Frost occurs when temperatures approach 32 degrees, freezing
the dew upon the plant surface and more importantly, the water that is present
inside the plants’ cells. The expanding pressure of the freezing water inside
the cell stretches the cell membrane, and subsequently the membrane loses all
of its elasticity and resiliency that enable it to withstand outside forces
such as foot traffic, etc. In this
state, the membrane cannot absorb impact or stretch and re-conform to pressure,
so it breaks, causing the cell fluid to leak after thawing, killing the cell
completely. If enough cells are affected, the whole turf plant will die, and if
enough plants are affected, large areas of turf, whether it is greens, tees,
fairways, or rough, can be killed.
An easy way to understand this phenomenon is to imagine a
water balloon. The balloon skin is elastic, flexible, and can easily supply
generous “give” to forces exerted upon it. But when the balloon is frozen, the
skin is stretched by the expansion of water as it turns to ice, and it becomes
thin, rigid, and brittle, unable to flex against outside pressures. Its only
“give” is to break
By delaying play until the frost is gone and the
temperatures moderate, we give time to allow the plant cells to thaw and the
cell membranes to regain their original elastic qualities that enable them to
withstand traffic.
