ONTARIO LAWN BOWLS ASSOCIATION
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Mowing Direction

4/14/2019

0 Comments

 
Cutting of greens straight up and down does it do harm to the running of the greens(setting up ruts etc.) or should you always mow diagonally?

Thanks Jim F.


​Hi Jim.
Thank you for your question. Mowing your green up and down the way you are bowling is not a good practice. Once in a while it does not matter, but if you cut them up and down all the time it will create not only ruts but also the grass will be laying down a certain way that will cause a friction. Most golf courses will use the clock system from 1 to 7, from 2 to 8 etc. to avoid mowing the same way all the time.

​Most bowling greens are cut from corner to corner, alternating direction every time they cut. This way the grass doesn’t have a chance to grow a certain way. Cutting, rolling and verticutting should be done from corner to corner.

Hope this helps.
Charles Roach

0 Comments

Turf Seminars - Details

3/22/2019

0 Comments

 
Download the information below.
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Turf Seminars

3/4/2019

1 Comment

 
​The proposed fee is very reasonable. A couple of follow up questions: 

Do you have an outline of the information to be presented?
Where (what city) will the seminars be given?
When will the seminars be given?

At this time I would expect that Highland Park will send between 2 and 4 members, 
depending in part on the questions I have posed.  

I’ll be very interested in integrated pest management session, given that virtually all 
chemical means are effectively unavailable to us. Also interested in leads for used greens 
maintenance equipment. Also professional contractor services (we currently do all our 
maintenance by members).

Thanks looking forward to the sessions

Bob


​
At the last meeting I had with the University this was discussed:
  1. The benefits and strategies of top dressing
  2. Basic overview of turf disease and control (This is where IPM will be discussed.)
  3. Cultural practices - over-seeding, dethatching and aeration
  4. Weeds control and fertilizing.
  5. Strategies to raise the profile and prestige of the green keepers
  6. Plus there will be questions and answers at every seminar.
 
This will happen at the Guelph University Turf Institute in the city of Guelph.
No date has been set yet. As soon as I get more information I will post it on the OLBA web page.
Hope this helps.

Charles
1 Comment

Guide To Maintenance

2/26/2019

 
Do you have a one page summary of the tasks required to maintain bowling greens?
I need this to forward it to the people at the Toronto golf courses who look after our greens.


​Hi Hank,
No I don’t have a one page summary of tasks, but what I suggest is Lloyd Wood's book. I would tell them to get some soil samples and from that they should be able to give you a fertilizing program. Set up a verticutting schedule, for example, every two weeks. As far as for the mowing, three time a week is okay. Try to control the watering. Too much water is just as bad as not enough water. Hope this helps. If you need me to meet with them, let me know.

Also, the minimum temperature is not a problem. The problem with hot temperature is with the people working the greens and many times on a long warm stretch and drought period, the grass does not grow that much.

Charles

Damage Done By Squirrels

2/15/2019

 
​At last. A great development. Thank you Charlie. My problem is damage done by squirrels. A black walnut tree just off our property attracts all sorts of squirrels which then try to bury nuts in the green. I have tried chili powder to no avail. Anyone with humane solutions? Secondly, we have a roller and a verticutter for sale. Both are in good working order but not used in 2018 because we received a grant to buy new equipment. Any interests?

Hi Ted,
We have the same problem at Burlington. What we do is have a mixture of seeds and sand ready at all times and fill the holes as they occur and fill the holes level to the playing surface. I don’t believe that you could get rid of them that easily. I know it a problem but it is against the law to trap them. So we have to co-exist.

Hope this helps.
Charles

Thank you Charlie. I hope you know how much I appreciate your continued support on all matters "green "
Ted

Dead Patches

2/11/2019

 
Charles - most interested in your turf seminars. As greens chair, I will be attending. Are you able to provide an estimate of the costs, as other members of our club will likely wish to attend? A topic of particular interest to our club is addressing the heavily compacted dead patches, particularly found at the ends of the rink. Also interested in sod patching.

Hi Bob,
Thank you for your interest in the seminars. No  price has been set yet. It will depend on how many people will attend. As of today twenty-two people have shown interest in attending. The more attending, the cheaper it will be. A good guess would be about one hundred dollars for the three seminars or thirty-five dollars per seminar.
 
As for the dead patches at the end of the green, they are caused by using the same rink most of the time. For some reason most club bowlers like to bowl on the center or on the best rinks you have. The best advice I can gave you is make  a schedule of rink movement. If your green is square use this movement:
  • Start with north/south with three settings, A,B and C. Bowl on A setting for three days same with B and C.
  • After nine days change direction to east/west and start over again. This way you can let the ends of north and south rest for nine days.
  • After nine more days rest the east and west. This way you spread the wear and tear around.
  • And don’t be afraid to use the outside rinks. The more you use the outside rinks the better they will get.
As far as sodding is concerned you will have to find out what caused the problem in the first place. Most likely it was compaction. You will have to remedy the compaction before anything grows in the area.
Charles 

Types of Grass

2/11/2019

 
​We're looking at some ways we can improve our greens. Is it important that we know exactly what type of grass is on the greens in order to tailor things like irrigation and fertilization? If so, how can we find out the type of grass we have.

Hi Lesley,

Thank you for being interested in improving your green. Yes, it is important to know what kind of grass is covering your green. It is also very important to know what is in the soil. I believe that it is probably creeping bent grass and I am sure that you also have poa annua. Most clubs in Ontario will at one time or another, have poa on their greens. The best way to find out what you have on your green, is take some plug samples out of your green and send them to Guelph University Turf Institute. Ask what kind of grass is on your green and what is the condition of the soil. If you go to your fertilizer dealer or get in touch with Ontario Seeds they should be able to help you.

Charles Roach

Thanks so much, Charlie. I know Dave P. has been talking to you about our greens and there are also some other folks in our club that are willing and able to put in the work to make improvements. We're currently looking at all the options, and it seems like the core sample will help set us in the right direction. You and the OLBA are a big part of our learning curve!  I'm sure we'll be calling on you again soon :)

Lesley

Dollar Spots

2/4/2019

 
Dollar Spots - Has anyone had success treating their dollar spot fungus using a pesticide? We seem to have a chronic problem and perhaps the disease is embedded in our greens. A product and where it is sold, would be appreciated.

Hi Richard
Yes dollar spots can be controlled with fungicide. You will need a license to buy and spray this material. I have been using two kinds of material. One is Daconil and the other is Interface. For some reason we get better results if we alternate the material. I get my material from Ontario Seeds Company in Kitchener.
A helpful hint - remove all the thatch from your green by verticutting ,and remove the dew from your green every morning before the sun dries it. This will help even if you don’t use fungicide.
Hope this helps If you have more questions don’t hesitate to email or phone
​

Charles
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  • Home
  • About Us
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    • Club Locater
    • Benefits of OLBA Membership
    • Publications >
      • OLBA Annual
      • Newsletter
    • Mission & Goals
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  • Governance
    • Strategic Plan
    • District Chairs Council - Terms of Reference
    • Directors
    • Committees & Appointments
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    • Board Minutes
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      • Find A Tournament
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        • Submit Your Club's Results For The Blog
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  • Awards
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    • Awards Sponsor
    • Club Anniversary Plaques & Certificates
    • Membership Certificates - 25 Years Or More
    • Certificates of Appreciation
    • Bowls Buddy Certificates
    • Big Shot Pins - Perfect End
    • Beaver Pins
    • Volunteer of the Year Award
    • Bowls Canada Awards
  • Programs
    • Membership & Marketing >
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      • Greens Keeping Resources
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      • Submit Your Questions or Suggestions
    • Youth Bowlers
    • Bowls Buddy
    • Memorial Fund
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    • Apply For Government Grants