Goose grass

We've received multiple questions regarding the increased goose grass populations on the putting surfaces.  Goose grass is a summer annual that is currently in the peak of its life cycle.  We address these plants in the spring and early summer with pre emergent control.

It is in my professional opinion that due to increased earl summer rain, these plants had plenty of moisture to germinate.  With the onset of increased temperatures through July and August, our protective barrier was degraded early by hot and humid weather.

Post emergent control can damage vulnerable cool season turf in the heat of summer, hence the reason we have not been aggressive with those post emergent chemistries.

We are not the only course with increased populations of goose grass this summer. Academia is seeing it in multiple locations throughout the southeast and mid-Atlantic.

We are actively hand picking these plants each day to decrease current populations.

With cool weather approaching, this summer annual will not tolerate the cooler temperatures and will start to fade away.