Where We Stand & Where We Are Going After This Brutal Winter

Please go away Winter and be nice Spring

The calendar says Spring starts today but other than rain vs. snow & a few warmer days sprinkled in I am not completely sure it will ever get here.  We all suffered from this record breaking winter & the turf seems to have suffered also.  I won't rehash the details of the Winter as I am sure everyone has heard it enough by now not to mention lived it.  The course is currently about 30% snow/ice covered, areas predominately in shaded areas;  but I expect the snow/ice cover on Greens, Tees, & Fairways to be clear by the end of the week.  From a turf perspective, the duration of ice encasement for Poa Annua  is the real issue in relationship to this winter & as of my inspection walk yesterday this is an issue we will be dealing with this spring.   From a numbers perspective, 14 of the 20 greens have some turf damage with the severity ranging from 10% to 50%.  The extent of the damage is still to be determined and will remain somewhat of a mystery until temperatures increase and the proper growing environment is achieved. 

Inspecting turf under the ice & snow

Inspecting the greens as the snow/ice melted

Initial findings didn't look or smell good

In some of my previous blog posts I have tried to provide information as it pertained to the issue we may be facing.  While there is some clarity into what struggles the greens may face this spring, there is still some unknowns as we just don't know how the Poa will recover, if it will recover, or how quickly.  These answers will not come until Mother Nature provides the growing conditions necessary.  The issue that has caused this unsightly Poa is Ice Cover Injury.

3 green

11 green

7 green

5 green

13 green

Previous knowledge was that Poa could survive under ice encasement for 45-60 days before anoxic conditions would become damaging.  In essence, a toxic gas build up occurs as it is trapped under the ice.  Best guesstimate has the major ice formation taking place in mid January putting us over the 60 days as the calendar just eclipsed mid March.  The ice for the most part has receded with the handful of warm days and the visual inspection showed damage which was also observed with a very pungent smell referred to as "silage."  Obviously not what I was hoping for but wasn't completely surprised based on the time span under ice.  Samples have been removed from areas and brought into the shop to access if recovery could be achieved with more suitable growing conditions.

Samples & date brought into the shop.  Slow recovery

Ice cover injury is now in the rearview mirror moving forward but we still have concerns as we transition from winter to spring.  The major concern now is the issue referred to as freeze injury and is typically the major concern I have each spring but this year it becomes even more of a concern considering the stress the Poa has undergone from ice encasement.  Simply put...warm days allows the Poa plant to hydrate (take in water) thus breaking its cold hardiness which makes it more susceptible to both freeze injury should the temperatures drop below freezing and/or dehydration if high winds whip over the newly awakened turf.  These are the concerns that I am currently monitoring and evaluating but the basic fact is we need the weather to transition into spring sooner than later so recovery can begin & the potential for increased damage can be a thing of the past. 

 

New tees & the bent grass look great which is no surprise

Fairway turf seems to have minimal affects & look good

So what does all this mean moving forward into the beginning of the 2014 golf season?  Two words make the most sense when I collect my thoughts and strategies for the future.....SLOW & PATIENCE!  From a Grounds Department standpoint slow is how this spring seems to be playing out based on both the future 10 day & monthly forecasts as well as the recovery of the Poa Annua on the greens.  Patience is going to be needed by myself as I implement a recovery plan knowing that these things take time & pushing to aggressively can have adverse affects and ultimately slow down the recovery process.  For the Membership these two words also relate as the season is going to start out slow and be dictated by the weather and how it aides or impedes the overall process of both opening the course & its recovery with patience being the key ingredient as we get the course back to the expectation levels that everyone expects & deserves.

 

Aerification & seeding with bent grass will be very beneficial & key to recovery

What will be the Grounds Departments plan in getting the course back to these levels?  That can't be completely determined at this point but there are numerous possibilities  based on the initial improvements that are achieved just by Mother Nature's kind hand.  One thing I can safely say is this is a great opportunity to achieve a higher bent grass population which will be of great benefit to both summer & winter issues that we deal with having predominately Poa Annua greens.  This will entail aerificaton, slit seeding, & overseeding with a few of the newer, aggressive bent grasses.  Outside of that there are just possibilities at this point until we know a little bit more about how the Poa is going to respond once the weather becomes favorable.  As of now, we are in a holding pattern patiently waiting & slowly gaining knowledge on the What, When, & Where that will correct the Why of the Winter of 2014.

 

One thing I know is the sun will come up

 

The course will recover

 

and all will be right again as it should be.

In closing, I realize I am the bearer of bad news whether it is a frost delay, no carts, or in this instance a more longer term issue with the recovery of the greens from this beast of a winter.  It is part of being a Superintendent that I could do without but these decisions will always be thought out diligently with the course & overall enjoyment of the membership at the focal point of these crucial decisions.  With that said, I don't foresee the course being open for carts or pins in the greens during the month of March based on current conditions & future forecasts.  If and when things change, I will update the blog & inform the Pro Shop.  I have a positive feeling moving forward but also know that it is going to take some hard work, patience, understanding & I want to thank the membership in advance for the support.  As the course opens, I will make myself available as much as possible in and around the Pro Shop & putting green areas to answer any questions anyone may have.

 

Sincerely submitted,

 

Kurt Sams, CGCS

Update From MSU & CDGA on Ice & Poa Survival

 

 

The information is flowing on this topic whether it be from Twitter, Blogs, or just plain old text messages.  One thing is for sure; no one really knows what to expect but as more time elapses under these conditions; the worse things will be.  Spring can't get here soon enough for me and unfortunately for our friend Poa.  Below is the link to a post from the CDGA & Dr. Ed Nangle followed by an update from the MSU turf team in East Lansing.

 

http://t.co/xlL2l1TXOM

 



Sunday, March 2, 2014

Ice and Poa Survival Update

Dr. Kevin W. Frank and Dr. J.M. Vargas, Jr.

The winter of 2013-2014 will be remembered for many years to come.  The ice storm of Dec. 21-22 knocked out power for thousands and coated everything, included exposed turf, in ice.  Following the ice storm there was a brief warm-up Dec. 28-29 immediately followed by a Polar Vortex, a blizzard, and then another brief warm-up from Jan. 10-13.  The weather events resulted in thick ice sheets forming on many putting greens with the most severe conditions appearing to be from the Lansing area eastward.

Ice from a putting green.

The primary cause of death to turfgrass under ice sheets is from oxygen depletion and toxic gas accumulation from soil microbial respiration.  The warmer the soil is when the ice forms the faster the oxygen is depleted by the microbes and the sooner toxic anaerobic gases like butanol and ethyl butyrate will form.  These gases are what superintendents often refer to as the smell of death and unfortunately many, including myself, have experienced this smell in the last week.  The day estimates for Poa annua survival under ice range from 45 to 90 days and for creeping bentgrass from 90 to 120 days.  Currently many putting greens have been covered in ice for greater than 60 days.  We have sampled Poa annua under a 2 inch ice sheet at the Hancock Turfgrass Research Center at MSU weekly for the last three weeks.  Last weeks samples from 58 days under ice (5 days after sampling) show that ½ of the plugs sampled appear to be dead but we will continue to monitor and sample.  Some superintendents have started reporting similar results in the last week.

Poa annua samples, 58 days under ice, 5 days after sampling.

Many superintendents have been active in trying to clear snow and remove ice throughout the winter but it has been a nearly impossible process due to frequent snowfall and very cold temperatures that make melting or physically removing ice very difficult.  This might be the winter that Mother Nature dictates turf life and death no matter what actions were taken by superintendents.  Unfortunately winter is not over and the upcoming warm temperatures and melt that will arrive can be just as calamitous especially to Poa annua greens.  Poa annua loses its cold temperature hardy proteins and begins to take up water quickly as temperatures warm.  As snow melts and water collects in low lying or poorly draining areas, if the temperature drops below freezing and ice forms it can crush the swollen crowns of Poa annua plants killing them.  The damage resulting from freeze/thaw cycles is typically referred to as crown hydration injury.  Despite efforts to squeegee water from low spots on greens it is difficult to remove all the water and completely prevent crown hydration injury.  It has already been a very taxing winter and unfortunately spring doesn't look like it will be any easier.  We will continue to update the situation as spring arrives.