Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Winter Damage

 We have reached the point of the year where frost delays are becoming a common occurrence.  In previous Reserve Reminders we've discussed the negative effects of frost, but for those of you who did not see that information, here is a brief overview.

Picture A

  Plants are comprised mostly of water and when that water freezes, the ice crystals in the turf puncture the cell walls and cause damage to the turf.  When the crown of the plant is frozen and then crushed under foot or cart traffic, the result can be death of the plant.  With the lack of plant growth during the winter months, damaged turf will be an eye sore and cause problems until we get to the spring and the growing season.   
   To the left, Picture A shows potential damage from foot traffic on frost covered turf.  The frozen water in the plants doesn't allow it to "Bounce Back" and cells within have now been damaged or destroyed.  Pictures B and C show damage resulting from cart traffic on frosty turf.

Picture B

Picture C

Picture D
Besides frost, we are now experiencing another cause of winter damage and that is frozen soil.  Some of the worst turf damage can be caused by concentrated foot traffic during the thawing out phase after a long freeze. When this occurs, the top inch of the soil starts to thaw and becomes very soft while the soil beneath is still frozen solid.  Foot traffic at this time causes a shearing action of the roots, in much the same way a sod cutter removes turf from the underlying soil.  The damage caused by root shearing can be devastating and result in the loss of a green for months.  Also, the softness of the green surface during the thawing phase will just accentuate wear and foot printing from golf traffic.  Picture D shows the results of concentrated foot traffic during a previous thawing out phase.  


   I hope that this sheds some light on the issues we are dealing with during these cold months.  Our number one priority is ensuring the long term health of the greens.  We hope to get everyone back on the courses as soon as they are ready.  Happy New Year!  

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