Taking the patient's temperature is step one

Just like people, the grass plant's temperature is very important. More precisely, the root system temperature is what is more important. Research has shown that as long as the root system stays within it's optimal temperature range, ambient air temperature has little effect on plant growth. This is why Augusta National has installed heating an cooling pipes under their greens.

So what does this mean for CCN? It means that we are at the mercy of Mother Nature when it comes to plant growth and recovery. Bermuda grass's optimal root temperatures are approximately 70-95 degrees. Thats basically late Spring before the real dog days of summer and early Fall before temperatures fall out. Within that range the plant grows vigorously. If its too hot the plant will still grow but at the expense of the root system. If its too cold, the plant will just shut down all together. At 55 degrees the root system of Bermuda grass completely shuts down.

Below is a screen snapshot using our wireless soil monitor system of 16 green. The flat line part is from when we had the monitor out of the ground for pencil tining the green. The top part is the percentage of water in the soil and the bottom is temperature.  As you an see the temperatures are well below the optimal growing points. Although the temperature creeps up during the hottest parts of the day, that's like have an "A" in a class room full of D's and F's, the bell curve is still pretty bad. The soil's buffering capacity is such that it takes several days of very nice weather to get those roots kicked into the growth mode.

On the positive side, it's nearly March and although for a lot of people that means NCAA basketball tournament time, for me that means good growing weather time. I have all the fertility systems primed and ready to go once the soil warms up.