Turf Tips Archives
Rounds 4 Research auction is open through June 16!
Bid now for get great deals on great golf! Click here to see what’s available. Click Indiana on the left side of the screen to see rounds up for auction now. Whether you choose to bid on courses that have challenged the greatest players in golf or whether you just want a great […]
Wild Violets
Wild Violet Biology: Collectively, turf managers refer to the Midwest species common blue violet (Viola sororia), wooly blue violet (Viola papilionacea), and confederate violet (Viola sororia f. priceana) all as wild violet. Additionally, yellow violet (Viola pubescens) is also found in Indiana. Wild violets are a persistent, perennial, and difficult-to-control broadleaf plant. […]
Rounds 4 Research
Rounds 4 Research is an innovative program aimed at generating resources to fund research and help ensure golf’s future. The premise is simple: Golf facilities can support the effort by donating rounds of golf for two or four or “stay and play” packages and other items that will be auctioned off online to generate funds […]
Caterpillar Update
Although they are fairly easy to control, caterpillars like cutworms and armyworms can have a way of “sneaking” up on turf managers. For golf course superintendents, we’ve reached that point in the spring when black cutworms may be large enough to cause visible damage (»300 Degree Days). Unless you have a preventive program in place, […]
Guess Who Came to Dinner?
The photos below were submitted to our laboratory for identification. While there are no animals present in the photos, the damage depicts the problem very nicely. Even without seeing any, I am quite certain that the turf is infested with white grubs. As you know, white grubs do some damage to grasses, but what […]
Japanese Beetle Emergence Begins
We captured the first Japanese beetle adults of the year last week in our traps on the Purdue Campus. These traps are located in an area where emergence tends to take place much earlier than at most locations, so don’t expect to see any significant wide-scale emergence for another 2-3 weeks. We monitor this particular […]
Spring Diseases in the Midwest
Spring has finally arrived and it is accompanied by the usual compliment of infectious turf diseases. There should be no confusion between two “rhizoctonia” diseases. Yellow patch (aka cool season brown patch) prevails during early spring, when rainy weather is combined with cool nights. It also affects al turf species and the circular patches are […]
Purple Deadnettle
Purple Deadnettle Biology: Purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) is a common winter annual broadleaf weed found throughout the US. It is closely related to another winter annual broadleaf, henbit (Lamium amplexicaule). Both have vibrant purple flowers that can been seen now in lawns, landscapes, and fields. Identification: Purple deadnettle is a winter annual […]
Weather and Turf Diseases
From a temperature perspective, weather patterns in the Midwest have returned to normal this spring. I recall the 80 F days in March 2012, and all of the concerns about scheduling fungicide sprays. Hopefully most turf managers have resisted the temptation (regardless of who or what is doing the tempting) to apply fungicides for early […]
Black Cutworms Making Their Annual Migration North
Black Cutworms have started showing up in light traps around Indiana. This means they will soon laying eggs, if they haven’t already. Superintendents should be on the lookout for evidence of feeding damage on greens and tees. Also, remember that a soap flush of vulnerable, short-cut areas will often reveal the presence of black cutworms […]
Annual Ryegrass Showing Up in Lawns
I have had several emails and weed samples submitted recently of an unknown grass. In each case, the sample was annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum). Annual ryegrass is a common ingredient in low quality seed mixtures. It appears in the spring time in lawns seeded the previous year either from some annual ryegrass in the seed […]
How to Mow Now That it has Stopped Raining
Tips for Mowing Wet Turf Sharpen your blades if you have not yet this spring. Mow in the afternoon when the leaf blades are dry if possible to reduce clumping of the grass blades. However, it is fine to mow wet turf or mow during light rain. Set the mower higher (especially if your grass […]
When Should I Apply My Preemergence Herbicide for Crabgrass Control?
Despite proper cultural practices, crabgrass may still remain problematic in certain turf areas. The best approach to controlling crabgrass is to use a preemergence herbicide such as dithiopyr (Dimension), pendimethalin (Pendulum), prodiamine (Barricade), prodiamine + quinclorac (Cavalcade PQ), sulfentrazone + prodiamine (Echelon), and others. These herbicides inhibit cell division and prevent crabgrass seeds from properly […]
Still Time for Spring Seeding
Seeding in spring is difficult and unsuccessful if not done correctly. However, there are many in Indiana who didn’t seed last fall but still need to seed this spring to help fill in thin areas from last summer’s drought. The following circumstances that warrant a spring seeding: Thin turf due to winter damage Poor turf […]
A Tale of Two Years
We are finally through a cold March and into what appears to be a normal April. The graph below compares January, February, and March in 2012 and 2013 to our 30 year normal weather averages for those months. The temperature outlook for the next three months has us with slightly above average […]
Weather and Turf Disease –Early Spring 2013
Nobody needs to be reminded that March 2013 has been colder than the last several years. The good thing is that wintry conditions prevent wasted fungicide applications. Keep watching the summer patch soil temperature monitor. Remember that there are several elements to the decision rule. The cardinal temperature seems to be around 65F—in soil at […]
Large Crabgrass
Large Crabgrass Biology: Large crabgrass ( Digitaria sanguinalis ), smooth crabgrass (Digitaria ischaemum), and to a lesser extent southern crabgrass (Digitaria ciliaris) are all species found in the Midwest that are collectively referred to as crabgrass. Large crabgrass is probably the most common of these in Indiana lawns. Combined, these crabgrass species are […]
Turf Notes: Disease and Fungicide Update
Early Season Dollar Spot Sprays The pathogen must be active in order for the mycelium to absorb a fungicide. We know that Sclerotinia homoeocarpa grows when temperatures remain above 55F in the presence of ample moisture. If such conditions prevail in March (as they did in 2012), then early season sprays may help reduce dollar […]
A Much Different Start to the Year
A year ago we had record high temperatures and we were scrambling to apply preemergence herbicides for crabgrass control. On March 22 last year, I had crabgrass germinating in my garden! However, this year I can tell you that crabgrass is a long ways off from germinating today. The chart below shows the dramatic difference […]
Use Growing Degree Days to Better Time Your Applications
Monitoring growing degree days can be an effective way to better time applications and increase your weed control. A helpful website (www.gddtracker.net) is available to help you monitor growing degree days for timing herbicide and plant growth regulator applications. What can this website help me with? Need help determining when to apply your preemergence herbicide? […]