Shade

The hot weather has arrived and the stress on the course is beginning to show. The next two months will be a struggle like always to keep the turf alive in the hot and dry weather just as the roots are getting smaller and smaller this time of year. While most of us love a bit of shade during a hot round of golf the turf actually perfers the sun over the shade. Many of our greens are set back against vegetation where there is plenty of shade and little air movement. Both of these situations are not good for turf especially our greens which are mowed at a tenth of an inch. The following is from PACE turf and explains why the turf needs sunlight not shade.

Why turf needs light: Plants use light the same way that animals use food  — to fuel

The chemical reactions that keep them alive.  But different plants need different levels

of light.  Shade loving house-plants or mosses that grow on the forest floor require very little light and will actually die if exposed to direct sun. In contrast,  plants  such  as  turf grass require many hours per day of high  intensity sunlight, and will die if forced to grow in the shade. What happens in the shade? When  turf  plants  receive  less light than  is optimal, they begin to change almost immediately.  The  plants  stretch  out,

with  thinner  stems  and  taller plants.  Root  growth  is  decreased,  and  leaves  become darker, fewer in number, narrower and more succulent. Shade vs. turf: can they coexist? The damage cascades: Eventually, the turf plant becomes weakened. The  succulent leaves are more susceptible to damage  from  foot and equipment traffic, as well as to disease. The depleted root system makes it difficult for the plant to recover from injury, and weeds become more common, because the turf is unable to compete with them.  As the shaded turf succumbs to these pressures, thinning and bare spots become more common.  And because shaded turf requires less water, these areas are frequently wet and muddy. Only tree pruning or removal can completely stop shade-related damage. Raise mowing heights to increase plant health, minimizing traffic, or replacing turf with shade tolerant plants, ground covers, or mulches are other ways but are normally unaccepted.