I’ve tried to make it a point not to bring up the weather in my newsletter communication over the last year or so but at this point, how can you ignore it. February was like no February I remember and not only did the ice boom come out earlier than it ever has, but we have also removed greens covers earlier than we ever have. Even though I am not convinced that winter is over, I hope that we can get you out to play a few rounds on the greens while we are having some good days. I’m sure you’re getting the itch.
As I write this, we are preparing to go through a rapid weather change for one day and hope we can come through it with no issues. Today the morning temperature is around 60 degrees and by this evening we are supposed to be in the 20’s with rain throughout the day. The recent warm weather has started to wake the turf up and rapid freezing is a point of stress for any superintendent in the area. Especially those of us managing Poa annua (annual bluegrass). When the grass starts to come out of dormancy and the crown of the plant starts to take up water, if a rapid freeze occurs, especially in areas of standing water, it can cause severe damage and death to the plant. This is a process called crown hydration and is the most common cause of turf injury on putting greens in our area. We will spend the day trying to keep any ponding or standing water off the greens.
The following is an article from the Penn State Extension on winterkill and crown hydration:
https://extension.psu.edu/winterkill-of-turfgrasses#:~:text=Crown%20Hydration,-Crown%20hydration%20is&text=If%20a%20rapid%20freezing%20event,ice%20crystals%20form%20between%20cells).
I look forward to seeing all of you as we open back up. Remember, if you have question that I can help with don’t hesitate to contact me at drew.thompson@eastauroracc.com.
See you on the Course!
Drew Thompson, CGCS
Business Office Hours:
Monday-Friday: 9am-4pm
