Spring Is Here – When can I tell if my warm season turf suffered cold damage?

Warm season turf is particularly vulnerable during winter, and can remain susceptible to damage from cold weather into April and the spring season.

By the end of May, however, you will be able to tell for sure if your Bermuda, Zoysia, Centipede or St. Augustine grass took winter damage. In the Transitional Zone (an area covering from Delaware down to North Carolina and out west through Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma Kansas and eastern Oklahoma where neither cool nor warm season turfgrasses are completely adapated due to constant weather changes), a warm season turf grass is not considered completely out of dormancy and actively growing until the end of May.

Some turf will show some green coloration before June, but that does not mean they are actively growing. Several new varieties of Bermuda and Zoysia can break dormancy earlier in the spring and stay active longer into the fall, while Centipede typically tries to break dormancy early; That is why Centipede turf is commonly damaged due to a late frost or cold spell in the spring. Ground temperatures in May have generally warmed enough to be conducive for 24-hour plant growth and activity, giving us a better picture of potential warm season turf injury.

If you’re concerned about cold weather damage to your warm season turf grass, we recommend one method to check the health prior to the month of May. Cut out a small piece of your lawn, bring it inside your house and place the sample in front of a window that is getting at least six hours of sunlight per day. Be sure to dig out at least 3 inches of soil with your sample. Wait approximately two weeks, and if you observe greening, the turf is probably fine. If no greening is observed by three weeks, your turf is likely damaged.