Prelude to the Season
By Jim Skorulski, senior agronomist Northeast
Region
November 28, 2012
Colder temperatures and recent activity of the Great Lakes
snow machines are bringing to end another golf season across much of the region.
Superintendents are busy with late-season topdressing, fungicide applications
and installing putting green covers. Sub-freezing nighttime temperatures
combined with dry weather this fall have been favorable for readying turf for
the upcoming winter. Freezing temperatures trigger cold temperature acclimation
processes in cool-season turfgrasses while dry conditions reduce moisture
content in the plant’s crown, both of which will help turf prepare for and
tolerate winter conditions ahead. Of course, a period of above normal
temperatures and wet weather could negate the winterized benefits already
achieved so we keep our fingers crossed.
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An employee at Hillsdale Golf and Country Club in Mirabel, Quebec,
Canada, uses staples to secure an impermeable cover. This is the final piece of
a combination covering system that uses a permeable ground cover, a layer of
straw and then an impermeable fabric that insulates underlying turf and keeps it
dry during winter.
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Northern golf facilities that manage annual bluegrass greens may be
entering their most challenging season. Annual bluegrass has far less cold
tolerance than other cool-season grasses. The higher moisture content in the
tissue of annual bluegrass and its willingness to break dormancy earlier make it
more vulnerable to varying temperatures and ice layers that can occur across the
Northeast.
Turf managers will use winter covers to protect putting greens
dominated with annual bluegrass. Remember, however,
that covers have different functions and it is important to match
the right cover system to its intended application. For instance, permeable
covers provide protection from wind and may offer an earlier spring greenup.
Impermeable covers offer wind protection as well but when installed properly can
prevent turf from becoming hydrated and encased in ice. A combination of
permeable and impermeable covers and an insulating material is often used on
northernmost golf courses to prevent hydration and ice encasement and to buffer
against wide temperature fluctuations. The combination systems usually begin by
placing a permeable cover over the turf. This is followed by an insulating
material and finally the impermeable cover. Insulating materials may include
straw, bubble material, closed cell foam, or even some types of bunker liner
materials. The impermeable cover is usually manufactured to the size and
approximate dimensions of the green. The process of installing and managing
these covering systems is more complex and expensive, but their use impacts
survival of annual bluegrass in cold temperature
climates.
Storm Update
The effects of Hurricane Sandy are still being felt in the Northeast.
Storm cleanup and repair work continues and turf managers now have a better idea
of turf damage sustained from saltwater flooding. The later date of the flooding
and ability for some golf courses to irrigate flooded areas once saltwater
receded has reduced turf injury on putting greens and other playing areas.
Low-lying fairways and rough areas that were submerged for prolonged periods or
sites where it was impossible to flush salts from soils have not fared so well
and extensive overseeding and turf renovation programs will be required.
Remember to check irrigation ponds that may have been breached or flooded during
the hurricane. Salt levels should be checked at various water depths to make
sure it is suitable for irrigation. We will continue to provide updates on
recovery from Hurricane Sandy and subsequent nor’easter
storms. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding turf recovery and
renovation following storm aftermath.
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