Poa seedhead

Seedhead might be the worst problem with Poa annua greens, although there are many to choose from like shallow roots, poor drought resistance, low salt tolerance, susceptibility to many diseases, and a really bad reputation.  As far as playability, seedhead might be the public enemy number one.

There are some products we use, called growth regulators, that inhibit seedhead production.  It really is not an exact science and results can vary from green to green.  For instance, the 16th green recently lit up with more seedhead than any of the other greens.  It was treated with the same growth regulator, at the same time, at the same rate, but the results are a bit different.

Below is a picture of the 16th green.  At 2 o'clock from the ball, is a patch of Poa that is all seeding.  The dark portions are bent grass.  Directly to the right of the ball is some Poa without any seedhead at all.  So why the difference?  Most likely, these are two different bio types of Poa annua and each reacts differently to the growth regulator and the current environment.

Now take a look at #15 green, less than 300 yards away from the photo above.  This green is nearly void of any seedhead.  Why?  I don't know.  To me, seedhead control on Poa annua is one of the greatest mysteries of golf course maintenance.  I've complained to manufactures and salespeople about the efficacy of the growth regulators and the usual reply is, "imagine if you didn't spray anything at all?"  They are probably right.  I've seen pure white greens before and we don't want that.

Finally, how did this affect green speed?  Surprising enough, not at all.  Both the 15th and 16th greens stimped right at 10.5 feet.  In fact, over the last week, all of the greens have been right in that range.

Seedhead will be a concern all through spring and we will do our best to minimize the impact to playing conditions.  Light topdressing, frequent mowing, regular verticutting, and careful management of water and nutrients will keep the greens playing at their best.