Blowing out the Irrigation and Frost

This week we began the process of blowing the water out of the irrigation system.  As always I took my camera with me and shot some footage of the process. 

If you click here, you can see the video of the event.

On Wednesday of this week we had our most severe frost of the year so far.  Lots of members ask why we have a frost delays and what can happen if golfers were to walk on the frozen turf.  Individual grass blades are made up of stiff cells that are filled with a soft fluid inside.  The rigid outer portion of the cell acts a container for the inner tissue.  In some plants like bamboo the outer portion is very hard and rigid, while other plants like a hosta the outer portion is softer and less protective.  When plants are still active as they are now, at a much slower rate, but still active, the liquid inside the plant is still present.  When the temperature reaches the freezing point, the liquid in the plant freezes and crystallizes.  If you were step on or drive on the leaf blades the cell walls are apt to snap or crack.  When the temperatures increase the frozen liquid thaws and leaks from the damaged cell walls. Later in the day the plant will take on a blackish appearance and in some cases will die from the injury. The severity of damage can be affected by a few things.  Longer grass is more likely to survive due to the larger surface area of the plant, while short turf, like a green, is much more susceptible to frost damage.  If the crown of the plant is frozen, where the leaves sprout from, and the plant is damaged, the death is certain.