Why is crabgrass so bad this year? Several factors contribute to a bad year for crabgrass. Crabgrass is a warm-season grass meaning that it thrives in hot conditions with optimum growth in temperatures ranging from 88 to 95 °F. However, our primary lawn species in Indiana are cool-season grasses and they prefer cooler conditions and…Read more about Crabgrass is out in full force in 2016![Read More]
The summer of 2016 has been quite favorable for the development of an assortment of infectious diseases on residential turf. The primary driver of all of this disease activity is the weather. In the lower Midwest, the combination of elevated temperature and ample precipitation since the beginning August of has spawned outbreaks of brown patch,…Read more about Lawn Diseases 2016[Read More]
On Tuesday, July 12, 2016 the Purdue Turf Program and the Midwest Regional Turf Foundation will host the Turf and Landscape Field Day. The Turf and Landscape Field Day is Indiana’s largest green industry field day. This will be the third year with landscape research tours added. Specialists from four different departments in the College…Read more about Turf and Landscape Field Day on July 12, 2016[Read More]
Field Paspalum Biology: Field paspalum (Paspalum laeve Michx.) is a warm-season perennial weed with short rhizomes similar to dallisgrass (Paspalum dilatatum Poir.). Much of the below Weed of the Month entry comes from research conducted in Indiana on how to control Field Paspalum. That research was published in 2012. Reicher, Z.J., A.J. Patton, and…Read more about Field Paspalum[Read More]
Turfgrass Disease Profiles: Root Knot Nematode This publication describes the root knot nematode life cycle, and how to identify and manage them in turf. Free download at: http://extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/BP/BP-121-W.pdf Turfgrass Disease Profiles: Spring Dead Spot Spring dead spot (SDS) is the most serious disease of bermudagrass. It is a root disease that kills individual plants, thins turf…Read more about New Turf Disease Publications[Read More]
Doug Richmond Associate Professor and Entomology Extension Specialist Department of Entomology Purdue University Caterpillars are the larvae of moths and butterflies and several common species are capable of damaging turfgrass. This publication will help you detect and identify the most common caterpillars associated with turfgrass. Armyworms Armyworms are the immature stage (larva/caterpillar) of the several…Read more about Monitoring and Managing Caterpillars[Read More]
Over the past two weeks I received many calls regarding the mild conditions and concerns about effectiveness of fungicide applications for snow mold control. The major question is whether or not to make another application at this time. Consider he following: The snow mold of concern here in Indiana is pink snow mold, aka Micodochium…Read more about More fungicide applications for snow mold control?[Read More]
The Indiana Green Expo (IGE) is Indiana’s most comprehensive green industry educational conference and trade show. It is a time of education, new products and networking with industry members. The IGE features exhibiting companies from around the country. Our attendees are from Indiana and the surrounding states which include business owners, managers and staff of…Read more about The Indiana Green Expo (January 6-8, 2016): Indiana’s Largest Green Industry Event[Read More]
Purslane Biology: Common purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) is a summer annual broadleaf weed (Fig. 1) that is commonly found in low maintenance turf swards (Fig. 2), turf seeded in summer (Fig. 3), next to sidewalks and driveways, and in mulched beds and gardens (Fig. 4). Purslane is a succulent plant with a prostrate growth habit,…Read more about Common Purslane[Read More]
Green June beetles Cotinus nitida have been flying in many areas across the Midwest and although they are harmless, their sheer size can be very intimidating to folks who don’t recognize them. These large, attractive, emerald and copper colored beetles (Fig. 1) are one of several species of scarab beetles whose larvae are known as…Read more about What Was That? Flying Green June Beetles Will Get Your Attention[Read More]
On Tuesday, July 14, 2015 the Purdue Turf Program, the Purdue Green Industry Working Group and the Midwest Regional Turf Foundation successfully hosted the Turf and Landscape Field Day. Rubber boots were needed at this year’s field day due to all the recent rains and we even had to extract a couple of cars from…Read more about 2015 Turf and Landscape Field Day a Success[Read More]
Herbicide resistance can be defined as the acquired ability of a weed population to survive an herbicide application that previously was known to control the population. The number of herbicide resistant weeds has been rapidly increasing in agriculture in recent years. Currently, 459 unique cases of herbicide resistant weeds exist globally, with 246 species (143…Read more about Look Out for Herbicide Resistant Weeds in Turf[Read More]
June 2015 was the wettest month on record in Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio, but I don’t have to tell you that if you live in one of these states as you’ve experienced it firsthand. But what’s next? Here are some predictions of what we might face weather-wise in the upcoming weeks and months. Precipitation:…Read more about What’s Next in the Forecast?[Read More]
Yellow nutsedge is a troublesome, difficult-to-control turf weed. Information on its identification is available in a recent weed of the month blog posting. Wet, summertime conditions like we are now having favor its growth and development. Understanding this plant’s biology will help in determining the best control methods. Two Purdue publications are also available to…Read more about Wet Weather Makes a Great Environment for Yellow Nutsedge[Read More]
This is the time of year when annual white grubs begin to infest turfgrass and, in the Midwest, we are blessed with an assortment of different annual white grub species. This group of insects produces one generation each year with the adults becoming active by early June. Adults lay eggs in turf and 1st instar…Read more about White Grub Season is Here[Read More]
As crabgrass grows larger and larger this spring into summer, you’ll need to know just how big it is before selecting the right product for postemergence control. Read my recent article to turf professionals at Turf Republic: Just How Big is Your Crabgrass? For homeowners, look for products that contain quinclorac such…Read more about Postemergence Crabgrass Control[Read More]
Quackgrass Biology: Quackgrass ( Elymus repens) is a cool-season perennial that vigorously spreads by rhizomes. It is a sod-forming grass that can crowd out desirable grasses and even other weeds. Quackgrass has been shown to be allelopathic, which means it releases chemicals that inhibit the growth of other plants. Large, nearly pure patches of…Read more about Quackgrass[Read More]
We’ve been seeing a smattering of Japanese beetle adults in our traps for the last few weeks in West Lafayette, but it appears their numbers are starting to increase as we head toward the end of June. Expect to see emergence come into full swing over the next two weeks in this part of the…Read more about Japanese Beetle Adults Emerging[Read More]
