Attack of the Worms

If you've played golf recently, you've probably encountered some worm related mess.  I've heard some people say that we aerated and didn't clean up afterwards.  I've heard others say that the birds really made a mess.  Worms are the only suspect in this case and while they are a real PITA, they are a sign that we have a pretty healthy soil (albeit poorly drained) and they provide a lot of benefits.  The article below is very good at explaining the worm issue faced by many courses.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL, EASY TO READ VERSION of the following article......

When both the ground and worm castings are dry, we will brush them into the turf canopy so they disappear.  However, this time of year it is very rare that conditions are suitable for doing this.  If we tried to brush the castings when wet, they would smear over the turf and leave the fairway looking even worse.  If we were experiencing typical Mid-December weather, then we wouldn't have many golfers to notice the worm issue.  We are not seeing anything out of the ordinary, but the weather has led to more golf and subsequently more chatter about the worm issue.  Rest assured that the worms are helping far more than they are hurting and the fairways will be just fine when spring returns.  

Dry fairway with dry worm castings....the left side has been brushed while the right side hasn't

Worm castings

A few feet from the picture above in a worm free area.  Much nicer.