Winter is finally here!



Number 18 from the tee.

       As of last week winter has finally arrived in Nova Scotia.  A Nor'easter rolled over the province and dumped 35 cm of snow on the golf course.  This is the first major event where the ground is fully covered with snow and it dosen't appear to be going anywhere.  The night time temperatures are closer to the seasonal norms and we're experinecing less of the freeze / thaw cycles that have been common to the last few weeks. 
It's a common misconception that snow is bad for turf, in truth, having snow coverage for too long can be a problem.  After 90 days of solid coverage, the conditions under the snow become ideal for mould to grow and damage the turf.  A good blanket of snow will help to insulate the turf and keep the temperatures at a more consistant level.  The other benifit to the snow is that it minimizes the effects of the cold winds coming from Grand and Fish lakes.

Number 12 from the tee...brrr.

     Without snow coverage, the wind can cause two issues with the turf, dessication and crown injury.  Dessication is the drying out of the of the plant to the point of injury.  When the plants to go dormant in the fall, the cellular liquids in the crown and roots act as "anti-freeze" to protect the cells from crystalizing and damaging the plants.  Snow can protect the crowns and leaves from the wind drawing the water out.  If you have ever seen a mounding in the spring where the top was brown and dried out looking, while the bottom was green and lush, it's usually because the bottom had more snow accumulation.  The other issue is crown injury.   During the freeze / thaw cycles in the spring and late winter, ice can form around the crowns and damage the plants. If the ice persists it can effectivly choke the the crown (the growing point for the plant) and retard growth in the spring. Snow can help to prevent this by insulation the crowns and soil. 
     Now if I can only find someone to shovel it for me.