Fishing anyone??
One of our bigger challenges at Highlands CC with regards to fairway conditioning are earthworms. Earthworms are extremely beneficial organisms in the soil and the fact that they're present, is a sign of a healthy soil. Eliminating them is never the goal. However, their castings (the tiny piles of soil they leave behind) reach a level that is unacceptable. Fortunately, a company known as Ocean Organics, makes a product that causes the worms to surface, where they can be relocated. You can see by these photos, that I spot treated a few areas on #1 and #6 fairways. We will never do blanket applications of this product. It is an granular organic fertilizer that contains an extract that irritates their skin, causing them to surface...it does not kill them! The interesting thing about the product, is it needs to be "watered in" to be effective. However, no amount of irrigation water seems to work; it must be applied when the forecast is calling for a minimum of 3/4" rain. It's always been a mystery to me but I've learned early on, use Mother Nature as my friend! Last night we received about 1" of rain and you can see the results!
Earthworms benefit the soil because they are constantly tunneling under the surface, which creates air pockets for root growth. It's like having an aerator going 24/7. They also add beneficial organic matter to the soil in the form of waste.
