on the plains with their two children, Owen (age 2) and Olivia (age 1). They still make regular trips back to Clanton, since he is managing a peach orchard with his father that the duo started back when David was in college.

We are excited to have David at the Turfgrass Research Unit and look forward to seeing his work and research for years to come. v

Cover Story >>>

EFFECTS OF THE 2016

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ATA

members have done it again — they have survived yet another weather-related hardship. The Drought of 2016 was described by John Christy, state climatologist, as the worst shortterm drought in Alabama in more than 100 years. The year ended with 86% of the state experiencing severe, extreme or exceptional drought conditions. Only Alabama’s southernmost counties fared better.

To put the drought in perspective, Birmingham averages 53.72" of precipitation annually, but during 2016, the

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Birmingham metro area ended the year with only 40.31" of precipitation, and 20.19" of that fell by the end of April. By the end of August, 35.17” had fallen, which meant the last four months of the year only received 5.14” of precipitation. During this time, Birmingham reported 61 consecutive days without rainfall; in comparison, Anniston reported 62 days, and Tuscaloosa reported 71 days.

Adding insult to injury, September, October and November saw aboveaverage, warm temperatures; much of the state set new records for Average Daily Temperature and Average Daily

Maximum Temperature. The combination of drought and above-average temperatures took its toll on the state’s normally green vegetation. During the last three months of the year, 2,316 wildfires were reported and more than 30,000 acres burned. Visitors arriving at airports in Huntsville, Birmingham, Montgomery and elsewhere reported seeing the smoke of these fires covering the daytime landscape like a blanket and creating an unusual glow at night, eerily similar to the fire-prone western states.

The editorial staff for Alabama Turf Times thought the ATA membership

ught

By James Horton, Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Photo courtesy of Jim Jacobi, Ph.D., Alabama Cooperative Extension System

Many thanks and deep appreciation to the following ATA members for allowing their responses to be shared!

Golf

Sports Field

(1) Lee McLemore, CGCS, The Country Club of Birmingham (2) Doris Slater, Dogwood Hills Golf Course (Flat Rock, AL) (3) Jeff Oelmann, CGCS, RTJ Golf Trail at Grand National (Opelika, AL)

(1) Tony Ivey, City of Huntsville Park & Recreation (2) Paul Patterson, University of Alabama Huntsville (3) Robby Carter, City of Auburn Park & Recreation

Lawn & Landscape

Sod

(1) Will Newton, Landscape Services, Inc. (Birmingham, AL) (2) David Isbell, Twelve Oaks Landscaping (Fort Payne, AL) (3) Randy Spruiell, Mighty Green Lawn Care (Trussville, AL)

(1) Wayne Bassett, Beckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Turf, Inc. (Tuskegee, AL) (2) Pete Winford, Shelby Sod Co., Inc. (Harpersville, AL) (3) Tom Wolf, Coosa Valley Turf Farms (Centre, AL)

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would like to see how their peers managed the 2016 drought. A drought survey was created and sent to 12 ATA members representing the four segments of the turf industry (golf, lawn care & landscape, sod production and sports turf). All surveys were emailed, answered and collected, without the knowledge of the other participants. We hope this sharing of information will benefit you when dealing with the next drought.

Cover Story >>> Continued

How many days did your course, farm, facility, sports fields go without rainfall?

Golf: (1) 72 days. (2) 75 days. (3) Beginning on August 19, we experienced 57 days of drought, then received 0.50" of rain, followed by another 43 days of drought before significant rain on November 28.

Lawn & Landscape: (1) 60 to 75 days.

(2) 57 days. (3) 72 days.

Sports Field: (1) About 40 days.

(2) 50 days. (3) 65 days.

Sod: (1) 55 Days. (2) 75 days with no rain. 103 days with only 0.15" of rainfall. (3) 98 days; we did get about 0.30" of rain on October 10.

As of November 30, 2016, your area of operation was how many inches below normal in rainfall?

Golf: (1) 11.35". (2) 15" plus. (3) 17".

Lawn & Landscape: (1) 15". (2) 7". (3) 11.35".

Sports Field: (1) 12" to 14". (2) 9.5". (3) 5".

Sod: (1) 10". (2) 25". (3) 15".

What percent loss of rounds, games or practices did you experience, if any?

Golf: (1) We had MORE rounds because of no rainouts, and carts were always off the path. (2) We had more rounds and are up for the year. (3) None; in fact, play was up this year.

Alabama ended 2016 with a huge rainfall deficit, especially in the northern half of the state.

Information provided by the National Weather Service Forecast Office, Birmingham, AL.

Sports Field: (1) None. Unfortunately, our teams probably utilized the fields more because there were no rainouts.

(2) None. (3) None.

Did you limit any play during the drought?

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Golf: (1) No. (2) No. (3) No. Sports Field: (1) No. (2) No. (3) No.

What percent loss of business did you experience, if any?

Lawn & Landscape: (1) Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too early to accurately identify. (2) About 2% to 3% loss. (3) 2%.

Sod: (1) None. (2) 35%. (3) None.

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Did you offer any new applications or services in lieu of reduced applications or maintenance, such as applying wetting agents?

Lawn & Landscape: (1) We offered watering from a well source. (2) Yes. (3) No.

Did you lose any turfgrass?

Golf: (1) Hard to tell until spring. Only in the rough, and limited to areas of tree competition or shallow soil over rock. Turf that went dormant while in drought stress may be subject to winterkill. (2) Long term, not sure.

Bermuda started to turn brown, especially near rock. Will wait until next April/May to see what comes back. (3) We had some thinning of rough and tees that had poor irrigation coverage.

Sports Field: (1) We did not experience any loss of turfgrass. However, it was highly stressed before going into dormancy, and there is a possibility that

we might have damage next season.

(2) None lost. (3) None.

Sod: (1) No. (2) Not sure yet; it went dormant in late September. (3) No measurable loss.

Can you give square footage of the grass lost by location: greens, tees, fairways and roughs?

Golf: (1) I would say turf loss is maybe 1 acre out of 200. (2) If we lost any grass, it was in the roughs or perhaps some locations in the fairways. (3) Localized spots in roughs and tees.

Was the quality of your turfgrass and/or plants affected?

Yes/No, and give a small explanation with location and percentage affected.

Golf: (1) Yes, fairways and roughs were

not as green, with several thin areas.

(2) We had good fairways, even though the roughs and fairways did turn brown in areas. (3) Yes, we had thinning of turf due to localized dry spots and poor soil in the rough, fairways and tees.

Lawn & Landscape: (1) Yes, the health of all plants was definitely challenged.

(2) Yes, for those without supplemental water via irrigation available. The effect on those with supplemental water was minimal. (3) Yes; several zoysia lawns were severely drought stressed.

Sports Field: (1) Yes, about 85%. The color and growth were affected. (2) Quality was not affected. (3) Not really.

Sod: (1) Yes, the turfgrass was not as lush and did not look as good, with more than a 20% decrease in quality.

(2) Yes, it stopped growing, and the root system did not fully develop before dormancy, so the damage will not be known until greenup. My guess is that we lost about 90 days of growth, which will delay marketing until mid-summer 2017. (3) No.

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Cover Story >>> Continued

What species/varieties performed best during the drought?

Golf: (1) 419, Celebration and TifTuf bermudagrasses. (2) 419 on the fairways. (3) Bahia.

Lawn & Landscape: (1) Deciduous plant material seemed to have the best defense mechanism (they drop their leaves during a severe drought). (2) Turf: Bermuda and Emerald zoysia (however, they did go into early dormancy). Trees/ shrubs: Most types of hollies, liriope, juniper, abelia, nandina, barberry and yew. (3) Bermuda turf faired the best and seemed to recover better than zoysia turf.

Sports Field: (1) Bermuda. (2) Bermuda, 419 and Riviera performed about the same. (3) Discovery bermuda.

Sod: (1) Celebration bermuda. (2) Probably zoysia, but bermuda has the ability to recover fast. (3) Warm-season varieties.

What species/varieties required the most care to maintain during the drought?

Golf: (1) Hybrid bluegrass, tall fescue and some zoysias. (2) Bentgrass greens had to be syringed to cool; I may consider adding fans next year if the summers continue to be as hot as the last two years. (3) Champion bermudagrass, Tifway 419 and bentgrass.

Lawn & Landscape: (1) Evergreen plant material required the most care. Holly, magnolia and boxwood struggled. Evergreens were most challenged. (2) Turf: Fescue. Trees/Shrubs: oakleaf hydrangea, gardenia, azalea/rhododendron and clethra. (3) Zoysia turf.

Sports Field: (1) Fescue and zoysia. (2) Perennial ryegrass overseeding. (3) Bermuda 419.

Sod: (1) No. (2) Yes; 100 acres or more.

(3) No.

Did you delay any renovations or installations because of the drought? If yes, when do you foresee starting those renovations?

Golf: (1) No. (2) No. (3) No. Lawn & Landscape: (1) Yes. We see starting installations in late winter. (2) Yes. (3) We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t provide this service.

Sports Field: (1) We were unable to make repairs to turf due to the unmanageable ground conditions. We also feared that newly planted grass would be considerably stressed and not survive.

We have delayed projects until spring.

(2) No. (3) None were planned.

Did you reduce or eliminate any overseeding?

Golf: (1) Yes. We did not overseed areas that were more for aesthetics.

We still overseeded areas that receive lots of wear in the winter, such as driving range tees and tees that get lots of iron play. (2) We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t overseed. (3) We did overseed this year, but it was planned for November, which helped us some. In the past, it has been September or October. The cooler weather and the lack of rainfall made it longer to get the seed germinated. Once we had some rain, the seed responded very well.

Did you take any turfgrass out of production?

Lawn & Landscape: (1) Overseeding was carried out, with only a few properties declining the service. For the most part, overseeding suffered due to the drought, with only 25% to 50% germination; so, most properties were re-seeded as conditions improved.

(2) Most fall overseeding projects at properties without irrigation were completely suspended. We plan on performing the regular overseeding early next spring. (3) Not a service we provide.

Sod: (1) No. (2) No. (3) No.

Sports Field: (1) We only overseeded

What species/varieties sold best during the drought?

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Did you delay placing any turfgrass into production?

If yes, how many acres?

Sod: (1) All varieties. (2) None; it all stopped. (3) All warm-season varieties.

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one athletic field. We had good success on the soccer field, but we probably used 50% more water. Off-field locations were overseeded, but germination was sparse (due to less water being used).

(2) Yes, sports fields were overseeded.

Other areas on campus were overseeded, but due to a lack of irrigation systems present in some areas or limited use of irrigation, these areas did not perform as well as the sports fields. (3) Normally, we do not overseed the softball complex.

Did you continue to warranty any of your installations during the drought? Can you provide a short explanation?

Lawn & Landscape: (1) Yes, due to industry standard. (2) Yes, but only if we had a maintenance contract and/ or installed an irrigation system. If the client did not have either, there were no warranties. (3) We do not provide installations.

Did you decrease your fertilizer and chemical use during the drought? If yes, by what percent? Did you limit any applications?

Golf: (1) Fertilizer use was maybe decreased by about 5%. Increased use of soil wetting agents. (2) Increased fungicide use on greens. Fertilizer use differed little, about the same as most years. (3) No. Lawn & Landscape: (1) We did not decrease fertilizer or chemical use, but that was mostly due to the time of year.

(2) Yes, +/- 10%. (3) Applications were continued with some rate of alteration.

All of our fertilizer applications are dry granular, with most of the products being polymer coated to prevent burning. We also left instructions on how best to water the turf and even suggested raising the mowing height.

Sports Field: (1) Yes, at least 50%. (2) Yes, about 30%. (3) Backed off completely.

Sod: (1) Yes, 50% to 75%. (2) Yes, 100%.

(3) No.

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Cover Story >>> Continued

What was your irrigation strategy?

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Golf: (1) We tried to irrigate with water that was self-supplied from lakes and wells, and we tried to match our usage to our daily production. Normally during dry times in the early fall when it was still hot, we would have used about 400,000 gal/course, but we were limited to 100,000 gal/course. (2) We started earlier each morning while still a little cooler, but we did not run irrigation any longer than normal. (3) We did more daily watering, more frequent irrigation cycles with soak times in between and many more irrigation repairs than previous years.

Sports Field: (1) Our recreation season was over when the drought conditions began; therefore, we did not compensate for the conditions. We continued watering fields as normal in past years.

We are generally aggressive with our maintenance when we begin preparing for the soccer/football season; therefore, we did not have to change our sched-

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ules as the drought persisted. (2) We increased zone run times on an asneeded basis on individual fields, usually by 25% per zone during each cycle. In some cases, we added a second cycle.

We averaged a 50% increase in watering. We were growing-in a new field of 419 bermuda that took up much of that increase. (3) We were cut off from using irrigation by the city.

Considering your clients with irrigation systems, do you feel they used them effectively, or did they tend to over/under water? What problems did you see? Give a short explanation.

Sod: (1) We started irrigation later than normal to have moisture in the morning. We decreased the amount of hours irrigating; our priority was to run irrigation over the fields that we were harvesting. No increase in irrigation repairs. (2) I watered my most valuable grass first, zoysia, and what water was left over was used on bermuda and centipede. I watered late in the afternoon as the sun went down and stopped early in the morning as the sun came up. I have not been unable to negotiate additional water rights. (3) Irrigation increased from five days per week to seven days per week. The need to irrigate carried over into November, approx-

Lawn & Landscape: (1) Irrigation systems definitely contribute to the challenge during drought due to the shallow root systems that are a result of consistent irrigation. That being said, irrigation systems are a very valuable tool. (2) It was a bit of a balancing act at first, but we worked with our clients to find the right amount for their landscape. The inclination of the client was to overwater if they had bermuda, and most fescue properties were slightly underwatered. I treated each property as its own micro-environment, depending on soil conditions and type of turf, right down to specific areas of the yard. Some areas were low and tended

imately 40 days more than normal.

Cover Story >>> Continued

to hold water, so we would run that zone for less time or a bit more infrequently. (3) The customers that were able to water certainly had a better quality of turf. Customers did not seem to water properly. They were only watering for short periods, which resulted in the turf drying out very fast.

Did you offer your customers any irrigation advice or guidelines? If yes, was that done in person, by phone, handouts, emails or other?

Golf: (1) We bought some city water in August and September but stopped once we reached stage 3 in early October. Five out of ten wells ran dry or had insufficient flow to pump. Lakes were down to 50% full pool. (2) Yes, we had to pump water from lakes never used before for irrigation, to lakes we use to pull irrigation water. (3) Yes, our 600-acre lake was down by 10 feet, and we only had 5 feet left to utilize.

Lawn & Landscape: (1) We offer guidance and assistance in person, by phone and email. (2) Yes, mostly phone calls, but we also sent a series of blog posts and emails. (3) Yes. At each service visit, we left “Nature Notes,” which provided customers with watering and mowing tips

Lawn & Landscape: (1) Yes. (2) We did not have any restrictions from the city, but it was getting close. Many customers with wells were having problems with recuperation times.

Some customers that had ponds, the level was down as much as 60”. (3) Yes.

Did you irrigate all your turfgrass? If you did not irrigate all your turfgrass, why not, and what areas saw reduced irrigation?

Golf: (1) We tried to irrigate the critical areas (greens, tees, high-traffic areas) first and then everything else on a limited basis. (2) As the drought persisted, we decreased irrigation to the roughs, fairways and finally tee boxes to save water. (3) No. We did not irrigate bahia or fescue in low-maintenance areas, if we could avoid it.

Sod: (1) No, to conserve water for turfgrass harvesting. (2) No, not enough water. (3) 95% was irrigated; non-irrigated turf was at the edge of the field, outside of the pivot circle.

From what source do you obtain your irrigation water?

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Was your water source running low or being reduced by the supplier?

Golf: (1) Wells, runoff, lakes and some city. (2) Lakes only. (3) Lake.

Lawn & Landscape: (1) City 95%. (2) Pond 1%, well 5%, city 94%. (3) City.

Sports Field: (1) City. (2) City. (3) City.

Sod: (1) Creeks, lakes, ponds and wells.

(2) Wells and creeks. (3) River.

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Sports Field: (1) No. (2) No. (3) Yes. Sod: (1) Yes. (2) The flow from my wells began to slow in October, and the flow of the creeks slowed down. (3) No.

Have you made irrigation upgrades in the last 5 years? If yes, did they prove beneficial during this drought? What changes were made?

Golf: (1) Big return on investment made the last six years! We doubled our water storage in 2009–2010 and piped all of our wells so they all tied into a lake. In years past, we would have been hurting. We also changed one course from 800 heads to 1,900 heads with all individual head control, which saved water by allowing us to irrigate only the areas that really needed it. (2) No complete upgrades, just normal maintenance to irrigation system. (3) In 2013, we added five feet to our pumps (intake piping) to get more water.

Sports Field: (1) Undetermined benefit from replaced irrigation controllers. (2) No. (3) No, just general maintenance.

Sod: (1) Yes, we expanded two ponds.

(2) Yes, and I still need more water.

(3) None that were notable.

Have you made or considered making any changes to your irrigation system that would increase efficiency? What type of changes?

Golf: (1) We will install a new irrigation system on our East Course in 2017–2018.

(2) Build more water storage, and repair leaks on current lakes. (3) No response.

Sod: (1) Yes, we changed sprinklers on irrigation equipment. (2) Yes, I need more water. (3) Yes.

Would you consider doing a water audit to improve efficiency?

Golf: (1) No response. (2) Would the person doing the water audit be qualified, and would he/she be making recommendations based on theory or practicality? I would not want this audit if the person did not have knowledge of local conditions. What works for one course may not work for another due to soil conditions, turf type, location, etc. (3) We have done some.

Sports Field: (1) Yes. (2) Yes. (3) Yes. Sod: (1) Yes. (2) Yes. (3) Yes.

Any final comments or lessons learned that you could share with others?

Golf: (1) Build more water storage if possible. (2) Build more water storage, and repair leaks on current lakes. (3) No response.

Lawn & Landscape: (1) Each drought is different based on the conditions being experienced at that time. There is no strategy that best fits all droughts.

Assess each one differently, and then try to make the best choices. (2) Be as proactive as possible. Water is a precious resource even without a drought. Take the time to monitor, and do your best to get just the right amount out for each customer. This can be difficult because no one place is the same as the other, so it has to be customized for each client. But hopefully in the end, the client is happy, and you have

done the best you can without being wasteful. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a fine line when you have conditions like we had at the end of 2016. (3) We need to continue to look for ways to develop droughtresistant turf and plants. Looking for alternative water sources will also help.

Sports Field: (1) We fear that the effects of the drought will be seen in the following years. Our turfgrass was stressed going into the fall, and we fear that an abnormally cold winter could have negative effects on our turfgrass. (2) No response. (3) The softball complex didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t suffer like a golf course would.

We were very dusty, but the overall condition of the turf was OK. Sod: (1) No response. (2) Before you put production in, make sure of your water source and its volume. If you irrigate from river systems, you better know exactly what you are doing and (know) the permit process, or you will end up in a big expensive mess. (3) You cannot have too much irrigation.

I pray that this year is the exception and not the norm. v

Al ab ama Tu rf Ti me s >>> S pring 201 7

19

Landscape Corner >>>

Diagnosing

NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES

in Ornamental Plants

By Geoff Denny, Ph.D., Assistant Extension Professor, Mississippi State University Key for identifying ornamental-plant nutrient deficiencies based on visual symptoms.

Symptoms start on old leaves, but spread to whole plant.

Old Leaves Symptoms on older leaves only.

Plant is pale green. Lower leaves yellow and dry to brown.

Nitrogen

Plant is dark green with purple or red coloration. Lower leaves are yellow and dry to dark green.

Phosphorus

Leaves yellow at the edges, but remain green in the middle.

Magnesium

Leaves wilted or scorched.

Edges and spots on leaf necrotic.

Potassium

Stems are shortened and rosetted

Symptoms first appear on:

Yellowing between leaf veins Stems not shortened or rosetted

Leaves yellowing

Zinc Leaves develop necrotic spots Leaves do not develop necrotic spots

Entire leaf yellow, spreading to the whole plant

Young Leaves

Iron

Sulfur

Boron

Terminal bud dying Leaves deformed and/or necrotic

Manganese

New leaves deformed.

Leaf tips and edges are necrotic.

Calcium

Plant is shunted. Leaves bluish-green, small & deformed

Copper

Al ab am a Tu rf Tim es >>> S pring 201 7

Terminal bud not dying

Redrawn from Shober & Denny, 2010.

Caution: This information is for educational and preliminary planning purposes only. Use this key as a guide only. The user assumes the risk of using or otherwise relying on the output of the key. Mississippi State Extension Service does not warranty the functionality of the key or that errors can or will be discovered or corrected. Mississippi State Extension Service does not warranty the accuracy or completeness of any output from the key. The key, its use and output are provided â&#x20AC;&#x153;as isâ&#x20AC;? and without any expressed or implied warranty, including merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Mississippi State Extension Service shall not be bound by any key output and is not responsible for use or reliance on any such output.

20

W

hen your plants start to look bad, there are many possible causes. One common culprit is a nutrient deficiency. Nutrient deficiencies happen when a plant lacks one of the many “essential nutrients.” This is similar to a vitamin deficiency in people.

Determining which plant nutrient is missing can be a challenge. The first step is to rule out any other potential causes of the symptoms you see. Below is a list of common causes of symptoms similar to plant nutrient deficiency.

• Insects/mites • Nematodes • Diseases • Too much water • Not enough water • Cold damage • Pesticide damage • Soil compaction • Air pollution

Soil tests are a good way to determine which nutrients are available to your plants and to identify other factors that might cause nutritional problems (such as pH or salinity). Mississippi State University Extension offers affordable soil-testing services.

Plant tissue tests will tell you how much of each nutrient is in the plant.

This shows you what the plant lacks and which nutrients are too high, possibly causing nutrient toxicity.

Having both the soil and plant tissue tested will give you the most complete picture of what is going on with your plant. This is the most accurate way of deciding what nutrient is missing from your plants and what to do about it.

For more info on these tests, contact your county Extension agent, or visit http://msucares.com/crops/soils/ testing.html.

Plan A — soil and tissue tests

Plan B — use visual symptoms to diagnose deficiency

The best way to find out what your plants lack is by soil and tissue testing.

Many plant nutrient deficiencies can be

diagnosed based on their visual symptoms. This is a convenient method, but it is not as accurate or dependable as soil and tissue testing. Some symptoms take longer to develop than others, and if more than one nutrient is deficient, it can be difficult to tell what is missing.

This method is not intended to replace tissue and soil tests, but it can be used when testing is impractical.

The diagram in this article will help you determine which nutrients your plants lack based on visual symptoms.

To use the diagram, follow these steps: 1. Begin on the left side of the diagram.

2. Select the option that matches the plant’s symptoms.

3. Move to the next choice.

4. Do this until you reach one of the plant nutrient deficiencies on the right side.

Remember, using visual symptoms to diagnose nutrient deficiencies should only be used for preliminary planning purposes. v

Al ab ama Tu rf Ti me s >>> S pring 201 7

21

Recent Events >>>

ATA’s 2017 RoadShow Seminars Once Again a Huge Success!

By Tricia Roberts, ATA Executive Director

T

Al ab am a Tu rf Tim es >>> S pr ing 201 7

hank you to everyone who attended a RoadShow Seminar earlier this year. The seminars were a huge success again, and we appreciate the support at all six locations: Auburn, Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, Loxley and Montgomery.

Throughout the state, ATA educated close to 500 turf managers with all six seminars combined. This comes with a great appreciation from the ATA board and staff.

The goal of these RoadShow Seminars has always been to educate turf managers on principles and practices of turf maintenance. They are scheduled during the winter months so there’s no competition with busy work schedules. There’s

22

obviously a need for these seminars since we have grown to six seminars, and we appreciate you, our members, for supporting these meetings and events.

We would also like to thank our wonderful speakers who traveled the state, teaching at each of these seminars.

Thank you to Dr. Dave Han (Auburn University), Bill Abetz (Florikan), Adam Boyd (Auburn University), Dr. Jim Jacobi (Alabama Cooperative Extension System), Sonja Thomas (Alabama Cooperative Extension System) and Austin Hagan (Auburn University). Their continued support of these seminars is instrumental to the events’ success.

In order for these seminars to remain in the “black,” we rely heavily on our

sponsors. A big thank you goes out to each of them that supported these seminars in 2017: PBI/Gordon (lunch sponsor), AGRI-AFC, Agromax, Alabama Green Industry Training Center/ACES, Alliance Small Engines (Blossman Gas Services), Beard Equipment Company, BWI Companies, Ewing Irrigation, Gowan Company, Harrell’s, Humphries Turf Supply, Jacobsen, JBT Power, Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation, Residex, SiteOne Landscape Supplies, Southern States Turf and Sur-Line Turf.

We look forward to bringing these educational opportunities to the industry again this coming winter. We look forward to seeing you on the road in 2018! v

<<< News from ATA

Submit Your Applications for the

ATA LEGACY SCHOLARSHIP

C

23

Al ab ama Tu rf Ti me s >>> S pring 201 7

alling all members with children and grandchildren in college — it’s time to submit applications for our Legacy Scholarship. Last year, ATA agreed to sponsor a Legacy Scholarship, and we plan to keep this tradition going for as long as we’re possibly able. Applications will be accepted from any student that is a child or grandchild of a current ATA member.

The application is a simple online form found on our website at www. alturfgrass.org. All applications are due by July 1. We plan to have the scholarship awarded for fall term 2018. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the ATA office at 334-821-3000. v

Welcome, New ATA Members! >>>

Welcome, New ATA Members!

Jevon Armstrong Wayne’s Environmental Services Birmingham, AL Luis Blankenship Turf Medic, Inc. Huntsville, AL Joe Borden RTJ Golf Trail at Grand National Opelika, AL Curt Boudreau City of Huntsville, Landscape Mgmt.

Huntsville, AL Christopher Bradford City of Daphne Daphne, AL Michael Brass University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL James Brassell Up Your Grass, LLC Montgomery, AL Caleb Bright Bright Landscape, LLC Cullman, AL Davida Broderick Elite Lawn Care Service Wetumpka, AL

Al ab am a Tu rf Tim es >>> S pr ing 201 7

Justin Brown Wayne’s Environmental Service Birmingham, AL

Mark Butler Butler Lawn Care Wetumpka, AL Caleb Carroll Pro Southern Landscapes Joppa, AL Craig Conner Edgewater Beach Resort Panama City Beach, FL James Cooper Largen, Inc. Owens Cross Roads, AL Gerald Crafts Lawnscapes, LLC Athens, AL Sean Dailey Morgan County Park and Recreation Hartselle, AL Terry Deese Twiins Lawn Care Columbia, AL Jerry Dunham Mr. Turf Huntsville, AL Daniel Elliott City of Huntsville, Landscape Mgmt.

Huntsville, AL Fred Emens Leeds, AL Scot Farris GreenTech Lawn Pros Tuscumbia, AL

Jay Fults City of Huntsville, Landscape Mgmt.

Huntsville, AL Pete Gonzalez Proscapes Turf Montgomery, AL Brad Hackett Proscapes Turf Montgomery, AL Brandon Haley Red Diamond, Inc. Moody, AL Ken Healy Spring Green Lawn Care Huntsville, AL Seth Henson Tennessee Valley Country Club, Inc. Tuscumbia, AL

Heath Legg Superior Lawn Care Hartselle, AL Chris Lewis Homewood High School Homewood, AL

David Osborne City of Huntsville, Landscape Mgmt.

Huntsville, AL William Oswald Lakewinds Golf Club Alexander City, AL

Lester Linden Century South Ornamentals Elberta, AL

David Phillips Yard Therapy, LLC Montgomery, AL

Paige Lowe The Master’s Classic Touch, Inc. Springfield, AL

Ronald Prevatt Alabama Professional Services Fultondale, AL

Phillip Lowe The Master’s Classic Touch, Inc. Springfield, AL

Neal Preveaux Alabaster, AL

J.P. Mathis Troon Golf Matthews, AL

Tony Ivey City of Huntsville, Landscape Mgmt.

Huntsville, AL

Joshua Maupin Munie Greencare Hartford, AL

DeMarcus Johnson City of Birmingham Birmingham, AL

John McAtee McAtee Lawn Care Pensacola, FL

Brittney Kabel SouthLawn, Inc. City, AL

Paul Merchant City of Fairhope Fairhope, AL

Ricky Kilgore City of Huntsville, Landscape Mgmt.

Huntsville, AL

Joseph Mohler City of Huntsville, Landscape Mgmt.

Huntsville, AL

Lisa Pride City of Huntsville, Landscape Mgmt.

Huntsville, AL Andrew Rasch RTJ Golf Trail at Cambrian Ridge Greenville, AL John Riddle City of Huntsville, Landscape Mgmt.

Huntsville, AL Guy Roemen Landmark Landscape Group, Inc. Hoover, AL Jamie Rollins City of Fairhope Fairhope, AL

John Bullington Lawn Care Plus, Inc. Athens, AL

Neal Faulkner Wayne’s Environmental Services Birmingham, AL

Jeff King Puregreen Athens, AL

Carlos Moore City of Birmingham Birmingham, AL

Danny Self City of Homewood Homewood, AL

Todd Bunch Xtreme Turf Lawn Care Loxley, AL

Jennifer Fidler City of Fairhope Fairhope, AL

Alex Langford Judi’s Lawn Care Madison, AL

Paul Morana Krob Landscape Silverhill, AL

Alleb Bush Bush Landscaping, LLC Auburn, AL

Richard Fowler City of Huntsville, Landscape Mgmt.

Huntsville, AL

Craig Shaw City of Huntsville, Landscape Mgmt.

Huntsville, AL

Mike Lawrence Theodore, AL

Mike Naramore Hoover City Schools Hoover, AL

24

Jim Shields Homewood High School Homewood, AL

Selwyn Slaton Slaton Services Mobile, AL Walter Smelley Walt’s Land Care Chelsea, AL Spencer Sturdidant Judi’s Lawn Care Madison, AL Jeffrey Thompson Ryles Grassing, LLC Baker, FL Michael Tinker City of Birmingham Birmingham, AL Doug Trosper MTZ Landscaping Alabaster, AL George Trotter Trotter’s Enterprise, LLC Dothan, AL

Kyle Tucker Wayne’s Environmental Services Birmingham, AL Charles Underwood Southern Blades, Inc. Meridianville, AL Kevin Usry Wayne’s Environmental Services Birmingham, AL Ryan Varnum Ryan Turf Management Anniston, AL Phillip Wagnon Victory Lap Lawn Care Prospect, TN Lee Weston Grand Hotel Marriott Point Clear, AL

Ben Williams City of Alabaster Alabaster, AL Jeff Williams City of Fairhope Fairhope, AL Eric Marice Willis Sr. City of Birmingham Birmingham, AL Thomas Wilson Hoover City Schools Hoover, AL Kevin Winkles City of Huntsville, Landscape Mgmt.

Huntsville, AL Kelley Zwiebel Sunrise Lawn Service Birmingham, AL

Jeffery White Complete Cuts, LLC Turf Management Capshaw, AL

DIGITAL Marketplace

Some of the Benefits of ATA Membership • Educational opportunities through six RoadShow seminars conducted across the state each year, plus field days that are industry specific and provide all ATA members the opportunity to earn Pesticide Recertification points and other industry CEUs. • Free subscription to ATA’s quarterly magazine, Alabama Turf Times, and to ATA’s monthly enewsletters, as well as a free listing in ATA’s annual membership directory.

• Scholarships for turfgrass students at Auburn University and a Legacy Scholarship for our members’ children and grandchildren.

• Lobbying efforts for industry concerns.

• Discounts on everything from registration fees for various events to ATA clothing and merchandise.

• Turfgrass research support through two major fundraisers: the Poa annua Golf Tournament and the Mole Cricket Classic Deep-Sea Fishing Tournament.

Download a QR reader to your phone and scan the code to learn more about these companies.

Al ab ama Tu rf Ti me s >>> Spr ing 2017

Calendar of Events >>>

Index of Advertisers >>>

May – July

August 27–31

ATA Mole Cricket Classic Deep Sea Fishing Tournament Open Season (see page 8)

StormCon 2017 Conference The Stormwater Pollution Prevention Conference Meydenbauer Center Bellevue, WA

July 16–18 NALP Legislative Day on the Hill (National Association of Landscape Professionals) Washington, D.C.

September 26–28

July 19–22

October 18–20

TPI Summer Program (In conjunction with the 2017 International Turfgrass Research Conference) The Heldrich New Brunswick, NJ

July 23–28 Perennial Plant Symposium Denver, CO

July 29 ATA Mole Cricket Classic Deep Sea Fishing Tournament Awards Banquet Southern Tradition Fishing Lodge Elberta, AL

NRPA Congress and Expo (Nat. Rec. and Park Assn.)

New Orleans, LA LANDSCAPES 2017 (formerly the PLANET Green Industry Conference) Kentucky Epo Center Louisville, KY

October 19–20 GIE+Expo — Green Industry Equipment Expo and School of Grounds Management Kentucky Expo Center Louisville, KY

November 7–9 Deep South Turf Expo Mississippi Coast Convention Center Biloxi, MS

Agri-AFC, LLC ............................................................. 3 www.agri-afc.com Aquatrols.................................................................. 22 www.aquatrols.com BWI Companies....................................................... 19 www.bwicompanies.com Color-Flex Distance Markers ................................ 23 www.color-flex.com Coosa Valley Turf Farm ........................................... 7 www.coosavalleyturffarms.com Greenville Turf & Tractor, Inc. ..............................17 www.greenvilleturf.com Humphries Turf Supply ...........................................9 www.humphriesturf.com Jerry Pate Turf & Irrigation ................................. Inside Back Cover www.jerrypate.com North Georgia Turf Company, Inc. .......................21 wwwngturf.com Premium Turf, LLC. ................... Inside Front Cover Progressive Turf Equipment, Inc............................8 www.progressiveturfequip.com RD Murphy, LLC ........................................................ 7 www.rdmurphy.com Riebeling Farms, Inc...............................................26 Shelby Sod ............................................................... 25 www.shelbysod.com Smith Seed Services ............................................... 25 www.smithseed.com South Dallas Turf .....................................................15 www.southdallasturf.com Southeast Turf Maintenance ................................26 www.southeastturf.com Southern Specialty Equipment ..............................12 www.ssequip.net Southern State Turf ............................................... 25 www.ssturf.net Sur-Line Turf, Inc. ................................................... 23 www.surlineturf.com Syngenta Professional Products ........................... 19 The Andersons Technologies, Inc. ........................13 www.andersonsgolfproducts.com The Turfgrass Group, Inc .................. 5, Back Cover www.theturfgrassgroup.com TriEst Ag Group Inc.................................................15 www.triestag.com Weed Man ............................................................... 25 www.weedmanfranchise.com