Hole Notes September 2017

Norma O’Leary CGCS MGCSA 2017 Champion

Hole Notes The Official Publication of the MGCSA

Vol. 52, No. 8 September, 2017

Page 2

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October 2 The Scramble Edina Golf and Country Club Host Brandon Schindele October 9 The Wee One Brackett’s Crossing Country Club Host Tom Proshek

It Wouldn’t Be The Same Without YOU Page 4

CONTENTS

Vol. 52, No. 8 September, 2017

Feature Articles: Protecting Trees and Shrubs Against Winter Damage

by Dr. Bert Swanson and Richard Rideout

by MGA and Hole Notes Magazine

pages

22 - 32

Winter Is Coming, Is Your Pump Station Ready?

pages 38 - 41

By By Mike Whitacre, Craig Vigen and Jim Dougherty, Ferguson Waterworks Strange Things You Can Find In Turf pages 42 - 49

By Dr. Vera Krischik, UMN Entomology Extension Charles Erickson Selected for the Golf Hall of Fame pages 50 - 53

EDITOR DAVE KAZMIERCZAK, CGCS

DAVE@PRESTWICK.COMCASTBIZ.NET

MDA Personal Protective Gear

pages

54 - 56

Monthly Columns: Presidential Perspective

pages

6 - 7

In Bounds pages

By Jack MacKenzie, CGCS

8 - 11

By Erin McManus

On The Cover: Congratulations Norma O’Leary CGCS on your fine score of 76 to win the 2017 Championship at St. Cloud Country Club Affiliate Spotlight:

Pages 58 - 61

Edina Country Club is prepared for The Scramble Golf Tournament. Make a team and join the fun! October 2, 2017 Pages 14 - 19

The 2017 Championship

pages

40 - 41

Forest Hills Resort Exposure Golf Event

page

57

Thank you annual Exposure Golf Sponsors and destination courses for your support Hole Notes (ISSN 108-27994) is digitally published monthly except bimonthly in November/December and January/February by the Minnesota Golf Course Superintendents’ Association, 10050 204th Street North, Forest Lake, MN 55025. Jack MacKenzie CGCS publisher.

Please send any address changes, articles for publication, advertising and concerns to jack@mgcsa.org.

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Presidential Perspective

by Erin McManus, Superintendent Medina Golf and Country Club

The summer has come and gone and we are looking forward to the great golf weather we get in the fall. Everything seems to be a little early this year as far as ducks grouping up, acorns dropping and leaves turning. I am not sure exactly what this will mean for us this fall and winter, but I am looking forward to a great fall season. A lot of courses depend on college and high school students for summer labor and with schools back in session, staffing will be a challenge going into the fall. I remember the days where it seemed to really slow down on the course after school started and maintenance practices were reflective of that.

Over the past decade or so it seems the membership want tournament conditions right up to the point the snow flies, and even a little past the first snow thinking we will have great weather into Thanksgiving.

weather conditions and Mother Nature can change plans everyday.

I tend to look at the golf course weather station, Accuweather app, Weather bug App, MyRadar and countless other resources for weather information every day. We have hosted Ian Leonard’s Bad Pants Open for the past couple of years and talking with him, the technology they have and the models they can look at are getting better each year.

Just taking the current weather in account, how do the hurricanes and the wildfires affect our “typical” weather patterns? I am seeing more storms rolling from south to north than I remember. Watching nature for typical weather cues can be an indication of what is to come. What does the early acorn drop and ducks grouping mean for the weather? I think we are in for a cooler fall with and early winter. You can quote me on that but don’t worry, I have been wrong before.

Our jobs depend daily on

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Here at Medina, we have had

a challenging summer with the lined up for next spring so we are change of ownership and being able already getting started on keeping the to take on a bunch of new operating crew we have ready for next year. procedures and protocols. The one thing I can say in the whole challenge We have had some great weather of this is that my staff has stayed over the past couple of weeks to get positive and has continued to do their our fall aerification done. If you have job on a daily basis without question. good weather and a good group of I am very thankful to have a couple employees you can get a lot done on assistants that continue to “take care the course. We are looking forward of business” to great fall and without winter in the questioning hunting field too. the process. I My daughter is only had one interested in wing High School shooting this fall age employee and with the new working on puppy ready to the crew this go, this should be summer so a pretty good fall we will not hunting season. I be losing really like to guide a bunch of pheasant hunting Something new at MG&CC, Superintendent Erin labor as mostly because I McManus shows off a bee colony. Sweet! school like watching the starts. We will have a solid hourly dogs work the field and you don’t get staff going into fall and be able to to see the dog work as much when cover greens in November without you also have to shoot the birds they question. We are going to continue to flush. It will be just like guiding with walk mow greens and keep a focus on my daughter Annabel shooting the some of the detail work that members birds for me while I watch Lea work the mark. It should be a great fall! expect. We have some great projects

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In Bounds

by Jack MacKenzie, CGCS

With an amazing suddenness, the black eruption caused my bowels to loosen as though filled to bursting with hot, wet tissue paper. On a rainy Sunday moring I had been sanding the top of a wood project when my left eye was impacted by an discharge of jet black liquid, swirling crazyly inside my eyeball, in a vivid and mobile Rorschach ink blot. This immediate impact upon my vision sent a wave of fear through my body.

Genetically predisposed on both sides of my family to retinal detachment, I was overcome by the thought of losing the vision in one of my eyes, something that had happened to my mother two decades ago. A frenzy of phone calls and messages left at the optician’s closed office, eventually,

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several hours later, brought only temporary relief as I was told that a specialist wouldn’t be available until the following day to address my concerns.

Eyesight is taken for granted, just like hearing, breathing, and pretty much all bodily functions that occur without conscious effort.

Despite a mild assurance from the on-call physician that the malady would be caught in time, my mind raced with fear. The rampant emotion caused me to pause and consider a story about this heartstopping emotion that I had heard several times in preparation for my wilderness adventures. Beyond recollecting the other associated happy memories, the tale is always a reality check and the wisdom helped as I was preoccupied with my suddenly upset world.

In a small Inuit village north of the Arctic Circle, a ten year old

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boy was thinking about his first caribou hunting trip with his father and several of the older boys and their fathers. His inaugural hunt had filled him with concerns of fulfilling his father’s expectations and not disappointing the village as their very survival was based upon the procurement of meat. Upon reaching maturity, everyone in the village was responsible to help.

He had watched the older boys assault targets with arrows and had, in his own mind, become very good at emulating their success.

He could skin small game and was handy with hook and line. But the boy was worried because the first hunt would set the stage for his life ahead. He was fearful of disappointing his father and letting the village down.

To help calm himself, he sought advice from is grandmother, a wizened elder, who held respect from everyone in both his village and those near and far away.

Although she was very old, hard of

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hearing and soft in voice, he had always been comforted with her stories of the wilderness and the lessons they offered.

“Grandmother,” he asked, “tomorrow I leave on my first hunt with the men and I am terrified that I will not do well and embarrass myself, and more importantly, our family. I cannot disappoint the village. My fear has me wondering if maybe I am not ready to hunt and support ourpeople. What message can you offer to make my fear dissapear?”

In the quiet of the tent, he barely made out her raspy whisper, “Inside each of us, the old, the young, boys and girls, men and women, inside our stomachs and sending shudders through our bodies, there are always two wolves stalking one another. When troubles and concerns arise the wolves are at their ferocious worst. Barring their teeth, biting, dodging in and out to claim victory over the other.”

Barely breathing, the boy leaned in to hear the voice of wisdom, “One wolf is named fear and the other is named courage.

Each wants to be a victor, each wants to kill the other. The fight is between two very strong and opposing creatures set to win and rule your soul.” With a pause the old woman settled back upon her worn walrus hide with eyes closed in reflection.

The minutes crept by. Barely able to contain himself, the little boy fidgeted and finally asked, “How do we know which of the wolves will win Grandmother?”

Opening her eyes, and with a soft and keen smile, his grandmother said, “The wolf that wins is the one you feed the most.

Your thoughts and expectations feed the beasts. Starve your fear wolf of foolish thoughts and fuel your courage wolf with visions of success and the well fed victor will rule the day.”

The simple story sets the stage for overcoming many of our concerns, mine included. Self talk, with all its meanderings and “what if” games, can be terribly destructive and rarely do our worst fears come to fruition. It seems that in our “mind’s eye” we tend to over react and build an unreality complete with a foundation of concrete and impenetrable untruths.

If we could only see the reality and appreciate how ridiculous our imaginings are.

On two prior occasions I was fortunate to have quick reflexes and didn’t need to change my trousers following devastating news. The shock and awe of the situations created a physical response, and ensuing mind games caused even greater mental constirnation. In the end very few of my projected concerns came to be reality.

Forty-eight hours after my “Visuvius” eye event, the optometrist was busy operating with a laser scalpel, making incisions in

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the large horse-shoe tear as well as “stapling” the top half of the retina in my left eye as it was thin with age and had the potential for future issues. The ensuing development of scar tissue would hold the retina in place and prevent detachment.

black in color, as the floaters break into smaller parts they become transparent and should eventually settle in areas of my eye not associated with clear vision.

Each morning I wake up with a little less fog in my left eye and

Three weeks later and I am a bit more clarity. Fingers crossed on my way to recovery. In another and feeding my courage wolf, I couple of months my vision should look forward to continued recovery and ponder, with a smile, the speed return back to normal or at least of my sphincter and “what could close to normal. Until then I live with a squadron of floaters dodging have been” a very messy and about rapidly inside my eyeball with truly uneccessarily fearful Sunday morning. each intentional and unintentional flickering eye movement. Currently Consistent, Proven, Reliable Solutions for Snow Mold

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Combine Mirage® Stressgard or Tartan® Stressgard with Interface Stressgard for control of snow mold. For gray snow molds, Mirage Stressgard is the tank-mix partner of choice while Tartan Stressgard is recommended if pink snow mold is the predominant problem. These three fungicides represent distinct fungicide classes with different modes of action and when combined, offer powerful disease management solutions. For added protection under extended snow cover, include another active ingredient/product like Daconil Weather Stik® in the tank-mix. www.backedbybayer.com ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL INSTRUCTIONS. Bayer CropScience LP, Environmental Science Division. 2 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. 1-800-331-2867. www.backedbybayer.com Bayer, the Bayer Cross, Interface, Mirage, Stressgard and Tartan are registered trademarks of Bayer. Daconil Weather Stik is a registered trademark of Syngenta. Not all products are registered in all states. Please verify state registration of these products in your state before selling, using or distributing. ©2017 Bayer CropScience LP.

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A ToAsT, In ApprecIATIon of Your BusIness.

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Edina Country Club Welcomes the MGCSA For the 2017 SCRAMBLE

By Brandon Schindele, Superintendent ECC

The idea of what would even- development and with that the Craik Farm was purchased and would betually become the Edina Country Club was a dream of S.S. Thorpe Sr, come the Thorpe Country Club. who was the founder and president of the Thorpe Brothers Real Estate James A. Hunter and Tom Firm. He had the idea to develop Bendelow were hired as the origia new community and developed a nal architects and designed what at sub-division between present day that time was called a “business50th and 44th Streets and from man’s golf course.” Many of the France Avenue to Highway 100. It holes were designed to go North and took three years to put that dream South so that late afternoon play into reality, he called it the Country was not played directly into the setClub District. He knew he wanted ting sun as well as early morning to have a golf course as part of this play for the wives so they did not

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play into the early morning sun. In 1924 the course officially opened for play for the Country Club District residents. Family dues at the time were $85 for the year.

grassroots action of some key club members and in that process the question was posed to what the club/property was worth and could they buy it from Thorpe Brothers Inc. Negotiating went back forth

In 1946 the city of Edina went and finally an agreed upon amount through growing pains and had the of $200,000 for the purchase of the need to build a new elementary, ju- Country Club. Edina Country Club nior, and senior high school. One of was officially Edina Country Club. the options that the Edina-Morningside School Board put forth was to Over the years a few notable take almost 31 acres of the Country National Tournaments have been Club under the right of condemna- played at the club along with many tion, but a village election would be state level amateur and local MNnecessary to make it final. The pro- PGA events: posed 31 acres was where the cur• 1939 Women’s Trans-Miss rent clubhouse/pool/tennis areas are which was won by Interlachen’ s currently located.

Patty Berg.

• 1966 Trans-Miss won by Jim

The votes were defeated by Wiechers.

Hole Four

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• 1996 Western Junior Championship won by Andy Rapp.

The Turf and Grounds Department is currently lead by Golf Course Superintendent, Brandon Schindele. Brandon has been on the staff since 1998 and took over as Superintendent in December of 2010. The FullTime Management Team is very seasoned and well-experienced. They are incredibly valued by the club and do a superb job each and every day.

Jeff Mold – Senior Assistant Superintendent (2004) Andy Smith – Equipment Manager (2014) Zach Stenstad - Assistant Superintendent (2012) Brian Volkenant – Assistant Superintendent (2015) Heath Raverty – Horticulturalist (1995-2001, 2011) Eric Berge – Assistant Equipment Manager (2016)

The Edina Country Club Management Team (left to right): Assistant Equipment Manager, Eric Berge, Assistant, Zach Stenstad, Assistant, Brian Volkenant, Superintendent, Brandon Schindele, Senior. Assistant, Jeff Mold, Horticulturalist, Heath Raverty, Equipment Manager, Andy Smith.

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The golf course underwent a massive renovation project in the summer of 2010 led by Tom Lehman and Chris Brands. The scope of the project including all new USGA spec greens, new bunkers, re-grassing and realigning of fairways, leveling and sand-capping existing tees with 1/3 of the tees being re-built. A little over 40% of the property was under disturbance during the project so a new irrigation system was also installed at the time.

Duininck Construction led the golf course construction while Leibold Irrigation partnered with them to handle the new system installation.

Grass varieties were selected to be T-1 on greens and Dominant X-Treme 7 on fairways and tees. All of the fairways and tees were seeded with SR-5130 Chewings fescue in the seeding process too, many of the knobs and high points in the fairways and surrounds of the green have considerable amounts of the SR 5130

ECC hole eighteen in transition pre-construction

today

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Seven green sunrise

Chewings Fescue.

ect in the spring of 2012.

• Short Game Practice Facility in

One of the biggest changes that the summer of 2016. most will notice since the renova• New Turf and Grounds access tion and over the last 15 years for road in the spring of 2017. that matter is the tree management Upcoming projects that are finalized that has been done. In 1998 there or are close to being finalized: were approximately 2800 trees on • Pub Patio remodel scheduled to property and the course now has start on October 5th. roughly 700 on the golf course. A • Incorporation of more no-mow conscious effort has been made to fescue areas throughout the course highlight the specimen Oaks and – a plan of 15-20 acres has begun to Elms throughout the property and be implemented with a goal of comre-gain vistas and sightlines. pletion in 3-4 years.

• Expanding and connecting

Other large projects that have fairways throughout the golf course been undertaken since 2010 include: along with green to tee connections.

• Clubhouse Landscaping Proj- • Building new forward tees at Page 18

the beginning of fairways and incor- team out to enjoy a day on the new porating a squared corner to the start golf course here are few tips of adof the fairways wherever possible. vice. In a scramble format hopefully you will not need some of these:

Since the renovation agro• Stay out of the bunkers – they nomic challenges have presented are penal; especially the cross bunthemselves in different forms as op- kers in the fairways. posed to the previous version of the • There are many roll-offs and course. Happily the days of worry- false fronts/backs/sides to the ing about dollar spot are over with greens. Bring your “A” short game the incredibly resistant Dominant player.

X-Treme 7. Now our main focus is • Stay below the hole. The bententirely on managing for bentgrass grass greens at the end of September and keeping the poa annua popula- can get a little bit on the quick side tion to a bare minimum. as all of you know.

• Lastly and probably most im As the Scramble does approach portantly….Enjoy the day and the and hopefully you choose to bring a people you are around.

The 2017 ECC Green Staff

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MINNESOTA GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

“The SCRAMBLE” Edina Country Club

Presents AT

Monday, October 2, 2017 Edina, Minnesota HOST SUPERINTENDENT: Brandon Schindele

This is a combined scholarship/research fundraising event. Proper golf attire required. $145 entry fee (per person) includes b u ffe t lunch, donation, range balls, cart fee, and a fun and simple high-end BBQ dinner. The format is a scramble and open to all members with emphasis placed upon inviting your club officials to join in the fun.

Prizes from the Pro Shop will be based upon participation.

Join the fun, it won’t be the same without you!!!

FORMAT: FOUR-PERSON SCRAMBLE 10:30 - 11:45 p.m.

Registration – Driving Range open, b u ffe t lunch service at 11:00 12:00 p.m.

GOLF - Shotgun 4:30- 6:30 p.m.

Reception and heavy appetizers (Dinner tickets available for $85 ea. -- includes donation.)

----------------------------------------------- REGISTRATION FORM --------------------------------------------------PLEASE FILL OUT COMPLETELY. THE DINNER COUNTS ARE IMPORTANT. Scan and email form to jack@mgcsa.org and he will return a Paypal invoice NAME

CLASS

GOLF COURSE / COMPANY

Or, make check payable to MGCSA and mail to: MGCSA, 10050 204

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Page 21

Protecting Trees and Shrubs Against Winter Damage

By Bert T. Swanson and Richard Rideout

Minnesota’s harsh climate is often responsible for severe damage to landscape plants. Winter sun, wind, and cold temperatures can bleach and desiccate evergreen foliage, damage bark, and injure or kill branches, flowerbuds, and roots. Snow and ice can break branches and topple entire trees. Salt used for deicing streets, sidewalks, and parking lots is harmful to landscape plantings. Winter food shortages force rodents and deer to feed on bark, twigs, flowerbuds, and foliage, injuring and sometimes killing trees and shrubs. All is not bleak, however, as landscape plants can be protected to minimize some of this injury.

Cold damage

Cold temperatures can damage plants in several ways. Plants that are not hardy in Minnesota will be killed or injured during the winter unless protected in a microclimate. Plants that normally grow in hardiness zone 3 (northern Minnesota) and hardiness zone 4 (southern Minnesota) may also be injured if winter conditions are abnormally severe or if plants have been stressed by the environment. Injury is more prevalent and more severe when low temperatures occur in early fall or late spring, when there is little or no snow cover during the winter or when low temperatures are of prolonged duration. Pronounced fluctuations in temperature can be extremely detrimental to plants throughout the fall, winter, or spring.

Sun scald

Sun scald is characterized by elongated, sunken, dried, or cracked areas of dead bark, usually on the south or southwest side of a tree. On cold winter days, the sun can heat up bark to the point where cambial activity is stimulated. When the sun is blocked by a cloud, hill, or building, bark tem-

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perature drops rapidly, killing the active tissue.

Young trees, newly planted trees, and thin-barked trees (cherry, crabapple, honey locust, linden, maple, mountain ash, plum) are most susceptible to sun scald. Trees that have been pruned to raise the lower branches, or transplanted from a shady to a sunny location are also sensitive because the lower trunk is no longer shaded. Older trees are less subject to sun scald because the thicker bark can insulate dormant tissue from the sun’s heat ensuring the tissue will remain dormant and cold hardy.

Sun scald can be prevented by wrapping the trunk with a commercial tree wrap, plastic tree guards, or any other light-colored material. The wrap will reflect the sun and keep the bark at a more constant temperature.

Put the wrap on in the fall and remove it in the spring after the last frost.

Newly planted trees should be wrapped for at least two winters and thinbarked species up to five winters or more.

To repair sun scald damage, cut the dead bark back to live tissue with a sharp knife, following the general shape of the wound, rounding off any sharp corners to facilitate healing (Figure 1). Wrap the trunk in subsequent winters to prevent further damage. Do not use a wound dressing. Spraying the area with a fungicide may help prevent fungal infection of the wound.

Winter discoloration of evergreens

Browning or bleaching of evergreen foliage during winter occurs for four reasons: 1. Winter sun and wind cause excessive transpiration (foliage water loss) while the roots are in frozen soil and unable to replace lost water. This results in desiccation and browning of the plant tissue.

2. Bright sunny days during the winter also cause warming of the tissue above ambient temperature which in Figure 1. Repairing sun scald damage.

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turn initiates cellular activity. Then, when the sun is quickly shaded, foliage temperature drops to injurious levels and the foliage is injured or killed.

3. During bright, cold winter days, chlorophyll in the foliage is destroyed (photo-oxidized) and is not resynthesized when temperatures are below 28°F. This results in a bleaching of the foliage.

4. Cold temperatures early in the fall before plants have hardened off completely or late spring after new growth has occurred can result in injury or death of this nonacclimated tissue.

Foliar damage normally occurs on the south, southwest, and windward sides of the plant, but in severe cases the whole plant may be affected. Yew, arborvitae, and hemlock are most susceptible, but winter browning can affect all evergreens.

New transplants or plants with succulent, late season growth are particularly sensitive.

There are several ways to minimize winter injury to evergreens.

The first is proper placement of evergreens in the landscape. Yew, hemlock, and arborvitae should not be planted on south or southwest sides of buildings or in highly

Figure 2. Wind screens made of burlap to protect evergreens. Photo Laidback Gardener

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exposed (windy, sunny) places. A second way to reduce damage is to prop pine boughs or Christmas tree greens against or over evergreens to protect them from wind and sun and to catch more snow for natural protection.

Winter injury can often be prevented by constructing a barrier of burlap or similar material on the south, southwest, and windward sides of evergreens (Figure 2). If a plant has exhibited injury on all sides, surround it with a barrier, but leave the top open to allow for some air and light penetration.

Keeping evergreens properly watered throughout the growing season and into the fall is another way to reduce winter injury. Never stress plants by under- or overwatering. Decrease watering slightly in September to encourage hardening off, then water thoroughly in October until freeze-up. Watering only in late fall does not help reduce injury.

Anti-desiccant and anti-transpirant sprays are often recommended to prevent winter burn. Most studies, however, have shown them to be ineffective.

If an evergreen has suffered winter injury, wait until mid-spring Page 26

before pruning out injured foliage.

Brown foliage is most likely dead and will not green up, but the buds, which are more cold hardy than foliage, will often grow and fill in areas where brown foliage was removed.

If the buds have not survived, prune dead branches back to living tissue. Fertilize injured plants in early spring and water them well throughout the season. Provide appropriate protection the following winter.

Dieback

Deciduous trees and shrubs can incur shoot dieback and bud death during the winter. Flower buds are more susceptible to injury than vegetative buds. A good example of this is forsythia, where plant stems and leaf buds are hardy, but flower buds are very susceptible to cold-temperature injury.

Little can be done to protect trees and shrubs from winter dieback. Plants that are marginally hardy should be planted in sheltered locations (microclimates). Plants in a vigorous growing condition late in the fall are most likely to suffer winter dieback, so avoid late summer pruning, fertilizing, and overwatering. Fertilize in the spring on sandy

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soil or in the fall on heavy soil after the leaves have dropped.

Many factors influence soil temperature. Moist soil holds more heat than dry soil, so frost penetration will be deeper and soil temRoot injury

Roots do not become dormant peratures colder for sandy or dry (drought) soils. Snow cover and in the winter as quickly as stems, mulch act as insulators and keep soil branches and buds, and roots are less hardy than stems. Roots of most temperatures higher. With newly planted trees, cracks in the planting trees and shrubs that grow in Minnesota are killed at temperatures at hole backfill will allow cold air to penetrate into the root zone, reducor below 0 to +10°F. These plants ing fall root growth or killing newly survive in Minnesota because soil formed roots. temperatures normally are much

To encourage fall root growth higher than air temperatures and because soil cools down much more and to reduce root injury, mulch new trees and shrubs with 6 to 8 slowly than air temperature.

Figure 3. Proper mulching will help trees survive cold winter weather.. Photo, Family Tree and Turf

Page 28

inches of wood chips or straw. If the fall has been dry, water heavily before the ground freezes to reduce frost penetration. Check new plantings for cracks in the soil and fill them with soil (Figure 3).

Frost heaving

Repeated freezing and thawing of soil in fall or spring causes soil to expand and contract, which can damage roots and heave shrubs and new plantings out of the ground. A 4- to 6-inch layer of mulch will prevent heaving by maintaining more constant soil temperatures.

ment of the stem. Proper pruning, to eliminate multiple leaders and weak branch attachments, will reduce snow and ice damage. For trees with large wide-spreading leaders or large multi-stemmed trees, the main branches should be cabled together by a professional arborist.

Snow and ice damage

Heavy snow and ice storms cause damage by bending and breaking branches. Multiple leader, upright evergreens, such as arborvitae and juniper, and multiple leader or clump trees, such as birch, are most subject to snow and ice damage. Relatively small trees can be wrapped together or the leaders tied with strips of carpet, strong cloth or nylon stockings two-thirds of the way above the weak crotches (Figure 4). These wrappings must be removed in spring to prevent girdling, and to allow free move-

Figure 4. Protecting trees from snow or ice-damage.

Salt damage

Salt used for deicing walks and roads in winter can cause or aggravate winter injury and dieback. Salt Page 29

Photo Yates County Master Gardener, Cornell U.

runoff can injure roots and be absorbed by the plant, ultimately damaging the foliage. Salt spray from passing autos can also cause severe foliar or stem injury.

To prevent salt damage, do not plant trees and shrubs in highly salted areas. Avoid areas where salty runoff collects or where salt spray is prevalent, or use salt-tolerant species in these areas. Burlap barriers (Figure 2) may provide protection to some plants from salt spray.

Animal damage

Mice, rabbits (rodents), and deer can all cause severe damage to Page 30

plants in the winter. These animals feed on the tender twigs, bark, and foliage of landscape plants during the winter. They can girdle trees and shrubs and eat shrubs to the ground line. Deer can cause significant injury and breakage by rubbing their antlers on trees during the fall.

Rodents

Trees can be protected from rodent damage by placing a cylinder of Âź-inch mesh hardware cloth around the trunk. The cylinder should extend 2 to 3 inches below the ground line for mice and 18 to 24 inches above the anticipated snow line for rabbit protection (Figure 5).

Hardware cloth can be left on yearround, but it must be larger than the trunk to allow for growth. For small trees, plastic tree guards are also effective. You can protect shrub beds from rabbits by fencing the beds with chicken wire; however, check such fenced areas frequently to ensure a rabbit has not gained entrance and is trapped inside.

Figure 5. Protecting trees from rodents and deer.

If you have many trees or shrubs to protect, using screens and

wraps may be too expensive and time consuming. In such situations, repellents may be the best solution.

Remember that a repellent is not a poison; it simply renders plants undesirable through taste or smell.

The most effective repellents for rodents are those containing thiram, a common fungicide. You can either spray or paint repellents on trees and shrubs. Repeat applications are necessary particularly after heavy precipitation.

If these methods are ineffective, commercial baits containing poisoned grain are available.

However, baits may be hazardous to humans, pets, and beneficial wildlife. Injury or death can result for animals that eat the bait directly and for animals that consume bait-killed rodents.

Shelter or containerize baits so they stay dry and are accessible only to targeted rodents. Beverage cans laid on their sides work well for this purpose. Trapping and shooting, where legal, will also control rodents.

Deer

Deer feed on and damage terminal and side branches of small Page 31

trees and shrubs. Repellents containing thiram provide some control if feeding pressure is not extremely heavy. Plants can be sprayed or painted with the repellent; however, the most effective procedure is to hang heavy rags near the plants to be protected that have been dipped in concentrated repellant. Repeated plant applications or dipping of rags is necessary. Deer can also be successfully excluded with fencing. To be effective, fences must be high and constructed properly. If deer are starving, there is little that will prevent feeding. Providing a more palatable forage may help, but it may also attract more deer.

Conclusion

Although plant cold hardiness and winter injury are common concerns associated with Minnesota winters, appropriate plant selection, selecting the proper site, proper cultural practices, and preventive maintenance will significantly reduce or prevent severe injury or loss of landscape plants.

Even though plants respond differently to winter stress and each winter provides a different set of stressful conditions, plants possess Page 32

a remarkable ability to withstand extremely severe winter conditions.

Minnesota winters should not discourage planting of traditional or new plant species.

Learn to take advantage of microclimates to enable interesting or different plants to be grown. Minnesota’s list of landscape plant species needs to be expanded, not reduced.

Reviewed by Jeffrey H. Gillman, UMN Extension

The MGCSA wishes to thank Dr, Bert Swanson and Richard Rideout for their permission to share this important information. Your dedication to the green industry is greatly appreciated.

Helping YOU grow your: BUSINESS EMPLOYEES KNOWLEDGE CONNECTIONS PLANTS PRODUCTS SALES BOTTOM LINE

EARLY DATES = EARLY DEADLINES! GET YOUR BEST PRICE NOW. Go to NorthernGreen.org and register today!

January 2–4*, 2018

Minneapolis Convention Center www.NorthernGreen.org

GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY:

*Note: This is a one year date change due to the “Big Game” being hosted in Minneapolis in 2018.

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Winter Is Coming...

Is Your Pump Station Ready?

By Mike Whitacre, Craig Vigen and Jim Dougherty Ferguson Waterworks

“…remember

to always “think like a water molecule” during the winterization process. Look with a detailed eye and ask yourself, where would I get trapped if I was water? Then void and avoid.” This quote from Bryan Weemes with Rain Bird Corporation is a fundamental comment surrounding what we are trying to accomplish when performing the winterization of any pump station. Most winterization documents tend to be a bit generic and improper attention can potentially create a lot of problems coming into spring when golfers are ready to come back to your course. In this article, we will provide details and will get technical. But first, let’s take you through the intent and concept of a winter shut-down.

Winterization to your pump is really no secret to those who have lived in northern climates and have been in the irrigation industry for any period of time. The concept of winterization is to remove water from all components of your pump and irrigation lines to ultimately prevent damage due to freeze expansion. Freeze expansion occurs regardless of the presence of an enclosure heater or environmental package. Prior to “blowing out” your irrigation lines, consider giving your pump station the attention it needs.

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Let’s dive into an action plan…beginning with the heat exchanger.

With the pump station running, shut the isolation valve for the heat exchanger supply line and disconnect. If your course has a VFD, this will be running as well. When the VFD is on, power is supplied to the heat exchanger’s solenoid operated supply valve, opening the valve. Using compressed air, blow out any remaining water in heat exchanger through the supply line. This water remaining will be flushed to the system. Disconnect the return line from the heat exchanger, apply compressed air once again to the supply inlet to ensure any remaining water is removed. Finally shut down the pump station and reconnect lines.

Next, we’ll want to approach filters. After the last irrigation cycle of the season, run two back flush cycles. Drain the system completely, make sure all lines are completely drained. Use compressed air to remove remaining water from the lines and components, once it has been verified that all remaining water has been removed, reconnect lines. Loosen the fasteners on the 3-way solenoid hydraulic actuator flanges to allow water to exit the valve, use compressed air to ensure any remaining water is removed. Finally remove the wedge cartridges and pressure wash thorPage 35

oughly, either replace or store the cartridges or keep them stored in a secure place.

To prepare amiad filters for under-freezing conditions, consider one of two methods: 1) initiate 3 manual powerflush cycles by using the controls; 2) Remove the screen element to wash it with high pressure washer to remove debris. The screen element must be inspected visually by looking through it into a source of light to verify it is completely clean. Drain the filter body, center the limit switch and then disassemble the ž� control filter, clean, drain the feeding tube and reconnect.

Disconnect and drain water from the pressure differential switch feeding tubes and reconnect. If the filter is located outside, cover the drive unit assembly with suitable material to prevent introduction of moisture during periods of non-operation. If the filter is hydraulically operated, disconnect and drain the feed tubes to the hydraulic turbine, pressure differential and hydraulic valves. Turn the rotation indicator back and forth to drain the actuator then reconnect feeding tubes. Finally disassemble and clear the water from all solenoid valves. Use compressed air to remove any remaining water and then reassemble the valve.

Moving on to wye strainers - remove the screen and clean it. Remove any water from the strainer solenoid valve, making sure both the top and Page 36

bottom of the diaphragm are addressed. Reposition the wye strainer ball valve to half open and drain any remaining water from the drain pipe.

Note, the wye strainer can also be removed from the pump station for winter storage after the pump station is shutdown. If this choice is elected, make sure the openings left behind are covered. Any wye strainers under 1� remove and clean, using compressed air remove any remaining excess material after clearing debris reinstall.

This takes us to the pump station pipes and manifolds. Again, making sure the pump station is shutdown, connect hoses to all drain connections, pipes and manifolds. Direct hoses to a safe location and then open all drain valves. Remove all drain plugs and pipes from manifolds. Position all valves to an intermediate position, neither completely open or completely shut.

Once the pipes and manifold are addressed and before the pumps themselves we move to pressure relief valves. All liquid must be removed!

The pressure relief valve is a critical component that could suffer serious damage from freezing water expansion. In lieu of performing the following procedure, the pressure relief valve can be removed from the system entirely and blanks installed to cover the openings in the piping. Make sure these components are stored at a temperature above freezing. Remove Page 37

all vent plugs and loosen all control trim connections, enough to allow water to leak out. Remove and clean all strainers located on the pressure relief valve. Using compressed air, blow out any remaining water from the pressure relief valve. If you suspect any water remains, a shop vacuum can be used to remove anything remaining. Disassemble the pressure relief valve pilot, remove all remaining water and then reassemble.

Finally, due to the wide variety of pump types from centrifugal to vertical turbines we will forgo the last step of the winterization process.

However, once the pump has been addressed it is your last chance to “think like a water molecule� and remove any remaining water from your pump system. When you are confident this has been done, you can reinstall all drain and vent plugs, and shut all drain valves. Reconnect all lines.

It is always best to make sure all procedures are meticulously tended too, if not a service provider is the best way to ensure the investment of your pump systems are maintained.

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One Cause. One Goal. One Percent.

One Cause: Help golf course management professionals and their dependents that are having trouble paying medical bills due to the lack of

One Goal: Raise $10 million in 10 years to support these families.

One Percent: Donate 1% of your 2014 revenue, maintenance budget, or salary over the next 10 years in 10 payments.

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To learn more about One for the Wee One, visit weeone.org/onepercent or call (630) 457-7276.

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WEE ONE MINNESOTA GOLF OUTING AT BRACKETT’S CROSSING COUNTRY CLUB Supporting those in need

MONDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2017 Lakeville, Minnesota HOSTS: Tom Proshek, Superintendent and the MGCSA

$140 per Player / $560 per Team Four Person Scramble only one MGCSA member per team necessary

Great Golf Prizes. On course refreshments. Lunch on the course. Heavy hors d'oeuvres immediately following golf with cash bar reception.

Enter Early. Field is limited to 30 teams (120 players).

Taco Bar @ Brats to go (lunch included in registration fee) Country Club Attire – Collared Shirts. Soft spikes only.

10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

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Contests: Must be present at the reception to win.

Pro Shop Certificates 1st Place $500, 2nd Place Draw $300, 10th Place Draw $160, 18th Place Draw $160, 24th Place $160 Draw Gross Skins Game - $20 per team The Rock "Go-Pro" Challenge Giant Putt Contest prior to shotgun for $100 Mulligan Purchase: 4 for $20 or 8 for $40 Closest to the pin winners on the Par 3’s will draw down for a set of irons.

Featured Raffle Prizes – $5 for 5 tickets or $20 for a LONG arm’s length.

Green Egg Outdoor Grill, Golf Clubs and M U C H MORE.

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Make check payable to MGCSA and mail to:

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REGISTRATION DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 30, 2017

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Strange Things You Can Find In Turf

Strange things you can find in turf, Vera Krischik, Associate Professor, University By, of Minnesota, krisc001@umn.edu, 612.625.7044 Vera Krischik, Associate Professor, UMN Extension Entomology

Strange things are being found in turf. They are all part of the biodiversity of the turf ecosystem and each plays a role. Thru education we can understand their job and conserve them for a healthy turf ecosystem.

Slime molds in turf look like eggs or dog vomit (Eukaryote)

Colors range from white, yellow, orange, and to Dog vomit slime mold grows on coco bean purple and gray, as they die. Purdue University, mulch or on seeds under bird feeders. https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/bp/bp112-w.pdf Slime molds are single celled organisms that congregate to form multicellular reproductive structures. They are no longer considered fungi but eukaryotes like ameobas. Often after a rainy period they are found on turf. Every year slime mold grows on bird seed under feeders or on cocobean mulch. They are saprophytes and obtain their energy from decaying vegetation and animals. The mass of cells can move 2 ft a day. If they are repellent to you, take a shovel and scoop them up and place them where you cannot see them. They will be back in that spot next year.

Slime molds may be found on all cultivated and weedy grasses. They are most prevalent following prolonged periods of leaf wetness and may be observed from late spring to late fall.

Although not directly damaged by slime molds, the aesthetic quality of a turf grass may be affected by their presence. Slime molds may reoccur in the same location each year.

Cottony Grass Scale (Coccidae, Hemiptera)

Insect scales on grasses, Cottony Grass Scale Checkerboard pattern on turf created by grass scale.

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In Minnesota in 2009, 100 cases of cottony grass scale, Eriopeltis festucae, were found in Minnesota lawns. However, the outbreak was not apparent the next year. In September the white, wooly mass of overwintering eggs and larvae can be seen on the grass. The grass also developed a checker board pattern. Rolling the lawn with a sod roller stopped the checkerboard pattern, presumably the scales were killed. The outbreaks occurred in high nitrogen and irrigated turf, especially Kentucky bluegrass. There were no clear management strategies that reduced the scale numbers, except rolling. The checkerboard patterns disappeared the fall. No insecticides were necessary. The scale had been found in the 1930’s in turf grass in Maine and can be common in Iowa.

Cadavers of burrowing sodwebworm Acrolophus popeanellus (Pyralidae, Lepidoptera)

Adult sod webworm, UKentucky, Dan Potter

Burrowing sod Burrowing sod webworm silk cadavers webworm silk of caterpillars, UKentucky, Dan Potter cadavers of caterpillars pulled from turf by birds, UKentucky, Dan Potter Burrowing native sodwebworm, Acrolophus popeanellus, is found in turf. The damage it causes is similar to that caused by other sod webworms in that the larva feeds on grass blades at night, causing indistinct brownish turf areas due to thatch showing. Subsequent irrigation usually restores the turfs health. These cadavers were photographed July 10 2017 in Missourri.

Most sod webworm larvae create horizontal silk-lined tunnels in the thatch where they hide during the day. Burrowing sod webworm constructs a vertical tunnel. When the larvae are reaching maturity, they construct very thick, white tunnel linings. Birds commonly feed on the larvae at this time, and in the process of pulling the larvae out, they also pull out this thick burrow lining. The birds eat the caterpillars but leave the burrow lining on the turf surface. This white lining is about 2 inches long by 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide. From a distance, they look like cigarette butts scattered all over the lawn.

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Fungus Gnat (Sciaridae, Diptera)

Adult of dark winged fugus gnats, UC IPM, http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTN OTES/pn7448.html

Larvae of dark winged fugus gnats, UC IPM, http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTN OTES/pn7448.html

Larvae of dark winged fugus gnat circle on walk in Minnesota, July 21 2017

Native fungus gnats (Orfelia and Bradysia species), also called darkwinged fungus gnats (Sciaridae), are dark, delicate-looking flies similar in appearance to mosquitoes. As their common name implies, the larvae of these small flies (order Diptera) feed on fungus, but they also eat the root hairs of many plants. Some species are known pests of mushroom cultivation and greenhouses.

In Europe there are several species of dark-winged fungus gnats, especially the army worm Sciara militaris, that migrate in processions up to ten meters long, containing thousands of individuals. The circles apparently form when the leading larvae mistakenly hooks up with the larvae at the tail of the rope, forming an endless loop.

European crane fly (Tilpulidae, Diptera)

Crane fly larvae in turf, Northeast IPM, http://www.northeastipm.org/bmps-for-schoolipm/pests/european-crane-fly/

Crane fly adults, Northeast IPM, http://www.northeastipm.org/bmps-for-schoolipm/pests/european-crane-fly/

Common native crane fly (Tipula oleracea) is the large, yellow, mosquito-like insect that bounces around your ceiling during the summer. The adults do not feed. The larvae feed on rotting vegetation. An introduced species, European crane fly (Tipula paludosa), have larvae that live in turf grass and in some areas are a pest. The European crane fly was introduced to British Columbia and upstate New York in 1965. It is spreading slowly and has reached all the way to Michigan.

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Adult crane flies emerge from the soil beneath turf grass, pastures and other grassy areas in late summer and fall. The adults have very long legs and resemble large mosquitoes. Females mate and lay eggs in grass within 24 hours of emerging. Eggs hatch into small, brown larvae that have very tough skin and are commonly referred to as leatherjackets. The leatherjackets feed on the roots and crowns of clover and grass plants during the fall. They spend the winter as larvae in the soil; when the weather warms in spring, they resume feeding. During the day larvae mostly stay underground, but on damp, warm nights they come to the surface to feed on the aboveground parts of many plants. When mature, the larvae are about 1 to 1-1/2 inch long. Around mid-May they enter a non-feeding pupal stage and remain just below the soil surface. In late summer, pupae wriggle to the surface and the adults emerge. There is one generation a year. Drenches with nematodes may give up to 50% reduction if properly applied.

Northern Mole cricket (Gryllotalpidae, Orthoptera), found in Nebraska

Northern mole crickets are native to the United States and are not considered an important pest of turfgrass as there are sufficient natural enemies limiting its numbers.

UFloirda, http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/molecrickets/mcri0038.htm The northern mole cricket, Neocurtilla hexadactyla is native to North America and is widely distributed from southern Canada to Florida in the east and South Dakota to Texas including the northeast corner of Colorado. The first report in Nebraska was from Saunders County in 1909. It is currently known from 61/93counties in of Nebraska. On occasion mole crickets are reported in Minnesota.

Mole crickets, especially the tawny mole cricket, Scapteriscus vicinus, southern mole cricket, S. borellii, and short-winged mole cricket, S. abbreviates, are important pests of turf grasses in southeastern regions of the United States. Like most mole crickets, northern mole crickets, seem to prefer moist low-lying areas and is often found along the margins of lakes and streams.

Foraging adults and immatures of mole cricket species burrow in damp loose soil and feed on the roots of plants. This tunneling behavior can cause considerable disruption to highly maintained turfs such as putting greens.

Cicada killer (Sphecidae, Hymenoptera)

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Cicada killer, Sphecius speciosus, with a cicada held under its body, photo, UKentucky, https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef004 Cicada killer, Sphecius speciosus, are a native wasp. In August, mild mannered female cicada killer wasps are active during the summer, intent on their tasks of digging underground burrows and provisioning them with paralyzed cicadas that will be food for their grub-like larvae for several weeks. Large aggregations of cicada killers can build up over time. An estimated 40% of the developing larvae (a dozen or more per tunnel) may emerge as adults the following year so numbers can increase rapidly. Females like to dig nests in sand on golf courses.

Females have stingers to inject venom into cicadas that paralyzes them. Without doubt, their stings are painful. However, they are not aggressive and do not have nest-guarding instinct of honey bees and hornets. You can walk through areas where they are active without attracting attention. The buzzing noise that the wasps make and the warning colors on their wings and bodies intimidate and discourage predators that see them as a large meal. Please preserve biodiversity and do not kill these charismatic wasps or their larvae.

Biological control of Japanese beetle (Scarabeidae, Coleoptera) with Tiphia vernalis (Tiphiidae, Hymenoptera), Istocheta aldrichi (Tachinidae, Diptera), Ovavesicula popilliae (Microsporidean), Stictospora sp (Cephaline gregarines)

Tiphia wasp that attacks JB larvae, Bugguide, http://bugguide.net/ node/view/118558

Eggs of the tachinid fly Isocheta on a JB adult, Bugguide, http://bugguide.net/ node/view/1300650

Isocheta fly, UMaryland, https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/ insects/parasitoids-tachinid-flydiptera

Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) are exotics from Japan and are managed in the eastern US by two insects and two cellular parasites. In Michigan, larvae were collected at golf courses (n = 8), blueberry farms (n = 7) and low-maintenance turf (n = 9). The larval parasitoid Tiphia vernalis and the adult parasitoid Istocheta aldrichi were absent from all sites. Cephaline gregarines (Stictospora sp.) were the most common parasites, infecting 36.1% of all larvae in fall of 2000. The microsporidean

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Ovavesicula popilliae was absent at all but twolocations near Kalamazoo, MI. The bacterial pathogen Paenibacillus popilliae and entopathogenic nematodes were uncommon, infecting <1% of larvae. Overall, two parasites (T. vernalis and I. aldrichi) and two pathogen (O. popilliae), reported to be widespread and epizootic in some eastern states, were absent or nearly so (O. popilliae was found at 2/ 35 locations) in Michigan. Stictospora sp. was found at most locations in Michigan (25/36) where Japanese beetle infestations were active for more than 20 yrs, but was scarce or absent from areas where Japanese beetle were established in the last 10 yr. The MN DA released the fly and wasp for around 10yrs, with some appearing over the following years.

Earwigs (Dermaptera)

Earwig male, ISU, https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/earwig Earwigs are exotics from Europe and feed on rotting material and like to live in the bottom of pots and feed on the roots of potted plants. Earwigs found inside the house can be swept or picked up and discarded. Earwigs are among the few non-social insect species that show maternal care. The mother will pay close attention to the needs of her eggs, such as warmth and protection. The mother will also faithfully defend the eggs from predators.

Earwigs have cerci, a pair of forceps-like pincers on their abdomen, and membranous wings folded underneath short, rarely used forewings, hence the scientific order name, "skin wings". Some groups are tiny parasites on mammals and lack the typical pincers. Earwigs are mostly nocturnal and often hide in small, moist crevices during the day, and are active at night, feeding on a wide variety of insects and plants.

The MGCSA wishes to thank Dr. Krischik, at right, for her continued insights into the world of entomolgy.

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Charles Erickson Selected for Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame The Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame was established in 1987 to recognize Minnesotans for their outstanding contributions to the game of golf. A task force meets annually to determine nomitions. The Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame is housed at the Bunker Hills Golf Club in Coon Rapids, Minn., and is operated and supported by the Minnesota Golf Association and the Minnesota Section of the Professional Golfers’ Association of America.

Charles Erickson was hired away from the Minneapolis Park Board in 1899 to become the first head greenkeeper at The Minikahda Club, and by July of that year the first ball was hit from the first tee by the club president. Affectionately known as the “General” by the club membership, Erickson’s practical and innovative approach to the challenges of turf and arbor management is best captured in his summation to fellow greenkeepers, “We are doctors of the green.” Among his mechanical contributions to the industry developed during his early tenure at Minikahda, was “The Sea Serpent,” the first golf course irrigation system in the United States. In addition, Erickson cultivated bentgrass at Minikahda and was instrumental in converting many of the golf courses in Minnesota from sand to bentgrass greens.

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Personal Protective Equipment and Pesticide Use 2017

Working with pesticides is hazardous. Protect yourself, and your employees, by ensuring any label required personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn during all pesticide applications.

Read the Pesticide Label Before you Apply

The pesticide label, and any associated labeling, provides PPE safety information specific to each product.

Example: The label information for Trimec Classic (EPA Reg. # 2217-543)

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) All mixers, loaders, applicators and other handlers must wear*: • • • • •

protective eyewear, long-sleeved shirt and long pants, shoes and socks, chemical-resistant gloves and chemical-resistant apron when mixing and loading, cleaning up spills or equipment, or otherwise exposed to the concentrate.

*Applicators may choose not to wear protective eyewear with dilution rates greater (higher) than 5:1 or greater (higher) than 5 parts water to 1 part product.

Remember, it is a violation of both federal and state laws to use any pesticide product inconsistent with the label.

MDA Inspections

During an MDA Use Inspection, an MDA inspector will stop to observe your pesticide application. If you are not wearing the required PPE specified on the label of the pesticide you are applying, you will be issued an Order to cease and desist the application until the proper PPE is obtained. Examples are noted below.

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PPE Violations and corresponding ORDERS Order to Comply: A person applying pesticide must obtain the PPE required by the label, before applying pesticides (and for this reason before resuming a pesticide application).

Violations: Missing pants, gloves and long sleeves

Verified applicator meets all PPE requirements; pants, long sleeves, safety glasses and gloves

Violation: Missing gloves and long sleeves

Safety glasses: Must include brow and temple protection

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Additional Enforcement

Due to potential and actual safety hazards and health risks associated with the lack of proper PPE, documented noncompliance may result in additional enforcement, including financial penalties.

Statutory authority

Follow the link below to read: Minnesota Statute 18B.07, Subd. 2. (a) (1) Thank you,

Corinne du Preez, Agricultural Advisor/ACI Minnesota Department of Agriculture Pesticide and Fertilizer Management Division 3555 9th St NW, Suite 350 Rochester, MN 55901 Office (507) 206-2883 Corinne.dupreez@state.mn.us

Helping YOU grow your: BUSINESS EMPLOYEES KNOWLEDGE CONNECTIONS PLANTS PRODUCTS SALES BOTTOM LINE

EARLY DATES = EARLY DEADLINES! GET YOUR BEST PRICE NOW. Go to NorthernGreen.org and register today!

January 2–4*, 2018

Minneapolis Convention Center www.NorthernGreen.org

*Note: This is a one year date change due to the “Big Game” being hosted in Minneapolis in 2018.

Page 56

7/27/2017 11:31:13 AM

The 2017 Western Exposure Thank you Forest Hills Resort and Superintendent Host Chris Wiedenmeyer

Kudos to our Sponsors!

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Affiliate Spotlight:

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For more than 150 years, BASF has been creating chemistry for a wide variety of industries. Today, BASF invests more in research and development for agricultural solutions than any other industry it serves.

In the agriculture industry alone, the company has brought 40 innovations to the market in just over six years, including wellknown products such as Lexicon速 Instrinsic速 brand fungicide, Pylex速 herbicide, and Xzemplar速 fungicide.

This commitment to creating innovative and effective products is the reason so many Minnesota superintendents trust BASF with

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their turf.

“The weather in Minnesota has had quite a few peaks and valleys this year, so superintendents are having to monitor their turf conditions closely and adjust treatment plans on the fly,” says Nathan Mezera, BASF Sales Specialist for Turf and Ornamentals.

Lexicon Intrinsic brand fungicide is a cornerstone product of many Minnesota superintendents’ turf programs. It is the most effective, broadest spectrum turf fungicide – controlling the toughest turfgrass diseases, including brown patch, dollar spot, fairy ring, Pythium root dysfunction, snow mold, summer patch, and 22 other diseases.

Additionally, Lexicon Intrinsic brand fungicide is formulated to provide many plant health benefits, including increasing photosynthesis, strengthening roots, and improving overall resilience to stress. This combination of disease control and plant health benefits is why many superintendents make Lexicon Intrinsic brand fungicide their product of choice.

“It performs to everyone’s expectations,” Mezera says. “I’m extremely comfortable recommending it.”

All superintendents have had to deal, at some point, with unsightly dollar spot. Whether you are seeking to prevent dollar spot, or cure it once it appears, Xzemplar fungicide from BASF provides industry-leading control on fairways, tees and greens – combining fast stopping power with long-

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lasting preventive action. In addition to control of dollar spot, Xzemplar is effective in the treatment of brown patch, snow mold, and more.

“Superintendents really like the long-lasting effects of Xzemplar,” Mezera says. “It helps stretch their budget without any compromise on effectiveness.”

Tim Jansma, on his 17th year as Superintendent of Gem Lake Hills Golf Course in White Bear Lake, Minn., began using Xzemplar for the first time last season. He decided to try Xzemplar after talking to fellow superintendents who had success using the product. He was also drawn to the 21-day interval for extended protection.

“For the past five or six years, we’ve had a lot of unpredictable breakthroughs, hitting us in spring, summer, and fall,” Jansma says. “Last year, using Xzemplar, we had zero issues. None at all. It was very impressive.”

Jansma has kept the product in his rotation this year, and for the foreseeable future.

The BASF turf web site (www.betterturf.basf.us/solutions/cool-season) is loaded with useful information for superintendents managing cool-season turfgrass. The site features articles, videos, product details, and links to upcoming webinars to support superintendents all season long.

“By partnering with BASF to develop the right plan and product mix, Minnesota superintendents can achieve championship conditions,” Mezera says.

For more information about BASF products, contact Nathan Mezera, 919-323-1671, or Nathan.mezera@basf.com.

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Keynotes WEDNESDAY: Emotional Intelligence Learn How to Interact, Communicate, and Collaborate Successfully with All Types of People

Dave Durham

Helping YOU grow your: BUSINESS EMPLOYEES KNOWLEDGE CONNECTIONS PLANTS PRODUCTS SALES BOTTOM LINE

January 2–4, 2018*

Minneapolis Convention Center www.NorthernGreen.org GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY:

*Note: This is a one year date change due to the “Big Game” being hosted in Minneapolis in 2018.

There’s a lot of buzz centered around emotional intelligence in the workplace right now, and with good reason.

Cutting-edge research into emotional intelligence has shown that it plays a critical role in higher productivity, performance, and job satisfaction.

People who have a high level of emotional intelligence are more confident, more capable, and earn greater respect from their colleagues.

Discover how to: • Evaluate your current level of emotional intelligence • Identify your communication strengths and weaknesses • Overcome personal beliefs that might be holding you back • Understand how your emotions affect others — and how their emotions affect you If you’re looking for a way to improve your relationships across your organization, understand how and why others behave the way they do, and achieve greater success in all your job-related endeavors, you don’t want to miss the opening keynote on Wednesday morning.

THURSDAY: Fun Is Good Creating Joy & Passion in Your Workplace & Career Join us for a humorous and inspirational closing keynote by Mike Veeck, a nationally renowned speaker, entrepreneur, college professor, marketing, promotions and customer care expert and owner of multiple minor league baseball teams across the country.

Mike When we can find our joy and passion, Veeck great things happen in both our work world and in our personal lives. It makes perfect sense, yet it’s so hard to put into practice.

Mike Veeck will show us how to take our work, but not ourselves, seriously. How to discover what brings us joy and then apply it to what we do. Veeck will make us think and laugh in the same minute – and provide great advice that we can put into practice immediately.

Veeck’s philosophy is Fun is Good.

•Fun is good for business because it creates a more engaged workforce.

• Fun is good for customers because a more engaged workforce creates a better customer experience.

• And fun is good for employees because more satisfied customers and more engaged employees create a happier, healthier, and more profitable employee environment.

Plan to leave Northern Green inspired and re-energized!

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