Why do we have weeds and how do we combat them? These late season rains have created the perfect conditions for weed seed germination- causing somewhat of a weed bloom throughout the golf course. We treat for weeds both preventatively and reactively. We apply a preemergent in the fall, this prevents weed growth for 4-6 months, depending on environmental factors. The weed growth that we are seeing today shows that that preemergent herbicide application is beginning to wear off. The weeds that exist currently are being treated post emergently. But within that herbicide cocktail is a preemergent, so that we can't prevent future weeds from germinating.
It can take weeks, even months to make our way through the entire golf course this time of year. Currently our spray technician is spending about 30 hours per week spraying weeds, and we have other people on our team that are applying an additional granular preemergent herbicide in our desert landscapes.
You should begin to notice a dent being made in the weed population in the next few weeks. You will also notice crews with trimmers eliminating the treated weeds to help with playability.