To this point in January, we have not had any accumulation of snow. What fell quickly disappeared as snow events have predominantly ended in rainfall. We have been in a relatively stable stretch of consistently cold and dry weather. The ground has frozen up pretty good for the first time this offseason. Without ice buildup to this point, anoxia is of no concern. Cold temperature injury or plant desiccation possibility is to be noted, but with the turf being dormant we are in good shape so far. Optimal turf health come April is not guaranteed by what happens in January, but poor January conditions can certainly lead to problems when the turf comes out of hibernation.
The story of the offseason has been the wind. Since December 1st we have had 4 days where wind gusts have touched or exceeded 100km/h and a host of others reaching 80 and 90km/h. Without snow cover, the tarps have taken quite the beating. We have had to re-place many tarps on multiple occasions where the wind blew them off. A few damaged and some still have to be put back down. With the turf as frozen as it is we are unable to staple them into the ground, leaving the likelihood of them blowing back off very high. We will attempt to put them back down when the ground thaws.
A good thing about this cold weather is that it is working out nicely for our new skating rink! We have had a skating rink installed for a couple of weeks now and conditions are perfect to make some ice. We have the rink set up and have gotten the hang of the maintenance needed to ensure all safety measures are in place.
While it may be winter and the activity might not be golf, proper etiquette on the property. A reminder to avoid walking around the grounds while wearing skates, particularly the practice green that is close by. Please stick to the benches and rubber mats while wearing skates. There is a waiver that be signed by scanning a QR code (located next to the rink).Please check in with the clubhouse for any questions or concerns (or to pick up a warm beverage!)
With a little bit of snow in the forecast over the next couple of days I will look to take a sample from a green or two and grow them out in the shop to get an idea where we stand. When taking samples, I like to account for different variables. I will consider greens that are tarped and untarped. Areas that tend to hold water versus areas prone to desiccation. I will follow up with a post when I take the first samples.
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