Snow, Ice & Spots

We've seen enough snow for the year and it is time to get moving on with the new season.

As the snow quickly dissipates this week from a long winter there are a few items we are keeping our eyes on.

First, many of the collar dams are preventing greens from draining. We are carefully trying to remove snow and push water off the surface.






If we received a warm stretch of weather in December or January after a large snowfall we would most certainly lose grass due to ice build up. Fortunately Mother Nature is on our side this week as we expect the course to mostly clear of snow over the next few days. However, prolonged periods of ice on putting greens can lead to a disaster. So far, the grass we have seen looks great and is ready for the warm weather too.




During the melt we cut in drain lines on the green to assist with the melting process so the water can escape the surface quicker. Collar dams do slow the process.

Excessive snow removal can cause further damage to the green. It is always best to allow Mother Nature to melt the green first.We did have some minor damage from shovels back in December as we moved snow and ice that could have been lethal to some areas.

Pictured to the left is a great example of snowmold. The mycelium forms under prolonged snowcover. Some forms of snowmold can be terminal, this pathogen however is only cosmetic.

Warmer weather, a quick brush or mow and this will grow out in time. In the business, we like to see this in Denver. It means that we had a good winter and didn't have to water and worry about dry conditions.