Winter watering? Cancel The title field is required!

1. Smith Kipp R

   
   1/5/2012 6:01 PM

   I have been a super. for the past 12 years at this course and have not seen such a dramatic change in the weather. We went from 8 inches of snow on the ground in mid Dec. to 50's and 60's the last two weeks. I cover my greens with sand the first week of Dec. to protect them from the sub zero temps and strong winds. For the past week we have had a lot of play and I finally was able to change pins today. You can imagine the wear with the sand on the surface. The million dollar question is when to water? The last snow gave us about an inch of moisture and it all soaked in, with no runoff. When I changed cups today there is plenty of moisture in the top of the soil profile. In the mornings the greens are froze hard as concrete by noon the top inch is thawed. Is the plant able to draw up moisture from the roots when thawed? I understand nobody has a golden rule of thumb to follow. Can I water to much? What should I watch for? Any help would be great!

   
   
   
   
2. Joe Wachter

   

   5 posts
   
   1/9/2012 11:01 AM

   If your profile shows that it has water, there should be no need for water. If soil temperatures are a little higher than normal but still below 40 degrees, roots are not overly active even though they might not be shutdown completely. I would only worry if your could be dealing with some desiccation issues from wind and some higher temperatures.

   
   
   
   
3. Christopher Lewis

   

   0 posts
   
   1/11/2012 10:01 AM

   I go by the rule of getting water on our dormant greens at least once every two weeks in normal winter conditions. If the wind has been blowing, no snow, and warm temps I will water greens weekly. Our temps fluctuate from -20 to +70 during the winter months timing the water is the most important part. Our greens our typically frozen in the morning like yours, and then if the daily temp gets above 50 our top 2 inches usually thaws out. I will usually only water when the air temp is going to stay above freezing until the top surface can dry to try and prevent any ice buildup overnight. It might just make me feel better, but I think the greens always look healthier and refreshed after we water in the winter.

   
   
   
   
4. Richard Novak

   

   0 posts
   
   1/11/2012 3:01 PM

   We use an old rule of thumb that came from a pan handle of Nebraska turf guru named Jerry Hanshew. Go out and stick a knife in your green when you know it should be frozen. If your knife goes in even a quarter inch you should be watering. The key is to keep the green frozen right to the top to prevent dessication.