Cultural Practices Have Begun

This week we crossed another milestone marker in the preparation of the new greens. For the first time, we were able to aggressively brush the greens and remove some of the unnecessary tissue. This process involved driving a cart on the greens for the first time...you can imagine my fear...that's why I did it myself. Below are some photos that outline the process.



The first step of the process was to brush the greens with the pull behind unit pictured above. This brush stood up lots of unnecessary tissue that could then be mowed off.



On the right side of this photo, you can clearly see how much tissue is being removed.



Here is a wider view of the mowing process. Just look at how much grass is being removed!



The final step of the process was to mechanically roll the greens to remove any slight impressions that may have been left behind by the cart tires.

This process of brushing is just one off many maintenance items we group under the title of cultural practices. Others include aerification (hollow tine, solid tine and deep tine) and topdressing. These are the critical practices that will ensure the longevity of the new greens. They are the basic maintenance items that help prevent the excess accumulation of organic matter (thatch) in greens and maybe more importantly to you, they are the practices that promote smooth, fast putting greens.