North Carolina Turfgrass - January/February 2019

January/February 2019

5 Steps to Creating A Pollinator-Friendly Habitat on Your Golf Course Plus, We Want YOU to Join the Wolfpack

A Publication of the Turfgrass Council of North Carolina

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12 16 table of contents January/February 2019

From the President, Damon Dean TCNC Deluxe Members

12 Cover Story

5 Steps to Creating A Pollinator-Friendly Habitat on Your Golf Course

16 Feature Story

W e Want You to Join the Wolfpack

TCNC Membership Application Calendar of Events Welcome, New TCNC Members & NCCTP NC State Turf Team Index of Advertisers

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From the President

Appreciation

This

is my final President’s letter as my term is ending at our annual meeting in January. It has been an honor to serve as President of the Turfgrass Council of North Carolina over the past two years. I feel our industry is making strides in the right direction

with all the growth and building strong foundations to weather potential storms down the road. This industry has great people in it from all backgrounds that are always willing to help one another. I feel like the friendship among us is second to none in this business and I will cherish it always. Gene Queen will be taking my place as President and I feel he will go above and beyond to continue the great work TCNC has done for so many years. Gene has been in the turf business for many years and knows about this industry. He will look after our best interests.

TCNC is moving forward and we are always looking ways to improve the value of your membership. The annual meeting and conference is at the end of January and there are some good speakers for this event. The Board of directors and the staff at TCNC work really hard in planning this conference. This is a good time for education and networking in this industry.

This organization is more than this magazine you are reading now. Behind the scenes work is always being done to protect us from regulations from local and state governments. Our partnership with the Green Industry Council is vital for this and should not be overlooked. Just in the short time I have been involved with the TCNC, fertilizer restrictions were being brought up but were later reevaluated and discouraged due to the work of organizations like ours.

My final message as President is simple — get involved with TCNC. We want and need your support. We want to hear your views and comments to continue to make TCNC great. I want members to know we are here to help you in this industry.

Thank you for the honor of letting me serve this great origination.

Executive Director Anna Brooks Whichard, CAE IMI Association Executives annabrooks@imiae.com 919-459-2070 Published by: Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, TN 37064 615-790-3718 fax 615-794-4524 info@leadingedge communications.com

2018 TCNC Officers President

Damon Dean Keith Hills Country Club West End, NC 910-893-1372

Vice President Gene Queen Nature’s Select Premium Turf Services Winston-Salem, NC 336-768-7999

Past President Billy Cole Raleigh Country Club Raleigh, NC 919-427-0312

Treasurer

God Bless.

Kevin Herrmann Fairway Green, Inc. Raleigh, NC 919-818-9640

Damon Dean, CGCS

2018 Directors

TCNC President

H. Dean Baker Kinston Country Club Kinston, NC

The Turfgrass Council of North Carolina (TCNC) serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, North Carolina Turfgrass, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or TCNC members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this bimonthly publication. Copyright © 2019 by the Turfgrass Council of North Carolina. North Carolina Turfgrass is published bi-monthly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of TCNC. Presorted standard postage is paid at Nashville, TN. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: North Carolina Turfgrass allows reprinting of material published here. Permission requests should be directed to TCNC. We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. Contact the managing editor for contribution information.

Advertising: For display and classified advertising rates and insertions, please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Franklin, TN 37064, 615-790-3718, Fax 615-794-4524.

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North Carolina Turfgrass is the official publication of the Turfgrass Council of North Carolina 110 Horizon Drive Suite 210 Raleigh, NC 27615 919-459-2070 fax 919-459-2075 www.ncturfgrass.org

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David Bradley, NCCTP Turf Mountain Sod, Inc. Hendersonville, NC Michael Hrivnak, NCCTP Canopy Lawn Care Raleigh, NC Jonathan Richardson, NCCTP Green Resource Dunn, NC

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New for the 2018–2019 membership year, Deluxe Memberships can be purchased in one of three tiers: 1–5 employees; 6–10 employees; or 11+ employees.

If you'd like to learn more about the Deluxe Membership, please contact the TCNC office at (919) 459-2070 or info@ncturfgrass.org.

Thank You to Our Deluxe Member Organizations

The Biltmore Company

Fayetteville Technical Community College

Pennington Seed – ProTurf Division

Barefoot & Associates Inc.

Givens Estates

Quality Turf

Green Resource

Revels Turf & Tractor

JRM Inc.

Smith Turf & Irrigation

Keith Hills Country Club

Sod Solutions Inc.

BASF Corporation Buy Sod Inc Carolina Farm Credit Carolina Green Corp.

City of Raleigh Parks & Recreation The Club at Longview Country Boy Landscaping Inc

Kinston Country Club

Southern Ag Southern Seeds Inc

Leap Frog Landcare Inc.

Town of Cary Public Works

McConnell Golf LLC

Turf Mountain Sod Inc

NCSU Landscape Construction Services

UNCG

Duke University North Carolina A&T State University

Fairway Green 8

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January/February 2019

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A P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e T u r f g r a s s C o u n c i l o f North Carolina 9

TCNC Membership Application Primary Member Information: First Name_ ______________________________________________ Last Name_ ____________________________________ Title______________________________________________________ Company_ _____________________________________ Address___________________________________________________________________________________________________ City______________________________________________________ State_ _______ Zip______________________________ E-Mail____________________________________________________ Phone_ ________________________________________ How did you learn about TCNC?_____________________________________________________________________________ What type of turfgrass business are you in?

Lawn Care Facilities Management Landscaping Sports Turf Management

Sod Production Golf Course Management Industry Partner/Supplier Other ________________________________

Select Your Membership Type: Regular Member ($125) Student Member ($25) Educator Member ($0)

Deluxe Member 1–5 Employees ($425) Deluxe Member 6–10 Employees ($800) Deluxe Member 11+ Employees ($1200)

Upgraded Member Directory Listing ($25): Include my company logo and website link* in the TCNC Member Directory. *Please send your logo and web address to info@ncturfgrass.org.

Deluxe Members: Provide up to the maximum allowed additional employees with email addresses here.

Name____________________________________________________ E-Mail_ ________________________________________ Name____________________________________________________ E-Mail_ ________________________________________ Name____________________________________________________ E-Mail_ ________________________________________ Name____________________________________________________ E-Mail_ ________________________________________ Name____________________________________________________ E-Mail_ ________________________________________ Name____________________________________________________ E-Mail_ ________________________________________ Name____________________________________________________ E-Mail_ ________________________________________ Total $____________________

Check Number__________________ (payable to TCNC) Credit Card:

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Billing Zip Code____________________

Credit Card #____________________________________________________________ Exp. Date______________________ Sec Code____________ Name on Card___________________________________________________________ Signature______________________________________________ Email to info@ncturfgrass.org, or fax to (919) 459-2075 or mail to TCNC, 110 Horizon Dr. Ste 210, Raleigh, NC 27615 Contributions to TCNC are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes; however, dues payments may be deductible by members as an ordinary and necessary business expense. TCNC estimates that the nondeductible portion of your dues – the portion allocable to lobbying – is 10%.

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January/February 2019

Calendar of Events February 2–7

Golf Industry Show San Diego Convention Center San Diego, CA

February 18–21

Turfgrass Producers International Education Conference & Field Day The Westin Charlotte Charlotte, NC

Welcome New TCNC Members!

William McCoy Sprinkle Creek Landscaping Asheville, NC

Jason Miles Pinnacle Green Lawn Care & Landscaping LLC Indian Trail, NC

Brian Bowman Bowman’s Landscaping LLC Youngsville, NC

Patt Harman Harman Landscaping, Inc. Hampstead, NC

Drew Walters Buy Sod, Inc. Pinehurst, NC

Welcome New NCCTP!

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Raeford, NC 910.875.6141 | 800.927.1479 | CarolinaTurfFarms.com

Shawn Lennon

NCSU Cooperative Extension – Brunswick County Center Bolivia, NC

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Cover Story

Seed application with spreader

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5 Steps to

Creating PollinatorFriendly Habitat on your Golf Course

By Dr. Danesha Seth Carley and Dr. Terri Billeisen

I

nsects are the most common and abundant pollinators in the world.

Although bees may be the most well-known insect pollinators, there are many other insect species, includ- ing butterflies, moths, wasps, flies and beetles, which also play an im- portant role in plant pollination. Due

to increased interest in pollinator and wildlife communities in turfgrass environments, we are conducting a study examining how the implementation of pollinator-friendly habitat on established golf courses impact pollinator populations. In the spring and summer of 2018, we set out across the state, sampling for pollinators in managed turfgrass environments to determine which insects were

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already present prior to establishing refuge areas the following season. This fall we returned to these sites to plant pollinatorfriendly seed mixes. After some trial and error, we have identified a few key things to know prior to establishing pollinator habitat. Our five summarized key steps to creating pollinator-friendly habitat on your golf course are as follows:

1. Identify suitable location and prep the site • Select a site on your golf course that will be visible to members but is out of the way of traffic or errant golf balls.

For our research, we selected areas

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lining cart paths and natural rough areas, especially around tees and along tree lines. If you have a lot of trees on your course, be sure to choose a site that gets at least 6–8 hours of direct sunlight a day. liminate plant competition by E removing shrubs, small trees and unwanted plants either by hand cultivation or selective herbicide application. If a controlled spring burn is an option for your site, it can help to eliminate brush cover and undesirable weeds. fter all weed roots are dead, switch A to shallow cultivations timed to eliminate freshly germinated weed

2

Install signs or barriers indicating newly-planted areas to prevent accidental mowing or spraying

seedlings – generally two weeks after the first cultivation. If you are planting your large site to pollinatorfriendly seeds in the fall, use a harrow or drag to produce a smooth, clodfree seed bed. If your soil is subject to erosion, consider deferring planting until spring and first plant a winter cover crop in the previous fall.

I f necessary, a rototiller can be used to break up the ground and soften the soil. It is important to “till” only as deep as necessary to remove old roots. Four to six inches deep should do the trick. Drag the area to break up any large clumps. After a final dragging, the soil will be ready to plant.

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Native Long-horned bee on Rudbeckia hirta (black-eyed Susan), at Pinehurst No. 2

2. Seed the prepped area • Seed can be applied either by hand or spreader (Fig. 1). Scatter the seed slowly to ensure an even distribution.

Sand, compost, peat moss, or moistened sawdust can be added to the seed mix to increase the volume of what you are spreading for small areas.

For large sites, dividing your planting area and seed mix into smaller parts can facilitate even seed distribution.

Keep in mind that sand may be too heavy as a filler for very large areas.

• A surefire method of sowing seeds that encourages an even application: separate the seed you’re planting, no

matter the amount, into roughly two equal parts. Put the first half in a clean bucket (or coffee can, or anything else handy), and then add in roughly eight parts of dry filler to one part of seed. (Always make sure that your filler is dry – especially if it has been stored outdoors. Wet filler tends to clump and can cause your seed to be applied unevenly.)

• You’ll have the best chance of an even application if you scatter your seeds in two sowings. To do this, take the container with one half of your seeds and sow them as evenly as possible while walking across your site from north to south. Then take the other half and

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apply in a similar manner, this time walking from east to west.

• Post-seeding: it is a good idea to pack or roll the newly-seeded area to firm the soil around the seed, reduce moisture loss and discourage weed growth.

For small-sized patches, you can use your feet to compress seeds into the soil.

For medium-sized gardens and beds, lay a piece of cardboard or plywood over the soil and walk all over it. This will evenly distribute your weight across the soil, giving the same compression effect as using a professional roller. For large, meadow-sized plantings, you can use a Seed Roller – either as a tractor attachment or as a walkbehind tool.

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A native bee called an Agapostemon on a blanket flower (a native plant in NC)

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Bumblebee on wildflowers at Pinehurst No. 2

• No matter if you’re planting in spring or fall, there is generally no need to cover the seed. Wildflower seeds are often very tiny, and many require light to germinate. Unlike veggie seeds, which are typically planted in holes and buried within the soil, wildflower seeds are scattered on top of the soil and left exposed.

3. Irrigation • Wildflower seeds and seedlings must stay moist until they are four to six inches tall (usually four to six weeks).

Prior to reaching this height, the seedlings are unable to access enough groundwater via their roots to grow.

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Monitor the seeded area for the first few weeks, especially if the site has not received any rainfall, and wet the soil as needed (1/8 in. should be sufficient).

4. Mowing • Unlike other flower beds, wildflower areas can be mowed which will help prevent quick-growing weeds from excessively shading the new native seedlings. Mow if weedy growth reaches 8–10 inches and cut everything to a height of 4–5 inches. Don’t worry too much about trimming your wildflowers.

They should be ok, especially if the weed competition is reduced. Stop mowing at the end of the first season.

If weeds are thick in the beginning of the second season, mow or spot-mow once or twice. If you choose to mow again to knock back any remaining weeds, raise the cutting height to 10– 12 inches.

5. Long-term Management • Most native plantings, after two or three growing seasons, need to be burned annually for the next five or more years to become well established. Burning yields better growth and more flowers.

If a planting is not periodically burned, a thatch layer can build up over the years, causing some native species to grow poorly or even to die out completely. Burning is the single most important management practice for native plantings. Burning in March or April will stimulate growth of native plants and give them a competitive edge over weeds. Always use caution and common sense when burning. Follow local fire regulations, obtain permits and have plenty of tools and help on hand.

• If burning is not permitted at your site or if you prefer not to use this method, you can mow or manually remove thatch in early spring (late February to mid-April). Last year’s dead stems will not hide the new growth and flowers, and the sun’s rays still will be able to warm the soil.

Of course, there are always challenges when establishing new managed wildflower or native areas. Be sure to mark newly planted sites with flags, a border, or a sign (Fig. 2) to alert maintenance personnel that the area should not be mowed or sprayed. Be sure to monitor the site each week to check for seedling sprouting and growth, adequate soil moisture and any signs of mechanical disruption. It may be useful to take pictures of flowering plants in the spring and summer, along with visiting pollinator species, to include in newsletters to members.

Remember, attracting beneficial insects to a managed turfgrass area is easier than you think. Golf courses provide so many resources in terms of irrigation, fertilizer, and other inputs to encourage healthy turfgrass growth, and adding some wildflowers to the environment takes minimal additional effort. The result will be a beautiful, site-enhancing feature that not only provides important refuge for beneficial, pollinating insect species, but an additional conversation piece for your members as well. G

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Feature Story

We Want You to Join the Wolfpack

By R.J. Cooper, Professor of Turfgrass Management, North Carolina State University

I

remember well my first day of college as a Turfgrass Manage- ment major at Penn State Univer- sity. It was 1974, and my first class was Calculus I. I sat down at my desk on which sat a 3” x 3” foil ashtray for those who desired to smoke during class. Many did. When class began, I

took out my slide rule so that I could work the problem along with the professor as he wrote on the front chalkboard.

I took lots of notes because other than the textbook and what the professor wrote down or said, there was no other way to obtain information about any subject. No Google, no PowerPoint. It was a much different experience than freshmen have today.

It was much easier then to obtain acceptance into any college than it is now.

Today, a large percentage of high school seniors apply for admission much better prepared as a result of advanced placement high school classes and SAT preparation classes. At NC State being admitted into a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) program means competing with well-prepared students applying in Engineering, Computer Science and other challenging majors. As a result, students and their parents may be disappointed to receive notice that they are not admitted into the Turfgrass Science major when they apply. It is understandably frustrating when parents who have supported and shown great loyalty to their alma mater find that their son or daughter was not admitted. The purpose of this article is to share some information about other pathways to acceptance beyond the traditional route of entering as a freshman in the fall following the spring semester of high school. In addition to this traditional path, there are others which can be pursued if that fall acceptance letter doesn’t

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arrive by email (no thick admission letters anymore).

The Agricultural Institute

While the focus of this article is on acceptance into the four-year B.S. Turfgrass program, we also have a well-regarded two-year Associate of Science degree program offered through the Agricultural

Institute (AGI). Graduates of the AGI have gone on to prominent positions at some of the best athletic facilities and golf courses in the country. This program is an “open admission” program similar to our NC community colleges. That means that once you have completed high school you are eligible for acceptance into the program. The AGI program offers a

NCSU Turfgrass Science students receive hands-on training in all areas of turfgrass management, including golf course and sports turf.

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hands-on practical turfgrass management curriculum.

Fall Freshman Admission into the Bachelor of Science program in Turfgrass Science

Years ago, this pathway was a student’s primary way to enter any four-year college. Acceptance is based primarily on high school grade point average (GPA), college entrance exam scores (ACT or SAT) and class rank. Most NC State freshmen are admitted using this pathway but it is very competitive. For fall 2018, the average freshman SAT score was 1344; weighted high school GPA was 4.57; and average high school class rank was top 11%. Forty-six percent of applying students were accepted. In the event that a student is not accepted for fall admission, there are other possible pathways into our B.S. Turfgrass Science program.

STEAM (Student Transition Enrollment Advising and Mentoring)

Students may also choose to begin their college experience at one of the 58 community colleges around North Carolina, then transfer into our B.S. Turfgrass program. Students desiring to transfer from a community college into our Turfgrass Science major have the opportunity to participate in the PackTRAC program.

For more information about career paths in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at NC State please visit: https://cals.ncsu.edu/students/my-pathto-cals/ G

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Transfer from a Community College Program (PackTRAC)

State are excited about our incoming students and their choice of NC State Turfgrass Management. Even if you begin your college career at a community college or another university, remember this: it’s not where you begin the journey that matters… it’s where you finish.

Go Wolfpack!

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The STEAM program provides personalized and proactive advising and mentoring for students who apply but are not accepted for fall semester and choose instead to begin at NC State the following spring. Students who are accepted into the STEAM program may choose to spend the summer and/or fall semester at another university or college before coming to NC State. They may also opt to work, complete a mission trip, volunteer or other “gap year” activities. Through mentoring with NC State faculty and staff, STEAM students are connected with and integrated into NC State before they arrive. STEAM is targeted toward rural students and those in under-enrolled majors (TGF is officially an under -enrolled major).

PackTRAC students will have guaranteed admission to NC State if they complete at least 30 transferable credits and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher prior to transferring. Participating students are given a list of courses which will transfer from their community college to the NC State program so that they can schedule those courses and have them count toward their NC State requirements.

Careers in turfgrass management continue to be fulfilling and rewarding career paths for many. We want you to know that the faculty and staff at NC

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Index of Advertisers

NC State Turf Team

Buy Sod, Inc................ Inside Back Cover www.buysod.com

Crop and Soil Sciences

Carolina Green Corp.............................17 www.cgcfields.com

Dr. Dan Bowman Professor, Crop Science (919) 515-2805 dan_bowman@ncsu.edu

Carolina Turf Farms, Inc.......................11 www.carolinaturffarms.com

Dr. Rich Cooper Professor, Crop Science (919) 515-7600 rich_cooper@ncsu.edu

Divots, Inc.............................................17 www.divotssand.com

Revels Tractor Co. Inc.............................5 www.revelstractor.com

Green Resource..................... Back Cover www.green-resource.com

Mid-Atlantic STIHL..................................7 www.stihldealers.com

Morgan Sand Company........................15

Progressive Turf Equipment Inc.............9 www.progressiveturfequip.com

Smith Seed Services..............................11 www.smithseed.com

Southern Seeds, Inc..............................15 www.southernseedsinc.com

Southern Specialty Equipment.............17 www.ssequip.net

Super-Sod................................................3 www.supersod.com

The Turfgrass Group... Inside Front Cover www.theturfgrassgroup.com

Emily Erickson Crop Science Lecturer (919) 513-2034 emily_erickson@ncsu.edu Dr. Travis Gannon Assistant Professor (919) 515-2647 (Office) travis_gannon@ncsu.edu Matt Martin Extension Associate – Turfgrass, NCSU Crop Science Dept (910) 675-2314 (Office) matthew_martin@ncsu.edu

Dr. Susana Milla-Lewis Associate Professor, Turfgrass Breeding and Genetics (919) 515-3196 susana_milla-lewis@ ncsu.edu Dr. Grady Miller Professor (919) 515-5656 grady_miller@ncsu.edu Dr. Charles Peacock Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist (919) 515-7615 charles_peacock@ncsu.edu Dr. Ron Qu Professor, Crop Science (919) 515-7616 rongda_qu@ncsu.edu

Entomology and Plant Pathology Dr. Terri Billeisen Extension Associate (919) 515-7464 tlhoctor@ncsu.edu Dr. Rick Brandenburg Extension Specialist (Peanuts & Turf) & Department Extension Leader (919) 515-8876 rick_brandenburg@ncsu.edu Lee Butler Extension Coordinator (919) 513-3878 elbutler@ncsu.edu Dr. Jim Kerns Associate Professor and Extension Specialist (Turfgrass Pathology) (919) 515-2730 (Office) jpkerns@ncsu.edu

Vandemark Farms...................................9 www.vandemarkfarms.com

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Dr. Robert Richardson Professor and Extension Specialist (919) 515-5653 rob_richardson@ncsu.edu Dr. Tom Rufty Professor (919) 515-3660 tom_rufty@ncsu.edu Dr. Wei Shi Professor, Crop Science (919) 515-2647 (Office) wei_shi@ncsu.edu Dr. Fred Yelverton Extension Specialist (Turfgrass / Forage Crop Weed Mgt) (919) 515-5639 fred_yelverton@ncsu.edu

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Dr. Garry Grabow Extension Specialist and Professor (919) 513-7348 garry_grabow@ncsu.edu

Horticulture Science Dr. Danesha Seth Carley Director, SIPMC & NC IPM Coordinator (919) 513-8189 danesha_carley@ncsu.edu

Give water a break tiftuf bermudagrass is the new drought-tolerance superstar.

The newest edition in the “Tif” (Tifton) series of bermudagrasses to originate from the renowned University of Georgia turfgrass breeding program, TifTuf promises to be a true game-changer in stellar yet environmentally friendly performance. Providing unbeatable drought tolerance, it uses 38% less water than Tifway 419, and it is significantly more drought resistant than all other bermudagrasses.

In addition to its incredible drought tolerance, TifTuf is more aggressive than Tifway and provides superior wear and traffic tolerance (even better than Celebration), excellent cold tolerance (equal to Latitude 36 at Kansas State University), fast spring green-up and excellent fall color retention. In the 2015 NTEP trials, TifTuf was the highest-ranked cultivar in North Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi, and across all 17 locations overall, it was the highest-ranked, commercially available cultivar.

TifTuf will not only pay for itself in water savings, but more importantly, it will create more-sustainable athletic fields for the future.

In fact, it will soon become the ultimate must-have grass for sports turf managers who want to take a break from water use.

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