Cool-season turfgrasses such as Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass are now producing seedheads. This natural phenomenon is induced by daylength, but the intensity of seedhead production is affected primarily by temperature and is likely the cause of the above average seedhead production this year. Seedheads detract from the appearance of a lawn because they grow […]
Dallisgrass is currently emerging in southern Indiana. This perennial grassy weed is almost identical in appearance to crabgrass and can be problematic in the southern half of Indiana. Dallisgrass is often mistaken for crabgrass but it has slightly less hairy leaves than crabgrass, a longer ligule and slightly wider leaf blades (see photos). Dallisgrass is […]
As a follow up to last week’s Turf Tip, Poa trivialis control in athletic fields is far more complicated than in lawns. Poa trivialis is a weed because it will go dormant in July or August (perfect timing before the football season), but will regrow from stolons with a vengeance in September. It is also shallow rooted, so it […]
Crabgrass is starting to germinate throughout much of the state and thus preemergence herbicides will be of limited effectiveness. Instead, combinations of preemergence plus postemergence herbicides will be most effective for the next month or so. The postemergence herbicide will control that already germinated while the preemergence herbicide will prevent future emergence (crabgrass will emerge […]
As turfgrass growth is beginning to slow, it’s time to consider fertilizing your lawn. Applying fertilizer now should not increase vertical growth dramatically as long as moderate rates of nitrogen are used and will help your lawn retain it’s color and health. Apply 0.75 to 1.0 lbs. N/1000 sq. ft. with a product that contains […]
There’s been some interest in the new low-mow varieties of Kentucky bluegrass for fairways in IN. In response to this, we initiated a research study in August of 2002 where we established a blend of top-performing low-mow Kentucky bluegrasses on Purdue’s Ackerman Course and at our Daniel Research Center. Our objective was two-fold: to see […]
Annual bluegrass (Poa annua) and rough bluegrass (Poa trivialis) are becoming common weeds in lawns and athletic fields, though they have been a problem on golf courses for a long time. Both of these grasses are very visible right now because they are lighter-colored than Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass. Both weeds tend to thin […]
Soil testing is important in turf to help determine the soil pH and fertilization needs, especially for potassium and phosphorus. Acceptable soil pH for turf is between 6.0 and 7.5. Some distributors and soil testing labs will recommend applying sulfur to reduce the soil pH of turf when it is over 7.5. Unfortunately, you can […]
We have received a ton of questions on dog urine spots this year, probably because it has been a very dry April. Dog urine will burn leaf blades because the high concentration of salts in the urine will pull water out of the leaf dehydrating the leaf. This problem is exaggerated by warm and/or dry […]
As stated in last year’s Turf Tips on 4/14/03, seeded Bermudagass is a great grass for southern IN athletic fields. We now have a brand new extension publication on our web page entitled AY-325-W: Bermudagrass for Southern Indiana Athletic Fields. It includes all of the latest research on seeding and post-seeding care and it can […]
Dean Vic Lechtenberg announced at the GCSAA Conference in San Diego that the Turfgrass Science Program has won the prestigious Team Award for the School of Agriculture. This award is given annually to a team of faculty and staff who have demonstrated outstanding cooperation and success as a team. Team members include Drs. Cale Bigelow, […]
Lee Schmidt was honored as a Distinguished Ag Alumni on April 2 on campus. Lee Schmidt has a distinguished career as a golf course designer and developer. Lee is a co-owner of Schmidt-Curley Golf Design and has been involved with the design and construction of over 70 golf courses throughout the world. Lee has developed […]
Dr. James B. Beard (MS ’59, PhD ’61) will be awarded Purdue Universities highest honor of Honorary Doctorate on May 15. Jim Beard has a distinguished career as a scientist, teacher, and a worldwide leader in the turfgrass industry. He has authored or coauthored 131 refereed papers, 216 research reports, 455 popular articles, and 7 […]
Have you just moved into a new house with no lawn? Resist the urge to grade and quickly seed or sod this spring. The reason for this is that the soil must settle or be compacted after grading. Each foot of soil moved could settle up to two inches resulting in a rough lawn in […]
Late summer is the best time to seed, but sometimes turf must be seeded in the spring. The following points should help improve the success of spring seedings: Seed as soon as possible (now is not too early) so the seed is in the ground and ready to germinate as soon as the soil temperatures […]
Lawn seem bumpier this spring when you first mowed it? Bumpy, difficult-to-mow lawns can be caused by either above-ground factors or below-ground soil factors. If the bumpiness is due to patches of incompatible species of coarse, bunch grasses like tall fescue or orchardgrass growing in a stand of predominantly Kentucky bluegrass or perennial ryegrass, apply […]
A research study was initiated at Purdue University to evaluate two sand topdressing products for their ability to enhance creeping bentgrass spring green-up. Treatments were applied at three application rates in the third week of January 2004 to a ‘Crenshaw’ creeping bentgrass stand being grown on a native soil rootzone. Observations to date indicate that […]
Are you interested in making pesticide applications to your customers’ lawns? Indiana law says anyone who wants to apply turf pesticides (and that includes weed killers, weed and feed products, insecticides, and other over-the-counter pesticides) FOR HIRE must be licensed to do so. To obtain a commercial turf pesticide applicator FOR HIRE license, you’ll have […]
There are literally thousands of fertilizers and fertilizer/pesticide combinations available to homeowners and professionals. Therefore, we can’t recommend how many pounds of fertilizer to apply, but rather we must recommend fertilization rates in pounds of nitrogen per thousand square feet or lbs N/1000ft 2 . Calculating the amount of fertilizer to purchase and apply is […]
We’ve received a number of emails asking for specific product recommendations for XYZ town in IN or IL, or even as far away as NY. Its very difficult, OK impossible, for us to recommend specific fertilizer/herbicide combinations because there is a large number of brands and an even larger number of fertilizer/herbicide combinations available on […]
