May the BTME be with you

So dear friends as I sit down to post my latest ramblings I cast a knowing nod to those of you who are Harrogate bound, or the lucky few who have arrived already. I, as do most UK greenkeeper's, look forward to BTME week as a time to further our knowledge & understanding of our industry by attending the education seminars, looking round the show & least and by no means last cramming into some of North Yorkshire's finest watering hole's to 'network'..!!??
So to all those attending enjoy.

So week 2 of Winter Turf School has passed. And the pace has been as relentless as week 1. This week we've covered turf pathology, soil science, turf weeds, entemolgy, irrigation, turf fertility needs and golf course management. Each subject has been again a series of lectures & discussion groups with daily exams (I've given up calling them Quiz's..) and homework assignments. Don't get me wrong there are no complaints, I consider myself very fortunate to be hear & I'm learning a great deal. One interesting point to come out of the week has been how Poa Annua  (Kentucky Bluegrass ) to my host's , is considered a weed grass. Now I'm not going to start any sort of debate but it's interesting how coming from a background where we manage Poa /Bent greens, not everywhere granted, as to is it still right to consider it a weed grass? Now I suppose by definition a weed is an undesirable species, but as we discussed in class are you  better to try & manage what you have or try to control & strive for more finer grasses in our swards. Interesting stuff. And no clear answers. Which is what I found interesting that the same points of discussion are 'hot ' topics this side of the pond. Although I've yet to meet a UK collegue who as a raccoon or coyote problem..!!!

So as we move into week 3 I have fungicides to learn by the collective 'bucket' load (courtesy of the previously mentioned Dr Jung..Legend) and I'm sure the pace will continue relentlessly. And I'll be all the better for it.

Away from Turf School, I've been to my first bluegrass  (not the 'weed'!!) gig, everyone went to the pub after class on Friday, more than the first week, team bonding & everyone is getting excited about the 'football '  game today. Semi final day in the NFL. I'll be supporting the 'Patriots', when in Rome etc, but also smiling inside as I think of the good times being had in North Yorkshire & the fact the Rochdale sit 5th on the league. Cheers everyone.