Grass Clippings
It has been a long and eventful summer, and I must open by thanking all those Members who have sent get well messages over the past few months and resoundingly, it is good to be back at the Club. The absence from the working routine of the last few months has allowed me to be reflective about what, as a team, we have managed to achieve at the Club in the last eight years. It is always the goal to improve the facilities and aim as high as possible, hopefully this has been achieved.
On the subject of improvements, David Howe and the greenkeeping team have just completed the summer greens renovation. We have managed to aerate and top dress the greens and have them back into play as quickly as possible. On several greens we have resorted to using contractors’ equipment which is fitted with ‘oversized multiple drill bits’. These bore out the surface of the green and, at the same time, replenish the void made with fresh sand. The reason for all this effort is to reconnect the top surface of the green with sand filled channels that reach down over 30 cm to the drainage levels below. These greens historically all show significant improvements in the winter and consequently drain quicker.
On the tennis courts, the contractors are progressing getting Courts 7-10 ready for installing a ring beam around the outside of the courts, which is the anchorage system for the inflatable bubble. This week contractors are also painting the indoor tennis courts (1, 2 and 3) so these are out of play until the end of the week.
I have instructed the Course and Grounds crew to collectively do a rain dance each and every morning before leaving the compound (it’s quite a sight) to encourage the storm gods to relieve the drought. Fortunately, our bore hole is delivering a quantity of water to the prioritize areas where it is needed. I am confident that most of the grass in the roughs will bounce back when autumn rains come. But in case some patches are weak, we have an overseeding plan in place to ensure we have full coverage going into 2023.
The heat wave of July has slipped away, August has arrived rather overcast, with no real rain having fallen in the past several months. The keen-eyed golfers among you will have noticed that this has a significant effect on some tree species around the Club as the world warming up effect that scientists have predicted for some time now takes effect.
One such significant change for the British Isles will be a shift in vegetation patterns and some species that usually thrive in the south, will in the future, do better in the central and northern England areas. While some trees and shrubs which do better currently in warmer parts of Europe, may well do well in the South-eastern area. I doubt we will have palm trees planted out down the Kings Road as yet, but farmers and market gardeners have been aware for some time that we will be in a state of flux.
Prolonged drought may also assist established weed colonises to expend faster. Anecdotal evidence that Hemlock Water Dropwort which is extremely toxic to humans and wildlife is on the increase in parts of Lancashire. News recently surfaced that Dead Man’s Fingers was found by a canal in Chorley. The plant – a member of the carrot family – is extremely toxic to humans and wildlife and death can occur in a few hours after ingestion. Dropwort prefers a moist environment and can be found growing naturally in damp meadows, near ditches, ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water. With lowering river and stream levels now. The plant can take advantage of the conditions and spread faster than it can be controlled. Some of the changes are going to take decades to transpire into credible data whilst others will be evident faster. On our estate, this season, it has been noted that shallow rooted trees such as birch have suffered greater than other species that have deep tap roots. Our soils, being a light sandy clay loam do not hold water too well in drought conditions therefore many trees have gone into shock conditions and are losing leaves as a method to reduce water loss. We will need a rather wet winter this year to help revive turf and plant stock and put back moisture into the water table for the future months.
Care for your plants
When the temperatures rise above 30C many plants in the garden will inevitably suffer from ill effects. However, with adequate care of outdoor plants in extreme heat, the effects of heat stress on plants, including vegetables, can be minimized. During the heat, some plants can go into a mini-dormancy period to conserve energy. Leaves wilt or roll up, plants can shrivel and waste away into nothing. Both metabolism and growth slow down or stop completely. Flowers, fruit and leaves drop to conserve moisture loss and limit evaporation, and leaves can actually get sunburn or sunscald. Fruit and stems can blister!
Plants that are mature, well-established, and planted in highly organic soil with mulch and supplemental watering, will survive when the temperatures get high for a day or two. But when you have prolonged heat, with no rain and no break – then you have problems with some plants that aren’t able to take the heat!
Here’s what to watch for and how to help your plants through these harsh times. When gardening in the summer, water in the early morning is best, or if absolutely necessary, late in the afternoon when the hottest part of the day has passed.
Also, be sure to only water right at the roots. Sprinklers or aerial watering systems, or even a garden hose spraying all over the leaves; just won’t get the moisture where it’s needed most, which can lead to fungal and bacterial issues. Plus, those water droplets will just evaporate into the dry air, or sometimes they can actually burn holes and brown patches into the leaf surface like magnifying glasses if present when the sun comes out.
Knowing if your plants have very shallow surface root systems means knowing you need to water more frequently. These kinds of plants also really need that extra layer of mulch protection. Tap rooted trees and plants won’t need water as often since they go much deeper.
New plants and ones trying to establish, or fruiting plants both need to be watered frequently in the heat. Check moisture every morning using the ‘finger test’ method by sticking your finger into the soil at the roots up to the second knuckle and feel if there is moisture available still.
Common symptoms of heat stress in plants
Anyone who’s planted spinach or lettuce and then the summer heat snuck up on them before they had their first salad knows, bolting is a common issue for cool-weather crops. Bolting is a plant ‘speeding up’ their growth process to try and get their seeds out there as soon as possible, the sudden heat tricking them into thinking the end is nigh!
Sometimes other plants can bolt, sending up their flowering shoots fast and even stunting the rest of their growth. There are bolt-resistant and heat-resistant crops and of course, providing smaller plants some afternoon shade and a soil-cooling bed of mulch to grow in. Water well as needed, preferably in the morning, and cover with shade cloth to reduce this issue. Sometimes just moving that patio umbrella out into the garden is a temporary solution. The first sign your plants are in trouble is of course when the leaves wilt and droop. Water is evaporating from the leaves and stems faster than the roots can replace it.
Plants are about 90% water, and the water in the cell walls helps hold them up and out (the technical term is ‘turgid’), so once that moisture has escaped, they can, well … deflate. This can happen often during the hottest parts of the day, then at night the roots are able to catch up with demand and begin pushing moisture into the aerial parts of itself and they look perfectly normal by morning. Anyone that has had a Peace Lily or Hydrangea shrub they forgot to water knows the magic that happens when the plant does get that much-needed drink; you can almost watch the leaves return to their healthy state before your eyes!
Flowers can turn brown or drop, and leaves may develop brown tips if the wilting isn’t caught, or water is given to your plants in time. Usually, this is not a permanent problem unless it is allowed to continue past the ‘permanent wilt’ stage. Wilt is easily prevented by providing a thick 3–4-inch layer of mulch over the surface of the soil to help hold in more moisture right at the roots where they need it most. And be sure to regularly water and keep a close eye on your plants throughout these harsh times.
Part two of how to prevent heat stress in the garden in the next Grass Clippings.