The first snow of the year has fallen! The total precipitation for this event was small, but with the temperatures being so low, I do not think it will be leaving any time soon.
I thought that with this event, I would talk about how the turf prepares itself for winter and why some winter weather actually has positive effects on the dormant turfgrass environment. During the fall, the warm and cool season grasses go through a process called hardening. Hardening allows the turf plant to become adjusted to the cold temperatures of winter. This process is brought on in the fall when a certain critical temperature is reached. This critical temperature is different for the different turf types on the course. The zoysia and bermuda grasses start to go through hardening in September, as a response to the change in temperature and photoperiod. The bentgrass on the other hand will start to harden itself by the same factors, but usually during the late part of October. As the plant starts to harden off for winter, it increases its sugar content, alters its cell membrane, and experiences a change in gene expression. This is why the bentgrass on the putting surfaces will lack uniformity in color and the warm season grasses turn straw color. Snow cover insulates the turfgrass plants from the damaging effects of low temperature and dry north winds, by keeping the the soil surface several degrees higher than the air temperature. Snow allows oxygen to pass through and reach the plants, thus letting the turf still respire in its state of dormancy. As the snow melts and the ground thaws, the water will give the soil profile added moisture to combat the winter dessication that occurs from the north winds.
I hope you all see that the natural mechanisms of the turfgrass plant and snow provide mother natures way of insulating and protecting the turf until spring arrives.
Shannon
