January thaw!!!

With the warming trend that the London area is experiencing, we will be out clearing areas around drains to aid in snow melt drainage. The problem that stems from ice accumulation (solid ice cover of turfgrass) can arise when these thaw cycles begin and the melting snow has no where to go. As the large amount of snow (that we have accumulated) starts to melt, we need to ensure that it reaches the drains before it freezes again. These are the times of the year that we are thankful that we completed our late fall cultural practices that aid in surface water drainage. Some of these practices are Deep Tine aeration and heavy topdressing of greens. As stated before, this practice creates vertical channels for the the water to seep into rather than sitting on the surface (where it can refreeze and suffocate the turfgrass). As with anything in the golf course managment business, a little luck and some major cooperation from mother nature is always welcome. We have and will continue to do our best to prepare the golf course for these weather events (thaws, freezing rains, etc) that we experience every year (with some exception).