Turf Tip: Don't Forget About Your Turf When Putting Down Ice Melt

"When putting out ice melt this winter don't forget about the turf below. Ice Melt damage will mostly show up along the edge of your turf, about 4"- 6" inches in, and it may not show up until the spring."

Ice Accumulation Danger

In Chicago, there has been ice cover on areas of turf for a couple of weeks which is causing concern for superintendents. One of the main reasons for concern is that ice accumulation on turf grass for prolonged periods can lead to terminal levels of carbon dioxide.

The ice cover creates an impermeable barrier, eventually trapping high levels of carbon dioxide from exiting the turf canopy. Simultaneously, this decreases the levels of oxygen for the plant.  If ice coverage is prolonged (30+ days), the buildup of carbon dioxide becomes too great for some plants to survive, specifically poa annua.

How can ice accumulation and lethal levels of carbon dioxide be prevented? Avoiding prolonged, non-porous buildup of ice sheeting is a good start. Non-porous, clear ice acts as a magnifying glass. Therefore, the turf will start respiring and building up gases beneath the impermeable sheet. Porous ice is cloudy, which helps prevent the infiltration of sunlight.  No sunlight means reduced gas buildup. If you are dealing with non-porous sheets of ice, you may need to remove them. The best way to remove ice without damaging turf is by melting it. There are multiple materials you can choose to aid in melting ice:  black sand, dark, organic fertilizers and even sunflower seeds. If the ice is more porous, gases are still able to be exchanged, leading to a significantly reduced chance of turf damage. If turf damage is experienced after the ice has finally melted, aggressive tactics will likely be needed in order to speed up recovery, especially on greens. Some tactics include increasing fertility, high amounts of over-seeding, and increasing the canopy/soil temperature to promote germination and growth. Environmental conditions often make it impossible to start seed in early Spring, in which case sodding may be the only option.

El Nino - Who Knows?!

We closed 2015 with the impacts of El Nino, which provided an abundance of moisture and warmer than normal temperatures. What does this mean for 2016? Who Knows?!

We do know that beginning about April 1st and continuing until about mid-November, we will be presented with challenges. How we anticipate and respond to them is the deciding factor of a successful year or a year that we count down the days until it ends!

Your ProGro Team is preparing as we speak. We will be relocating our central distribution center to better serve our current and existing golf and lawn care customers.  The facility will allow for more efficient management and delivery of our orders and better service the walk in trade.

We have a number of new products that will improve both control options and associated economics for our golf and lawn care  markets. Your ProGro Sales Reps will be updating you as the season approaches. While we may not know what Mother Nature has in store this upcoming season, rest assured that your ProGro Team is prepared and ready to assist you regardless of what we have to deal with. I, thank you for all of your support over the years and look forward to serving you in 2016.

Aaron Goy
Progro President

Crown Hydration: Kills Turf from the Inside

Another concern this time of year is crown hydration.  When warm days occur during late winter, poa annua will begin taking up water. If a rapid freeze occurs after a couple of these warm days, the potential for crown hydration is a serious threat.  

Once the plant becomes active and starts hydrating mid-winter, it is highly susceptible to crown hydration. A rapid freeze will cause ice crystals to form inside the plant. Ice crystals that form in the crown (the growing point of the plant) can rupture and lead to plant death. Poa annua is the most susceptible plant in our geography to this type of injury. Poa annua breaks dormancy earlier than other species. Bentgrass remains dormant for a longer period, so crown hydration is not much of an issue.

If you suspect crown hydration has occurred to your turf, take a sample and bring it inside the shop. If the sample starts to green up and grow, your turf is likely out of danger.  If the turf does not green up, damage has likely occurred and you will need to begin strategizing a recovery program.  Foliar-Pak fertilizers along with Holganix, will help aid in the recovery of your turf.  Overseeding with Barenbrug yellow jacket coated seed will give you the highest possibility of establishing new turf.  For more expertise on crown hydration and the programs and products used to treat it, reach out to your local sales representative.