Have You Even Seen Agave Flowers?

Have you ever seen Agave flowers?  These two specimens can be viewed at the end of Hawthorne Road at the residence of Don and Suzie Drobny.  The flower of the plant actually is the entire spike, which produces florets all the way up the nearly 15 ft. spike.  The florets open from the bottom first, and continue to open in sequence up the spike.  Florets of Agave differ in shapes and colors but are mostly yellow and white.  

One big drawback is that most Agave die shortly after they flower.  They produce "pups" around the base before passing on, thus continuing their genetics in nature.  It has been proven that if the flower talks are removed from the parents plant before blooming is completed, there is a good likelihood that the plant's life will be spared.  In most cases, Agave are arid plants indigenous to the southwest United States and Mexico.  

They thrive in arid conditions, and are easily propagated.  They grown rapidly under ideal conditions.  Our area is great for them in that the temperatures do not usually get cold enough for damage to occur.

Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Drobny for allowing us to share your plants!

Herbicide Resistant Poa annua

Poa annua, annual bluegrass, or most commonly known as Poa is a very problematic weed in the Southeastern United States.  Poa is an annual grass that typically germinates around September and lives through the winter until the temperature gets too warm and dies off, usually around May.  To combat this monster of a weed, we utilize pre and post emergent herbicides throughout the fall, winter and spring months of the year and time their applications to the growth stage of the Poa.  

There are several different herbicides that are available to use for these applications, however, the herbicide used must also be safe for use on the desired turf, whether it be Bermuda, Zoysia or even Centipede.  Over the last several years, we have rotated the different herbicides to decrease the possibility of the different bio-types of Poa from building herbicide resistance to the different chemistries of herbicides.  Well, the time has finally come that we are beginning to see some herbicide resistance at different areas throughout the property and post emergence control is becoming very difficult.  

We are working on finding a new herbicide that will control our herbicide resistant bio-type,  whether it be something new or an older chemistry that has been around for years.  The wet spring has also increased the amount of Poa we have had to fight off continuously to keep things looking good.  Although we won't be able to eradicate the Poa, we will have a new plan in place for next year and hopefully have much better control.

Maintaining our Transplanted Trees on the Dye Course

Asst. Superintendent Kyle Bowman prepares to fertilize 

With the warmer weather and things really starting to green this past week, we were able to get out and give the trees that were moved in January, 2012, a good root feeding with a complete fertilizer that also contains Mycorrhiza. These trees have assimilated well and in general, doing very good in their new homes. 

Transplanting trees on the Dye Course - January, 2012

When the Clubhouse was landscaped in 2002, it was planted very heavily to help give it a mature and established feeling.  As the plant material has grown and matured, some things have needed to be either thinned or transplanted.  The Live Oaks that were originally planted in the parking lot were a good example of over planting.  In some instances, they were only 20 feet from each other and would have to compete for sun, water and nutrients as they got older.  These were the trees that we have moved to several strategic locations on the course and cart staging areas.  All together, seven trees have been transplanted.  

Divot Helpful Hints

Mole Crickets on the Nicklaus Course

Mole Crickets are one of the more serious pest issues dealt with on The Nicklaus Course. Mole Crickets are sub-surface feeding insects that cause damage to the turfgrass by feeding on roots or creating tunnels in search of prey. Mole Crickets occur primarily in the sandy soils of the coastal southeast and they spend the winter deep in the soil. These insects will come to the surface to feed as temperatures begin to rise. Due to some recent spring weather, the Nicklaus course has been seeing its first signs of damage in 2013. During these warmer spring nights, they will fly around in search of food or a place to lay their eggs. The damaged caused can be a real issue to the playing surfaces of the golf course and that’s what makes keeping these insects under control such a high priority. The Nicklaus maintenance team utilizes a few different insecticides in their efforts to control these pests and these applications are made annually from spring to fall, and as needed. Unfortunately, mole crickets can be tough to control at times due to their mobility in the soil, however, spring applications have begun and we have been seeing good control of the insects.

Blue Bird Houses on the Dye Course

Back in March of 2009, the Dye Agronomy Team built fifty bluebird boxes and installed them around the course and surrounding lakes. Every winter, members of the Dye Agronomy Team make their way around the plantation to clean out the boxes and prepare them for the spring. This past week, one of our agronomy team members and our resident expert, Mrs. Karen Anderson, traveled around the Dye Course to inspect the condition and locations of all the bluebird boxes. The objective was to position the boxes in areas that will create greater activity within the boxes, but also be visible for the member’s enjoyment. All the boxes were cleaned out, sprayed with a water and bleach mixture, which helps prevent insect infestation, and fitted with a new cotter pin to make it easier to open and close the boxes for cleaning. With the help of Mrs. Anderson, the agronomy team will continue to observe the bluebird boxes throughout the year to make the necessary improvements and additions to create more natural and active environment around the Dye Course.

New Look Just Inside Front Gate!

As part of the “First Impressions” program, Community Grounds crews have been diligently working to enhance the front entrance of Colleton River Plantation.  Irrigation has been upgraded, drainage installed, and new plantings and mulch have been installed.  The changes are quite noticeable.  Since the program is ongoing, the crews will begin re-vamping some of the landscaping outside the walls to give a better “curb” appeal.  Most of the front entrance landscaping is over twelve years old, and a new appearance will help reduce the “tired” look that often occurs with mature landscapes.

Other areas within the club will be addressed in the near future, also.  Our landscape architect has produced designs for fresh looks at the Nicklaus Clubhouse, Conference and Tennis Center, and the “Crest Wall” areas.

New Moisture Management Tool

Pictured below is one of the many tools we use on a daily basis, the Spectrum Technologies TDR 300.  This device allows us to quantitatively measure the soil moisture by its percentage of volumetric water content (%VWC) versus the old fashion way of a soil probe and feeling the plug, leaving a lot of interpretation from one team member to the next.  The TDR 300 allows a staff member to take readings and based upon the %VWC determine if that particular spot on the green needs to be watered or not, this allows us to water only areas of the green that need water and not water the areas that still have proper moisture in the soil.  The areas that typically need more water are hills and slopes that dry down quicker than the low areas, achieving a consistent %VWC across the entire green is our goal however due to weather and environmental conditions we have a range that we rely on for daily goal.  The use of this device helps the greens play firmer and faster by maximizing plant health during thosehot-dry periods of the summer.