[Movingshrub]

Is anyone else worried about winter kill this year?

I'm trying to figure out if I need to change my pre-emergent plan, and wait until spring green up before application, due to the potential for winter kill here in North Alabama.

 

[Mightyquinn]

You have bermuda right? I wouldn't worry about it With proper feeding and watering it will be a thing of the past by June.

 

[Ware]

I'm like MQ, I try not to worry too much about it.

Here is a link to a Turf Tip article that the U of A put out earlier this week about the potential impact of our lower than normal temps this winter - I've copied it below for easy reference. There is some really good info in the four-part 2010 article linked within (they address pre-e strategy in Part 2).

University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture
Turfgrass Science Program

January 22, 2018

The winter of 2017-2018 has been one of the coldest in recent memory and could impact warm-season turfgrasses across the state come spring. Normally, we are most concerned about winter injury in the northern half of the state, but extreme low temperatures have been experienced across the state this year. Even as far south as Texarkana, minimum temperatures in the single digits were observed over the last month and those extreme low temperatures were present for several consecutive days.

These extreme low temperatures are likely to cause some winter injury on many of our warm-season grasses, especially in areas that are most prone to winterkill. This includes areas being maintained at very low mowing heights (ex. - putting greens, collars, tees), north-facing slopes, high-traffic areas, and areas that are experiencing some shade stress.

Back in 2010, Drs. Richardson and Patton put together a very nice, comprehensive, four-part Turf Tip on winterkill:

Part I: Predicting the damage: What causes winterkill and how can we estimate our losses?
Part II: Preparation and recovery: What should you do or not do this spring to help your turf?
Part III: Planning and planting improved cultivars for a better future.
Part IV: Practices to enhance winter survival.​

Those tips will are still relevant today and I encourage you to read through them. Let's hope things warm up soon and that our warm-season grasses come through okay. However if they don't, those tips will help you deal with the consequences of this severe winter weather.

Here's to warmer weather!

Doug Karcher and Mike Richardson​

 

[Movingshrub]

Thanks Ware.

I read through those documents. There is also one at Univ of Tennessee. http://www.tennesseeturfgrassweeds.org/Lists/Fact%20Sheets/Attachments/32/D5%20winterkill%20PRE.pdf

I'll sum up the message, as I took it, for anyone who doesn't want to read the documents.

If you didn't prepare in fall, it's probably too late (Read the documents if you want input on how to prevent winter kill next year).

Choices for this spring:
1.Apply pre-em at normal time, hope no/minimal winter kill, and if there is winter kill, your pre-em may impair recovery.
2a: Hold off on pre-em until after spring green-up. If there is minimal damage, apply pre-em, expect to use more post-ems to control grassy weeds.
2b: Hold off on pre-em until after spring green-up: If there is substantial damage, plan repair/renovation, good luck.

I'm going with option 1. I don't have any traffic on the grass. I raised the HOC going into fall. I have plenty of potassium in the soil. I'm not running a golf course or athletic field where recovery downtime would be an issue.

Also, there is a good document from Oklahoma State.
http://turf.okstate.edu/educational-materials/files/Winter%20kill%20presentation2.pdf