Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Winter Injury at the time of Year?

Yesterdays outing reminded me to ‘blog” about turf injury. We can explain the “what, where, why and how” of physical injury to the turfgrass plant. We just don’t know “when” it happens.


I have always suspected summer stresses predisposed the turf to winter kill.

Or these photos’s showing “winter kill” of fairway turf where snowshoes and foot traffic is clearly to blame.



How much turf injury can we expect to see next year due to cart and foot traffic injuries? Only time will tell!

My only option is to “prepare” your turf to survive periods of stress like Summer or Winter is by utilizing cultural practices like aerification, deep tining of turf for winter drainage, drainage, overseeding et cetera.

All processes which disrupt play but in the long run improve the survival of the plants upon which the game is played.

MK