Don’t tread on my frozen lawn (12-4-2006)

Winter weather has arrived and in much of Mississippi we are experiencing heavy frost at least a couple mornings each week. What is this frost doing to our warm-season lawns? The most noticeable changes are that the turf has now gone dormant, foliar leaf expansion has ceased and we no longer need to mow each week.

Depending on the turf species, there has also been a drastic change in leaf color from green to some shade of brown. What we may not notice is the subtle wearing of the turf canopy over the next couple of months. Following a couple of hard “killing” frosts most leaf tissue and even many above ground stolons (stems) die and slowly break down, particularly if there is much traffic over the lawn even after the frost has melted.

It is important to restrict lawn traffic while the turf is still covered with frost as the fracturing of the ice crystals can literally sever the leaf blades of the turf and cause a much more rapid breakdown of the dead leaf tissue.

For those who play golf, understand this is why early tee-times are often delayed until the frost is melted from the fairways and greens. The bottom-line is simply to keep a good turf canopy of winter dormant turf you must avoid treading on your frosty frozen lawn.

Published December 4, 2006

Dr. Wayne Wells is an Extension Professor and Turfgrass Specialist. His mailing address is Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Mail Stop 9555, Mississippi State, MS 39762. wwells@ext.msstate.edu