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K-State Turf and Landscape Blog

Category: Bermudagrass

Thinking Ahead to Factors that Can Impact Freeze Injury of Warm-Season Grasses

Posted on by Jack Fry

 

Winter injury in certain areas where warm-season grasses grow in the transition zone is not unusual.  Specifically, here are the things that can have a significant impact on winter injury of zoysiagrass and bermudagrass:

 

 

 

  • Selection of a less cold hardy warm-season grass: There is a relatively short list of bermudgrass and zoysiagrass cultivars that are best adopted to the transition zone, including Kansas. Here are a few of each of those species that are relatively good through winter, but that doesn’t mean they can’t suffer winter injury:

Zoysiagrass – Meyer, Innovation, Zenith (seeded), Chisholm

Bermudagrass – Tahoma 31, Latitude 36, Northbridge, Yukon (seeded), Monaco (seeded)

 

  • High Nitrogen levels: High levels of nitrogen fertilizer through the growing season, or nitrogen applied in the fall can have a more significant impact on winter injury.

 

  • Shade: Shade reduces photosynthesis and carbohydrate production by grasses, and can significantly reduce the potential for a species/cultivar to survive cold temperatures.  Trimming trees or removing them may be required to enhance cold hardiness.

 

  • Traffic: Significant traffic on the soil and turf prior to winter can have a significant impact on the turf and result in higher levels of winter injury.  Traffic control (not allowing excessive traffic) and effective aerification can help enhance its survival.

 

  • Excessively wet soil: It’s not unusual for warm-season turf that sits in a low area (often on golf course fairways) where water accumulates can have a greater impact of winter injury.  High levels of water in the soil will impact these grasses when severe cold arrives.  Improved drainage can help protect these areas.

 

  • Lack of snow cover: Snow is very beneficial to protect warm-season grasses prior to excessively low temperatures.  For example, several years ago we had snow cover in Olathe, KS when temperatures were at least -15 F and no winter injury occurred.

 

  • Grass not fully acclimated for cold temperatures: There is a greater chance of freezing injury if temperatures get quite low when the grass had not fully acclimated to cold. Example – excessively low temperatures in November or December can have a significant impact.  Likewise, the same may occur during late winter or early spring when warmth approaches and then that is followed by excessive cold.

 

  • Exposure to wind on high level areas: This can often cause desiccation in winter if exposed to strong wind when there is no snow cover.  If expected in the near future, it may be useful to apply water on these elevated areas before the excessive cold arrives.  Or…some type of cover to protect the surface.

National Turfgrass Evaluation Program: Access Kansas Results and those from Many Other States

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

By Jack Fry, Professor and Commercial Turf Extension Specialist

The National Turfgrass Evaluation program is a cooperative effort between the non-profit National Turfgrass Evaluation Program, Inc., and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).  NTEP is headquartered at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland.  NTEP started in 1980 with J.J. Murray.  For many years, Kevin Morris has been overseeing NTEP.

Zoysiagrass NTEP spring green up in 2023 at Olathe Horticulture Research and Extension Center.

NTEP trials are underway at three locations in Kansas.  At Olathe, trials are being done on fine fescue (planted in 2020), tall fescue (planted in 2020), and zoysiagrass (planted in 2019).  The fine fescue and tall fescue trials are low maintenance trials in Kansas, but not at all locations, which are mowed at 2.5 inches, receive no supplemental irrigation, and are fertilized with only 1 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. applied annually in autumn.

 

 

The zoysiagrass NTEP trial in Olathe is mowed at 0.75 inches 2 to 3 times weekly and receives 1 to 1.5 of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. applied annually in early summer.

At the John C. Pair Center, the NTEP bermudagrass trial (planted in 2019) is being done and you’ll also find a specific article in the 2023 Turfgrass Research Report regarding their performance:  https://newprairiepress.org/kaesrr/vol9/iss5.

Graduate student Dani McFadden evaluating creeping bentgrass NTEP trial at Milburn Country Club in Overland Park, KS.

In Overland Park, the NTEP creeping bentgrass putting green trial (planted in 2020) is being conducted at Milburn Country Club and maintained as they do other putting greens at the course.  Steve Wilson, golf course superintendent at Milburn CC, has been very courteous to allow use of their nursery green area for this trial to be conducted and he oversees management of the site.

 

 

 

 

You can view data Kansas and multiple other locations from 2021, 2022 and many other years for trials conducted.  The NTEP website allows access to data and results from all NTEP trials.  Find information here:  www.ntep.org

2023 Turfgrass Research Reports are Available

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

The 2023 Turfgrass Research report is now online.  This year’s reports are:

  • Herbicide Effects on Establishment of Zoysiagrass from Sprigs in Two Consecutive Years
  • Aerification Effects on ‘Innovation’ Zoysiagrass in 2020-2022
  • Effects of Glyphosate Applied at Different Times on Dormant Zoysiagrass Cultivars in the Transition Zone
  • 2019 National Turfgrass Evaluation Program Bermudagrass Test: 2022 Data

Winter Injury Noticeable on Warm-Season Grasses

Posted on by Jack Fry

Winter injury has shown up in Kansas and many other states on some warm-season grasses, including bermudagrass and zoysiagrass.  Low temperatures came in mid-December at levels that were not common for warm-season grasses to deal with when they have not reached maximum cold acclimation.  For example, daily low temperatures did not exceed 10 F between Dec. 22nd and 27th in Olathe, KS. In addition, little or no snow cover was out to help protect turf and wind speed was high (approached 30 mph during this period in Olathe) which could have caused desiccation damage as well.  Temperatures during this period reached a low of -7 F.  Winter injury has also been reported in Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas on both bermuda and zoysia.  Injury tends to be most common in areas that have high levels of traffic, shade, or excessive thatch.  There are also many different “micro-climates” across areas that can result in different levels of injury – from excessive to none.

‘Latitude 36’ bermuda experienced winter injury at the Olathe, KS Horticulture Center.
Injury on a Z. matrella variety in KS.  Varieties of this species tend to me more cold sensitive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter injury on zoysia cultivars in the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program in Olathe. Those damaged are Z. matrella cultivars, used primarily in the southern U.S.
‘Meyer’ winter injury on golf course fairway with north-facing slope.

Bermudagrass Green Up in March?

Posted on by Jack Fry

 

Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, KS is quite unique.  Northbridge  bermudagrass comprises the soccer field used for Sporting KC, and the first home game is on March 11th.  In the past, it has been typical for those hosting games in early spring, on which bermudagrass is the focus, to overseed with a cool-season grass, such as perennial ryegrass in the fall.  This enhances fall and spring color and helps protect the underlying bermudagrass.  However, overseeding with perennial ryegrass also results in significant competition for the bermudagrass to succeed.  Children’s Mercy Park had a different strategy for enhancing early spring color and promoting growth during cool weather.

How is it that bermudagrass is fully green in Kansas in February? Casey Montgomery, Director of Turf Operations for Sporting KC, had a subsurface heat system installed in the field.  The heat is produced through electricity – ribbons are buried at 8 inches deep and run 6 inches apart through the field.  From late autumn until early February, soil temperature will be at 50 F (at 8 inch depth).  Temperature is increased to 70+ F starting in February.

 

Casey Montgomery, MU alum and turf specialist for Sporting KC, has taken a very unique approach to encourage early bermudagrass green up.

 

Seeing green bermudagrass in KS in March is not common (unless in a greenhouse!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In addition, the field is frequently covered when necessary, and also receives “grow lights” to enhance photosynthesis in early spring.  All of these are impressive strategies for stimulating growth and health of bermudagrass.  However, soil heating systems and supplemental lighting aren’t factors that most managers overseeing bermudagrass sporting fields would be able to include in their operating budget.  This unique approach in enhancing bermudagrass green up and growth on professional sports turf is quite impressive!