Mowing In December

There is always a first time for everything..... and mowing greens in December is one of those moments. In my 10 years at Sagamore, we have never mowed greens this late in the season. Generally speaking, the bentgrass tends to halt growth around the middle to latter part of November. Not the case this year.
 A late season shot of Ammonium Sulfate on the greens timed when the vertical growth has slowed but not subsided, is a key application we made on November 9th. This application enhances spring green up, improves fall, winter, and spring root growth, and enhances the storage of carbohydrates for the winter months.

Fast forward to December 4th and we have decided to put one last cut on the greens (hopefully). The pictures below illustrate the change in appearance from a single cut.

The "mottling" appearance of the greens at this time of year is a common occurrence in the Spring/Fall and is referred to as segregation. The segregation forms on the greens with age and is caused by different bio types of seed. As seed matures from establishment, different bio types of A-1 are established, and thus different bio types change color and grow at different rates, thus giving the greens a mottled appearance. Long story short, the segregation is nothing to worry about.

In closing, the extended 10 day outlook looks very promising for a few extra rounds of golf for the month of December. We will keep the golf course open as long as the weather permits. Thanks again.