The recent winter storm that affected the south-central part of the U.S. brought extremely cold temperatures with it. Parts of Dallas saw single-digit low temperatures for three consecutive nights and received several inches of snow. Farther south, in the Houston area, low temperatures reached the mid to low teens for several nights. These conditions can be lethal to bermudagrass, but the effects may not become visible for some time. The waiting period between a cold stretch of weather and spring greenup can be unsettling to say the least.
As discussed in the recent USGA article “Where to Begin With Evaluating for Winter Injury,” sampling is a good way to determine if turf survived the cold weather, but sampling only provides a small representation of a very large property. Winter injury is a complex topic that is not completely understood, so damage could appear in places that you might not expect. However, there are a few factors that certainly have an impact on the susceptibility of bermudagrass to winter injury.
Recent low temperatures experienced through most of Texas can be lethal to ultradwarf putting greens if they were left uncovered. That said, snow is a great insulator and if snow was present before temperatures dropped, greens are less likely to have been affected. Factors such as poor drainage, heavy winter shade and northern orientation will increase susceptibility to winter injury.
Lower-than-normal temperatures throughout the region may also increase severity of winter diseases, such as spring dead spot (SDS). Texas courses that experience SDS this spring can send samples to Dr. Walker from Oklahoma State University for a free laboratory analysis as part of research he is conducting. Texas courses can click here for a form to include with SDS samples for free analysis. He would like samples from Texas so he can characterize which fungal species are most common in the state.
Winter injury can be frustrating for golfers and superintendents alike. If you feel your course may have experienced some winter injury, it is critical to develop a sound recovery and communication plan. One will not be successful without the other, especially in the long term. Tough times can also be a good opportunity to make improvements that will reduce the risk of future winter injury – such as installing drainage, acquiring turf covers or introducing more cold-tolerant varieties of bermudagrass.
If your course is located in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas or Missouri and would like to discuss the potential impacts of winter injury or would like help developing a recovery and communication plan for your facility, please contact your regional agronomist, Paul Jacobs.
Central Region Agronomists:
Paul Jacobs, agronomist – pjacobs@usga.org
Zach Nicoludis, agronomist – znicoludis@usga.org