Dormancy is a survival mechanism for turf, which occurs both during the winter and summer. This past week, just as the Bentgrass fairways were starting to break their winter dormancy and transition from brown to green, along came record-breaking heat.
During this time, our weather station was recording moisture loss at levels we would typically experience in July, not April. From April 6-April 18 we received a meager 0.03" of rain--the equivalent of a single spin of the sprinklers, and hardly enough to keep up with the moisture loss.
In monitoring the turf lately, you really need to check closely to determine if it is coming out of winter hibernation, or stressing out from the heat. A mottled dew pattern on the fairways is often indicative of dry conditions.
Undoubtedly, this week's low temperatures will keep the rollercoaster going, and have the turf wondering if it's time to wake up or go back to sleep.
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