It’s that time of year when cold winter temperatures affect nearly all parts of the country, and frosted turf conditions are typical.
“No traffic on frosted turf. It will kill the grass!” has been the conventional wisdom for many years, with superintendents preferring to keep their course closed until the frost is completely melted.
Some course operators and superintendents have challenged this perspective and say that traffic on frosted turf does no harm.
Who is right? Here is my experience and perspective on the issue.
- There is a difference between “frosted” and “frozen” turf. Frost crystals on the surface of the grass, what many call “superficial frost,” cause no harm to turfgrass. However, there is a very high potential for damage with traffic on frozen turf—when the water within the turfgrass plant is frozen. The potential for damage increases when the crown tissue (the growing point of a turfgrass plant) is frozen. Which condition do you have at your course? Probably both, and that is the problem. How does a superintendent decide how much of the 100-acre property has superficial frost, and which areas are frozen and prone to injury?
- Safety issues. Frosted and frozen turf is slippery. This is an issue for golfers, maintenance personnel, golf carts, and equipment. Very few golf courses are flat, and walking or driving up and down frosted slopes can be treacherous as well as dangerous. This increases the potential for slipping and injury. Keep in mind that it’s not just frost on the turf—there is likely to be frost on cart paths and stairs as well, which increases the scope of safety problems.
- How much turf damage can you tolerate? The agronomist in me says, “let the frost melt before opening the course so we can keep the turf as healthy as possible.” But a course operator who is losing hundreds or thousands of dollars every hour the course is closed will have a different perspective. Traffic on frosted (not frozen) turf is most likely to cause temporary discoloration in high-traffic areas, and there will probably be turf die-back in sections of the golf course that remain frozen when the course is open for play. If revenue is the most important factor, then some discoloration and die-back is tolerable. If aesthetics is the highest priority, then no damage is tolerable. (Let’s face it—a lot of superintendents are judged on and place a higher priority on aesthetics.)
Most superintendents will take the safest approach and advise keeping the course closed until the frost has melted.
If you want to test your “frost IQ,” take this brief quiz, Facts and Fallacies About Frost on Turf.
If you have any questions about turfgrass management, irrigation, or water use efficiency, feel free to email them to me at pgross@ewingos.com.