What's Taking So Long
Sluggish recovery from greens aeration and a general poor appearance in the zoysia this year is worth a little research to see just how different things are compared to last year. Memories can fade, but we keep great records and can easily go back and check the data. That doesn't make any of us feel better about the reality of what's happening now, but it hopefully sets the record straight. The grass doesn't know what day it is, but it knows how much useable warmth it's received. We measure that using Growing Degree Day models. This year, in the 25 days since aeration we've accumulated 303 growing degree days. Last year in the same time following the same aeration procedure we accumulated 443 growing degree days. That's a big difference and it shows in the condition of the turf. We need warmer weather to aid in turf growth. Perhaps more critical than the temperature struggles is the moisture stress. Last year ...
