Mouse-ear Chickweed Biology: Mouse-ear chickweed (Cerastium vulgatum) is a broadleaf weed that normally acts as a perennial; however, it has the ability to act as a winter annual depending climate conditions. Mouse-ear chickweed germinates by seed from late summer to fall or early spring. As long as cool climate conditions and moist soil […]
Common Chickweed Biology: Common chickweed (Stellaria media) is a winter annual broadleaf weed. It forms dense, prostrate patches in turfgrass throughout North America, though it can grow much taller when it’s not mowed. Common chickweed germinates from seed in late summer or early fall. However, germination timings can vary throughout the year if […]
Wild Garlic Biology: Wild Garlic (Allium vineale) is a monocotyledonous cool-season perennial that can be found throughout most of the eastern and southern United States. Despite having linear leaves and parallel veins, wild garlic is neither a grass nor a sedge; it is a member of the lily family. Wild garlic is more […]
Annual Bluegrass Biology: Annual bluegrass, commonly referred to by its scientific name Poa annua (sometimes pronounced Po anna on TV), is a winter annual grass that is a difficult-to-control weed in turf. Seeds germinate in late summer, early autumn, and spring. Annual bluegrass is found throughout the United States, particularly in highly compacted, excessively […]
Henbit Biology: Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) is a common winter annual broadleaf weed found throughout the United States. It can often be mistaken for another closely related winter annual broadleaf, purple deadnettle. Both can be observed by their showy pink to purple flowers which are primarily produced in April, but can appear from March […]
Black Medic Biology: Black Medic (Medicago lupulina) is a summer annual (or less commonly a winter annual) broadleaf weed that can be found throughout the United States. Seeds germinate in the spring and are capable of establishing in drought-prone or disturbed soils. Black medic is a legume, meaning that it has the capabilities […]
White Clover Biology: White clover (Trifolium repens) is a perennial broadleaf weed that can be found throughout the United States. Seeds can germinate in moist-cool conditions in spring, early summer, or early fall. Because it tolerates close mowing, can grow in multiple soil types, and has the ability to fix its own […]
Nimblewill Biology: Nimblewill (Muhlenbergia schreberi) is a warm-season perennial grass found throughout the northeast, southeast, and Midwestern United States. It can often be mistaken for other mat-forming grasses with blue-green foliage such as bermudagrass or creeping bentgrass. It grows well in moist, shady areas but it is also found in […]
A key step in most lawn maintenance practices such as seeding and fertilizing as well as with double-checking your calibration and application accuracy is to determine the size of the turf area. Determining your lawn area will help you calculate how much seed you need, how much sod to order, how much fertilizer to apply, […]
This time of year many have questions about crabgrass control. Below are several previous Purdue turf tips that answer the most commonly asked questions about crabgrass control. When will crabgrass germinate? When should I apply my preemergence herbicide (crabgrass preventer)? Which preemergence herbicide should I use? How do I control crabgrass in spring seeded turf? […]
This winter has been cold and long. From December 2013 through February 2014, Indiana had it’s 9th coldest winter on record and its coldest since 1979, 1978 was coldest on record (Fig. 1). With such cold temperatures, many are worried about winterkill. Fig. 1. In the past 120 years, this was the 9th coldest […]
With the winter snows finally melting away many are often surprised to find a series of tiny trails on the surface of their lawns and turfgrass fields. These are vole highways. Voles are often called meadow or field mice. While they are similar to a house mouse in general size and shape, they […]
Correct diagnosis is the most important step you can take toward fixing plant problems. We took the best photos we had in our libraries and put them in our apps to help you become better plant managers. The Purdue Plant Doctor suite of smart phone apps will help you diagnose and find recommendations to manage […]
With colder than normal temperatures in Indiana this winter, we are anticipating some minor winter damage. To help prepare for this we are publishing a three part series on this topic to help turfgrass managers prepare for what may await them in the spring. Look forward to the following topics over the next week. Part […]
From a turf disease perspective, evidence of the severity of this winter is apparent in the extent of snow mold development. Symptoms of Typhula snow molds (gray snow mold and speckled snow mold), and/or pink snow mold are obvious throughout Indiana and the Midwest. Typhula snow mold pathogens are adapted to grow and infect at […]
In January (January 8-10, 2014) the Purdue Turf Program and the Midwest Regional Turf Foundation hosted the Indiana Green Expo (IGE) in cooperation with the Indiana Nursery and Landscape Association. The 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 […]
Winners of the first ever Midwest Regional Turf Foundation (MRTF) Green Awards were announced just a few weeks ago at the Indiana Green Expo in Indianapolis during the MRTF Distinguished Service Award Reception. The purpose of this award is to recognize MRTF member facilities that show outstanding environmental stewardship, who implement the highest standard of […]
Article from: Purdue Agriculture News (2/27/2014) WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Despite a couple of recent mild weather days that made us think spring could be near, the Indiana State Climate Office says winter isn’t going away anytime soon.While it isn’t abnormal in Indiana for snow and cold temperatures to linger into mid-March, current weather models […]
Two teams of Purdue students traveled to San Antonio, TX to participate in the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) Annual Collegiate Challenge sponsored by Hunter Industries on 24 January, 2014. During the two-hour competition, teams were divided into students pursuing either a 4-year or 2-year degree. All competitors were required to properly identify turfgrasses, weeds, […]
Following recent flooding in their office due to a water line break, “the Office of Indiana State Chemist & Seed Commissioner has restored operational status for most of its internal activities of licensing, registering, and responding to telephone calls. As of Tuesday, January 21, all staff reported to their regularly assigned duties. The laboratories continue […]