With the temperatures ranging from 96-106 for the last 3 weeks, and the next 3 weeks forecasted to be the same, our Annual Bluegrass has been under a lot of stress. Annual Bluegrass is a species that does not do well in extreme heat nor extreme cold and snow conditions. Its growth cycle is also just what its name implies - an annual grass. Meaning it grows for one season and dies off. Now Poa is one of, if not the most, adaptable turf type there is and many perennial types of Poa have evolved over the years. The perennial types still get very weak and take a lot of care during the extreme heat and extreme cold, but they do not die out like a true annual. Fortunately most of our poa on the golf course is the perennial type. In the photo below you see the Poa is a lime green, weaker, and typically in the late afternoons it shows stress. The greener turf is kentucky bluegrass and shows no sign of stress.
Here in a fairway picture below, the poa looks weak, is thinning, and appears to be sunken, whereas the creeping bentgrass is strong, full, and appears healthy.
The poa requires a lot of babysitting in the summer and in the winter, but in the spring and fall when it is 65 degrees and it rains then poa loves life. Thats why it germinates and strives in the spring here but then struggles throughout the summer, only to do it all over again next year. Hence the reason why we manage for kentucky bluegrass in the roughs and creeping bentgrass in fairways and thus all the test plost that we try of various growth regulators, cultural practices, and irrigation water management to discourage poa growth.
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| Another location in the rough where the poa is struggling compared to surrounding desired turf |
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