Sure, it’s frigid outside at this time of year, and it’s no fun dealing with a strong polar vortex providing extremely cold conditions seen in the central U.S recently. However, there can be some positives that come with winter weather. Think about these potential benefits the next time you go outside:
Snow cover can provide insulation to the turf and minimize winter injury.
Although snow removal may be burdensome, having adequate snow cover across the course can insulate turfgrass crowns from excessively cold temperatures and limit winter injury. However, prolonged snow cover can lead to snow mold pressure – grey snow mold requires at least 60 days of snow cover – so an occasional break in snow cover is appreciated.
Cold temperatures can control some pest populations.
Some pest populations may be kept away from your course due to the severe weather. Examples of pests that decline in cold temperatures include:
- Copperhead snakes, that die at temperatures significantly below 32 F.
- Fire ants, that die at 10 F.
- Rhizome populations of dallisgrass that can decline or die from prolonged freezing soil temperatures.
- Some tropical weeds, like tropical signalgrass, die back at freezing temperatures.
Frozen soil limits damage caused by equipment.
Frozen soil is better able to resist compaction and potential damage from heavy equipment, so some tasks around the course become far less invasive. There are several tasks that require heavy equipment, and tree maintenance is a frequent one for many courses. Heavy equipment may be necessary to safely cut down, remove, and grind tree stumps. Necessary tree removals and pruning can be performed with the least amount of disruption to the tree, the turf, and play in the winter months when soils are frozen.
There’s more time for indoor tasks.
There are lots of tasks that need to be completed indoors every winter. Conducting routine maintenance on equipment, refinishing course accessories, reviewing the past year and planning for the future are all tasks that can be done when it’s freezing outside. Escaping the frigid outdoor conditions is a perk, but this time inside can also help remind superintendents how much they enjoy working outside on the course.
Although we’ve had some exceptional cold throughout the central U.S. this winter, remind yourself that the winter can provide some necessary downtime to prepare for the next growing season.
Central Region Agronomists:
Zach Nicoludis, regional director – znicoludis@usga.org
Tom Gould, agronomist – tgould@usga.org