The annual bloom of dandelions is already here in southern Indiana and just around the corner in the rest of the state. Though some find dandelions attractive and some may actually eat them in salads or wine, others consider dandelions as weeds and try to control them in a lawn. The optimum time to control […]
There are many cool-season turfgrasses suitable and adapted to home-lawns in Indiana. They include; Kentucky bluegrass, turf-type tall fescue, fineleaf fescue and to a certain extent even “perennial” ryegrass. Many new lawns are established using seed because it is much less expensive than sod. Unfortunately, in many instances inexperienced homeowners or landscape contractors often purchase […]
Almost all herbicides will affect turfgrass seedlings and application delays are usually needed following seeding. Following is information gleaned from available labels of most herbicides or herbicide types that would be used in Indiana . This is intended to provide a general idea of the limitations of each active ingredient, but please refer to the […]
Many of our pest problems in turf can be at least partially predicted through growing degree day models (Poa annua seedheads is one example). Most of the models use a base temperature of 50 (abbreviated as GDD50) assuming 50 degrees is the temperature when most of our biological activity starts occurring. GDD50 for IN can […]
With last year’s late summer and fall drought, many areas are in need of reseeding. The question comes up about seeding and weed control: should the weeds be controlled first or should the seeding be done first? This seems like a simple question, but it’s fairly complex depending on the turf and weed species present […]
If a preemergence herbicide is justified on a turf area, the timing of application is important. In theory, applying too early will expose the herbicide to soil microbes and processes in the soil that may break it down, allowing crabgrass to germinate during the latter part of the summer. Conversely, applying too late may miss […]
For the vast majority of homeowners, resist the urge to fertilize now. Fertilizing now can encourage too much growth and could lead to problems later this summer such as poor root growth and disease. Additionally, since spring rains play havoc with mowing schedules, nitrogen fertilization can further complicate your mowing schedule by causing grass plants […]
Now is a very good time to spend a little extra effort in controlling those pesky moles. Recent warm, wet weather has returned these nasty little turfgrass destroyers back to the surface of the soil where they are making runs throughout the turfgrass. March and April are ideal times to control moles because this is […]
Mole activity is becoming more apparent with the recent warm weather. Large piles of soil on the lawn surface are evidence of the moles subterranean mining. Unfortunately control of this pest still depends on trapping or possibly a mole-hunting cat or dog. Techniques such as drowning with water, poisoning with car exhaust, shocking or vibrating […]
A special thanks goes to the exhibitors who donated raffle prizes for the Turf Expo. Following are the winners of each prize. Exhibitor Prize Winner Aerification Plus Pair of Pacers tickets Feb.16 vs Portland Trailblazers Steve Stringer Aerification Plus Pair of Pacers tickets Mar 31 vs Miami Heat Dave Padgett Ameri-Turf 2-50# bags RTF Tall […]
On behalf of the Turf Program and the Midwest Regional Turf Foundation (MRTF), I’d like to thank everyone who helped with and/or attended the 2005 Midwest Turf Expo on January 18-19 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis . The Expo provides tremendous positive exposure for the Turf Program and the MRTF, and it could […]
The IN-IL Turfgrass Short Course will be held on Feb 21-24 in Willowbrook, IL, again this year. This is an outstanding course for new and experienced turf professionals. It’s designed for turf managers with some experience and an understanding of HOW we maintain turf, and meant to improve the understanding of WHY we do the […]
For those making the trip to Orlando for the GCSAA International Conference and Show, the Purdue Alumni and Friends Reception will be held Thursday, February 10, 6:00 to 8:00 pm in Salon 2 of the Rosen Centre Hotel. It’s a great opportunity to catch up with your classmates and old friends. An autographed Purdue football […]
After widespread flooding, many question how well turf will survive. Turf injury from flooding depends on water temperature, species, duration of submergence, and depth of submergence. Turfgrasses can withstand submersion for up to 60 days when water temperatures are 50 degrees or less. Injury is increased under stagnant water compared to moving water, and injury […]
The IN-IL Turfgrass Short Course will be held on Feb 21-24 in Willowbrook, IL, again this year. This is an outstanding course for new and experienced turf professionals. It’s designed for turf managers with some experience and an understanding of HOW we maintain turf, and meant to improve the understanding of WHY we do the […]
For those of you still looking for reservations for the Turf Expo, the Westin has extended their cut-off date until Jan. 1. The Westin can be reached at 317-262-8100, and be sure to mention the MRTF to get the reduced $119/night price. The room block reserved for the MRTF is almost sold out (especially on […]
The Midwest Turf Expo will be held on January 19-20, 2005 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. An outstanding educational schedule compliments a rapidly filling tradeshow held in conjunction with the Indiana Park and Recreation Association. A GCSAA Seminar on understanding soils kicks off the Expo on Tuesday afternoon. Concurrent educational sessions begin on […]
Below is a table for the optimum mowing heights for turfgrass species in Indiana. The optimum mowing height is where the particular species will perform best, creating the thickest turf, and requiring the fewest inputs. Mowing above these heights will tend to create a less dense turf with coarser leaf blades, and potentially a puffy […]
The end is near for Fall-use athletic fields, either literally or figuratively. With the recent wet weather, football and soccer fields have taken a beating. Don’t give up on these fields yet, because after the last game or practice is when you should work hardest to improve the field. Aggressive hollow-tine aerification, pulling 20 – […]
