Some Tough Rough

Heavy, thick, wet, clumpy, and nasty are just a few words that can be used to describe another adjective (or in this case, a noun):  Rough.  What got it growing like crazy?  Well it wasn't any fertilizer we applied, as the only fert application of the year took place over six months ago.

We've been saying for quite a while now that we could use a nice slow, soaking rain, and it finally happened last week.  While the rainfall totals weren't that dramatic, at only 1.20" over five days, the moisture and cooler temperatures got the rough growing.

During prolonged periods of hot, dry weather, we often here people say their lawns are dead.  In most instances, the turf is just dormant, and when better weather arrives, the "dead" grass magically springs back to life.

The heavy dew spews from under the mower decks.

This week we put out both of our large area rough mowers, and made hay.  Even in the afternoons, on Monday and Tuesday, the moisture stuck around and there were a lot of clippings to deal with.  Both our tow-behind blowers, and fleet of backpack blowers went to work on the clumpy clippings.

Clippings from the rough are sticking to everything, including the green, tee and fairway mowers, when they turn.  More rain this past Saturday into Sunday will certainly make keeping up with the growth a challenge!