Winter Damage to Bermudagrass?

That is the question many grounds managers are asking across the Midwest.  So, I went to a site with newly seeded Riviera bermudagrass last week, and here are my findings:

First step - pull a sample core:

Remove core:

Close-up look at core - notice the green stems:

Individual stem illustrating green plant material:

Long story short, even after one of the coldest and snowiest winters in history, the bermudagrass is still viable.  With that said, we are not out of the woods yet as the late winter/early spring can cause just as much if not more damage if the weather warms too quickly followed by freezing temps.  The health of this field will be monitored closely the next 6-8 weeks or until spring green up.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer