Grounds

HORTICULTURE UPDATE by Cathy Wagner, CPH, Director of Horticulture As the growing season comes to a close, it is interesting to look back at the weather and how it impacted the gardens. Back in the spring, we had some late frosts that impacted apple blossoms, practically eliminating our Cortland crop. In July, we had over 21 days of 90°F plus temperatures, with light rain and high temps continuing into August. These humid, hot conditions were very favorable to diseases that impacted our gardens and production crops, especially tomatoes and apples. Though yields were down across many crops, we were still able to harvest over 300lbs of tomatoes, 220lbs of carrots, 110lbs of beets, 60lbs of peppers, and about 15lbs each of cucamelons, ground cherries, and tomatillos. From the orchard, we were still able to harvest about 600lbs of apples for culinary use and 900lbs for donation to local food banks. The long-term impact of weather patterns

from this year and last year on trees and shrubs throughout the courses continues to be seen, especially cherries, oaks, Leylands, and lilacs. I am often asked how weather extremes impact the flower gardens throughout both campuses, and my answer is always the same: diversity is key. By planting a variety of species in layers and mixed plantings, we ensure that while weather extremes may have a negative impact on some species, neighboring plants will often continue to grow and thrive. Of course, selecting the right plant for the right place is key, but it seems like each year brings its own unique set of challenges and even plants in the right location can struggle one year and thrive the next. Additionally, biodiversity in plant species attracts biodiversity of insect species, including lots of beneficials to help control pests naturally. In other news, we welcomed Will Wright to the Horticulture Team in September. As Horticulturist at Five Farms, Will oversees the production gardens, helps with garden maintenance throughout the grounds, and assists with management of Horticulture staff members. He has a degree in Plant Science from the University of Maryland and brings three years of applied Integrated Pest Management as well as viticulture experience. He is looking forward to taking over stewardship of the culinary gardens and getting to know our membership through workshops and casual encounters around our Five Farms campus. Remember, we are always happy to answer any gardening questions you may have. Stop by and chat with us around the Club or send me an email at cwagner@bcc1898.com! ◆

GREENKEEPER'S UPDATE by Tim Kennelly, CGCS, Head Greenkeeper

At the end of October, we began aerating the playing surfaces on the West Course, along with the East Course in early November in preparation for next season. The most important reason for aeration is the removal and reduction of thatch and organic matter. Thatch accumulation naturally occurs on creeping bentgrass surfaces and can accumulate rather rapidly. Thatch is defined as a tightly intermingled layer of dead and living stems, leaves, and roots that accumulate between the green vegetation and soil surface. Reducing thatch, increasing soil oxygen levels, and improving water penetration are important factors needed to help promote a stronger, healthier plant and reduce the risk of disease and poor playing surfaces. In order to manage this natural process, we use several methods to curtail accumulation, including core aeration on the West and Graden dethatching on the East Course greens. One major advantage to the USGA specification putting greens on the East (constructed in 2014) is that deep and aggressive cultivation is usually not necessary. Below the organic matter (roughly one inch or less below the surface) is the root zone mix engineered specifically for your Club and disturbing this area is simply unnecessary. We will use the Graden dethatcher and set the depth just below the organic matter layer (around one inch deep) which cuts continuous channels removing maximum amounts of material and creates space for sand to be applied in the channels. This process is called linear aeration and is ideally suited not only to remove organic matter, but promote surface firmness. By using 2mm slicing blades, we reduce the amount of time it takes for the greens to heal versus standard core aeration used on West Course. By implementing this practice, the greens will be healed and in top condition by next spring.

Below are the dates the courses will be closed to complete these practices:

• The East Course will be closed November 2, 3, and 4 for aeration and dethatching • The East & West Course fairways will be core aerated the week of November 30