Maintaining a Home Lawn

Category: Maintaining a Home Lawn

September is Crucial for Fertilizing All Cool-Season Turfs

With the returning rains in the state, now is the most important time to fertilize cool-season turfgrasses like creeping bentgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and tall or fine fescue. September fertilization is crucial on all turf areas regardless if it is a lawn, athletic field, or golf course green, tee or fairway. Fertilization in mid-September…Read more about September is Crucial for Fertilizing All Cool-Season Turfs[Read More]

Rejuvenating Turf Areas After Drought

Eight weeks or more of high temperatures with minimal rain has taken a toll on turfgrasses around the state. Though some local areas in central IN have received ample rain in the last week, many areas are still very dry. We are just entering the window when significant turf recovery can be encouraged. Reseeding is…Read more about Rejuvenating Turf Areas After Drought[Read More]

How much perennial ryegrass Kentucky bluegrass in a mix?

With the renovation season fast-approaching, questions abound about how much perennial ryegrass to use in a P. rye/K. bluegrass mix. Perennial ryegrass germinates quickly and provides quick cover and soil stabilization when used in a blend. However, too much perennial ryegrass leads to long-term problems from dollar spot, brown patch, red thread, and other diseases….Read more about How much perennial ryegrass Kentucky bluegrass in a mix?[Read More]

Now is the Time to Start Improving Your Lawn

Tired of the way your lawn looks? If it hasn’t looked up to par this summer reseeding your lawn is an option. Mid-August is the best time to seed a new lawn or overseed an existing lawn, but planning should start now. If the lawn is just thin and needs a little help, fall is…Read more about Now is the Time to Start Improving Your Lawn[Read More]

White Clover in Golf Courses, Sports Turf, and Lawns

The small white flowers of white clover are very visible right now and it may appear that clover is taking over, especially under-fertilized turf areas. Clover is a legume and is very competitive under low N conditions, so increasing annual N is the best method for long-term control. The temptation is to apply a herbicide…Read more about White Clover in Golf Courses, Sports Turf, and Lawns[Read More]

Lawn blemishes exposed by drought

Maintaining lawns and other turf areas is fairly straightforward in the cool and wet weather of the spring and fall, but things get tougher once the heat and drought set in. We are currently seeing a wide variety of problems, all of which are enhanced by the dry conditions. Problems that we are seeing include:…Read more about Lawn blemishes exposed by drought[Read More]

Don’t raise the mowing height during drought

Typical advice in the paper and TV is to raise the mowing height during drought to help the turf area stay green. However, this is very simplified advice which needs clarification. Here are some well-researched facts: • The higher you mow a grass plant, the deeper the roots. • Deeper roots mean a larger reservoir…Read more about Don’t raise the mowing height during drought[Read More]

Facts and Advice on Turf Survival in Drought

There are many questions about turf survival in drought with the on-going drought in most parts of the state. Though we understand many of the mechanisms turf survival in drought, it’s hard to duplicate all of the potential situations on research plots across the country and it’s difficult to give definite “black and white” recommendations…Read more about Facts and Advice on Turf Survival in Drought[Read More]

Winter damage on bermudagrass

As bermudagrass begins to green up in southern IN and Kentucky , it is apparent that moderate to severe winter damage has occurred. Though we may be a little premature because full green-up and growth is still a week or two away depending on temperatures, it’s important to start formulating a strategy to repair the…Read more about Winter damage on bermudagrass[Read More]

Brown Tracks in Lawn

With the mild drought stress over the last week, lawns are extremely susceptible to cosmetic damage from mowers, spreaders, and human traffic (photos). Drought stress may not have been easily visible before mowing. Turf likely was at the drought stressed stage where footprints (or mower tracks) remain in the turf and don’t snap back like…Read more about Brown Tracks in Lawn[Read More]

Late May is Good Time to Fertilize Lawns

The annual phase of rapid cool-season shoot growth of cool-season grasses is nearly complete, though it was diminished this year because of the dry and cool weather. It’s now time to consider fertilizing your lawn because fertilizer now will not dramatically increase vertical growth as long as moderate nitrogen rates are used and it will…Read more about Late May is Good Time to Fertilize Lawns[Read More]

Seedheads Make for Tough Mowing

With the bizarre weather this spring, growth patterns of our cool-season grasses are inconsistent across the state. Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and perennial ryegrass are either producing or soon will be producing seedheads. This natural phenomenon is induced primarily by daylength, but varies among species and cultivars. Seedheads detract from the appearance of a turf…Read more about Seedheads Make for Tough Mowing[Read More]

Lawns turning brown overnight?

We have received a number of calls, email, and electronic photos inquiring about brown patches to entire lawns turning brown apparently overnight (see photos). Following are the three most likely culprits: • Seedheads – Especially on perennial ryegrass lawns, seed heads mowed by an even a marginally sharp blade will fray and turn brown as…Read more about Lawns turning brown overnight?[Read More]

Sand Topdressing Programs

There are many different sand topdressing programs used by superintendents. Budgets, experience, labor and equipment availability, and play schedule are just some of the factors affecting topdressing programs. Our research hopes to provide answers to many of the common topdressing questions and help present a better understanding of the topdressing requirements for high quality putting…Read more about Sand Topdressing Programs[Read More]

Cold Weather Yellowing or Bleaching Newly Mowed Turf

Noticing yellow to white patches in areas that were freshly mowed just prior to last week’s cold? Judging from what I’ve seen as well as the emails, you’re not alone. Taking a closer look at these areas, the leaf tips and maybe the full length of the leaf has yellowed or even turned necrotic (dead)…Read more about Cold Weather Yellowing or Bleaching Newly Mowed Turf[Read More]

Effect of cold snap on turf?

The recent cold snap should have little long term effect on the turf portion of the landscape. Our cool-season grasses are more than capable of withstanding weather like this, though newly emerged seedlings may suffer some damage from the cold and/or wind. Wind or desiccation damage may also be seen on fast growing tall fescue…Read more about Effect of cold snap on turf?[Read More]

Fire up the Mower!

Now’s the time to get the mower out of the shed and start mowing (depending on where you live in the state). This normally happens well before most of us start mowing because we see mostly brown leaf blades and we don’t think the lawn is growing. However, grass plants grow from the bottom up…Read more about Fire up the Mower![Read More]

Calculating the pounds of fertilizer to apply

There are literally thousands of fertilizers and fertilizer/pesticide combinations available to homeowners and professionals. Therefore, we can’t recommend how many pounds of a specific fertilizer to apply, but rather we must recommend fertilization rates in pounds of nitrogen per thousand square feet or lbs N/1000 sq ft. You can use our fertilizer calculator at http://www.agry.purdue.edu/turf/fertcalc/Fertilization%20calc.html or you…Read more about Calculating the pounds of fertilizer to apply[Read More]

How much perennial ryegrass Kentucky bluegrass in a mix?

Perennial ryegrass germinates quickly and provides quick cover and soil stabilization when used in a blend. However, too much perennial ryegrass leads to long-term problems from dollar spot, brown patch, red thread, and other diseases. Kentucky bluegrass has better disease, drought, and wear tolerance the perennial ryegrass, but is very slow to germinate. Hence bluegrass…Read more about How much perennial ryegrass Kentucky bluegrass in a mix?[Read More]

Keep mowing and don’t set the mower down

Many people ask how long to continue mowing into the fall. The answer is to keep mowing as long as the grass continues to grow which is normally into late October or early November. Frequency of mowing can decrease but continue to mow into the fall. Also avoid the urge to set the mower down…Read more about Keep mowing and don’t set the mower down[Read More]