This Is Florida, Right?

This is Florida, right? That a question I've had to ask myself a lot this winter. Sunshine state? Not so much. Due to the strong El Nino weather pattern we have had many cool, wet and cloudy days this winter. Since it is not cold enough for the grass to go dormant the grass plants continue to use their stored energy. Unfortunately, the cool, rainy and especially cloudy weather inhibits the grass' ability to make more energy through photosynthesis.  I am happy to see sunshine and 70's in this week's forecast. While the next few days probably won't make the grass grow much, it will still help in building carbohydrate reserves to help the grass weather the storm. We have seen some of the weaker or more trafficked areas thin. We will be giving these areas extra attention primarily with a green sand topdressing to help protect these plants.

   Thin area on #4 green