Winter could be considered a pretty boring time of year for many turf managers, but it definitely is a very important time of year for us. There are many things that must be done for the turf to make it through the winter in excellent condition and ready for play once spring is here.
In our climate the turf will begin to go dormant around the end of October. Dormancy occurs as the days begin to get shorter and the temperature becomes cooler. At this point grass growth slows down substantially. The important process of dormancy is the process of the turf winterizing itself to become cold tolerant so that it can withstand the cold temperatures and winds that occur throughout the winter months. The winterization process begins as the plant starts to produce high levels of sugars through photosynthesis from the suns light. As the amount of sugars increase, the amount of water in the plants crown and roots begins to decrease. With the increase in sugar and decrease in water the plant has created its own antifreeze. As a result the plant can now withstand much colder temperatures than if this process did not occur.
Dormancy is really noticeable as the turf really begins to lose its colour. The eventual brown colour that you will see is an indication that dormancy has occurred. Most people would associate brown with plant death, but it is in fact the complete opposite. It is an indication that the plant is alive, doing its job and will be ready for us in the spring.
Dormant brown turf
It is very important for us in the fall as dormancy is occurring to be very careful with the turf. This is because as the turf is becoming dormant it will be freezing or be covered in frost some of the time from the colder temperatures developing. When the turf is frozen or frost covered we must keep people, equipment, etc. off of it until it has thawed out. Traffic on the frozen turf will kill it. This is because the internal cellular structures of the plant are frozen at the time and pressure from a foot or tire pressing down on the plant will rupture the plant cells and result in plant death. So this is obviously the reason why in the late fall on the frosty mornings we do not allow golfers out on the course until the frost has melted.
Frost damage from foot traffic
(http://arbutusridgegolf.blogspot.ca/)
Unfortunately for us in Mainprize our turf has to fight harder to stay alive during the winter months than most golf courses. This is because of the frequent and strong winds we have throughout the winter and the fact that we do not have much shelter or protection from the winds as a result of being a "links" style golf course. Desiccation can occur during the winter months as a result of these cold winds. Desiccation occurs because the wind dries out any remaining moisture that may exist in the plants leaf tissue. Since the roots are frozen in the soil they can not take up any water. The loss of all moisture within the plant will eventually result in the death of the plant. To try and prevent desiccation from occurring we must protect the plant. We protect the plant by covering the turf with tarps in the winter and snowfencing our greens and tee boxes. The tarps and trapped snow from the snowfence will act as a protective layer between the turf and the winds so that the plant will not be exposed to these cold winds and desiccation.
Winter desiccation
(usga.org)
Another concern for turf managers during the winter is disease. The main disease we are concerned with is snow mold. The main tool we use to prevent snow mold is the use of preventative fungicides in the fall just before snow cover. The fungicides help to prevent the disease pathogen from developing and spreading and taking over the turf. We do not typically face as much disease pressure from snow mold as most other courses in our area. This is because we do not usually have near as much snow cover as most courses or the protection of a tree-lined golf course which all help to create an environment that is much more likely for snow mold to occur. That being said though, we still can have snow mold so we do apply preventative fungicide applications to the greens, tee boxes and fairways in the fall.
Snow mold
(http://marquettegolfclubgrounds.blogspot.ca/)
So if we can follow the proper procedures of protecting the turf against things like disease and desiccation and allow the plant to winterize itself properly we stand a much greater chance of surviving the winter well and being able to open the course in the spring in great condition.
15 green tarped and snowfenced for winter
