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K-State Turf and Landscape Blog

Author: Jack Fry

Enhancing Spring Green Up

Posted on by Jack Fry

Several things can result in earlier spring green up of cool-season grasses in March.  Here are a few thoughts:

  • In general, Kentucky bluegrass tends to green up faster than tall fescue – species selection can make a difference.
  • Good nitrogen fertilization in autumn enhances spring green up.  More details on fertilizer strategies and how they affect growth are HERE.
  • Grasses growing close to concrete will exhibit faster spring green up (photo below).  In addition, if traffic has thinned turf, it may green up faster as well, as sunlight warms the soil surface in that area.  Note – installing concrete and imposing traffic are not recommended just to enhance green up!

    Grasses growing close to concrete experience warmer conditions and green up early. Turf exposed to traffic that is thinner also greens up fast.
  • Mowing low in early spring will enhance green up.  Tall grass intercepts sunlight (photo below).  By cutting the canopy lower, more light reaches the surface and the soil warms more quickly.  In addition, you’re also removing that portion of leaves that has exhibited necrosis (browning) due to cold winter weather – new emerging leaves will then be visible sooner.

    Tall fescue mowed at about 1 inch (in circle) in February is greening up faster than that still mowed at 2-3 inches.
  • If low mowing continues through the spring or turf is thin near concrete, expect weed emergence to happen sooner (e.g., crabgrass emergence).  This would require timely application of herbicides.

 

 

 

How to Enhance Efficacy of Preemergence Herbicides (and get Weed Control for Professionals publication!)

Posted on by Jack Fry

By Dr. Jack Fry

This blog post was presented last year, but we’re approaching that time of year again when crabgrass and other annual grassy weeds are approaching emergence.

As a reminder, if you want more detailed information on weed control in general, consider getting this publication that was developed by several state universities, including K-State, and was led by Purdue:  “Weed Control for Turfgrass Professionals” 

Preemergence herbicide applications for crabgrass, goosegrass, foxtail, and other annual grasses are underway.  Here are some bullet points to consider to increase the efficacy of the herbicide you use.

Maintain turf density and mow higher.  Good turf density resulting from proper cultural practices for the grass you’re managing reduces encroachment of all weeds, including annual grasses.  Mowing at the higher end of the recommended range has consistently shown significantly lower populations of crabgrass and other annual grasses than mowing at lower mowing heights.

Apply before emergence.  Not all annual grass species emerge at the same time.  For example, goosegrass emerges later than crabgrass.  However, even within a species, emergence of new seedlings occurs throughout spring and summer.  With most preemergence herbicides, when seedlings have emerged, they will not effectively control those plants.  However, the application will control emergence of grasses beyond that date.  Dithiopyr (Dimension) does provide control of crabgrass that has emerged but has not begun to produce tillers.

Use effective strategies to guide application.  Calendar dates, soil temperature, flowering of ornamentals, and other strategies are all used to help guide applications and maximize herbicide residual during the period annual grasses emerge.  Here are a couple of articles related to this subject:

https://blogs.k-state.edu/turf/methods-of-predicting-crabgrass-emergence/

https://blogs.k-state.edu/turf/flowering-ornamentals-and-crabgrass-emergence/

Apply uniformly.  Uniform application is critical – just like distributing paint evenly over your house is aesthetically pleasing.  If you leave a section of the house unpainted, it’s clearly visible.  Good annual grass control requires uniform application; if an area is not treated, it’s likely you’ll seed weed emergence there. Uniform application is achieved by proper spreader or sprayer calibration, colorants that indicate areas that have been treated with liquid products, and applying the product in two directions (half rate in each).

Split applications.  Preemergence herbicides generally provide better suppression of annual grasses when applications are split (1/2 rate each application), usually 6 to 8 weeks apart.  This allows a higher level of herbicide presence on the soil surface, which will minimize weed emergence.  Here’s an article from Purdue on this subject:

https://turf.purdue.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/15_AGRY_Patton_sequential20apps.pdf

Water in after application.  For preemergence herbicides to be activated and ensure uniform distribution on the soil surface, irrigation (or rainfall) after application is needed.

Find more information on weed control by clicking on the tags on the blog (left column), such as “weed control,” “crabgrass,” etc., or search by category on the right side of the page.

***Mention of trade names or commercial products in this article is solely for identification purposes and does not imply recommendation or endorsement, nor is criticism implied of similar products not mentioned by Kansas State University.***

Don’t forget to follow the K-State Turf and Landscape Team on Twitter @KSUTurf

Also, visit our facebook page www.facebook.com/KSUTurf

K-State’s Sodcast: Interview with Doug Melchior, Manager of Golf and Grounds, City of Overland Park

Posted on by Jack Fry

Doug Melchior is a K-State graduate and KU fan (he spent a couple of years there before transferring to K-State) who has served as Manager of Golf and Grounds in Overland Park since 2015.  He worked for the City of Overland Park for years prior to advancing to this position.  Doug oversees the operations of the Overland Park public golf courses 27 holes + a 9-hole par 3 course at Sykes Lady Golf Course and 18-holes at St. Andrews.  The number of rounds they host is among the highest in the Midwest, which influences labor and maintenance.  CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW! (about 25 min.)

Fry Receives GCSAA Outstanding Contribution Award

Posted on by Jack Fry
Jack Fry, long time K-State faculty member, has been honored with Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s (GCSAA) Outstanding Contribution Award. From GCSAA’s post:  “A fixture in turfgrass education, the scientist and researcher has influenced the expertise and career paths of many in the golf industry.”  Read more from GCSAA by clicking here.

Winter Desiccation

Posted on by Jack Fry
Winter desiccation on a creeping bentgrass green that had significant thatch accumulation.

Winter desiccation is a form of “winter injury” that can often occur in February and March during extended periods of dry weather.  Most susceptible are seedlings that were seeded late in autumn, and established turf that has excessive thatch.  If you seeded in late October and turf is not yet mature, consider applying water if we get into an extended dry period.  Lack of maturity means limited root growth and more frequent water is needed.

Creeping bentgrass is quite susceptible to desiccation, particularly when it accumulates some thatch.  In fact, winter desiccation injury often more common on fairway height turf that has accumulated thatch compared to that growing on putting greens.  Roots become elevated in the thatch and are unable to absorb water from soil.  Creeping bentgrass growing on elevated sites that are most exposed to wind is most susceptible.  Again, water application may be needed during extended dry periods to reduce the risk of desiccation.  This may required methods of water application other than just irrigation.  For example, sometimes boom sprayers are used to deliver water – multiple passes may be needed.  In areas where desiccation is common on bentgrass greens, it not unusual for superintendents to topdress heavily in the fall, or provide some kind of cover on the surface through winter – sometimes synthetic cover or using branches from cedar trees or other evergreens –  to help reduce wind effects.  Click links below for more information.

USGA article

Sportsfield Management article

Cover Your Crowns

Posted on by Jack Fry
Some grasses, such as bermuda, are susceptible to winter injury when crowns become elevated.

There are various ways to keep crowns covered, some are more practical than others.  One excellent cover is snow.   In 2021, air temperatures in Kansas reached -18 F in the eastern part of the state and low temperature extremes occurred in southern states too.  For example, parts of southern Texas reached temperatures as low as 5 F in mid-February.  A municipal park manager in southern Kansas had sodded Latitude 36 bermudagrass, a cultivar with good cold hardiness, on baseball fields and dog parks in late summer 2020 and was quite concerned about its survival following the February temperature plunge.  When April arrived in our state, I visited the location to investigate the extent of winterkill, but it was minimal.  About 4 inches of snow helped insulate the crowns.  In other areas of the transition zone and upper South that had no snow cover, some extensive winterkill of bermudagrass and other warm-season grasses occurred.

There are other, more reliable ways to protect the crowns of warm-season grasses, as snow may not always be present when temperatures like this happen.  Soil provides a warm blanket for crowns.  When air temperatures drop below 0 F, it is common for temperatures just below the soil surface to be significantly higher.  In Kansas in Februrary, 2021, lowest soil temperatures at a 2 inch depth were generally at least 40 F warmer than the lowest air temperature that occurred (e.g. air at -18F, soil at about 25 F).  Soil provides a very nice blanket for crowns. It confirms that keeping crowns from rising above the soil by minimizing thatch accumulation is important, and removing thatch may be needed if it becomes excessive.  For crowns that are above the surface, topdressing will help create a warmer environment during winter.

Keep ’em covered!

Field Day Videos on Pest Management – See these Speakers at Conference!

Posted on by Jack Fry

Here are video recordings of field day presentations (last August) of a few speakers you’ll hear at the Kansas Turf and Landscape Conference, which is in Manhattan, KS on December 1 and 2.  You can’t get pesticide recertification credit by watching the videos below, but you can if you come to the conference (7 cr. of 3A and 3B will be available!).

 

Field Day recordings – Click on the name to see it!

Dr. Raymond Cloyd – Insect Update

Dr. Megan Kennelly – Disease Update

Dani McFadden – Weed Update

Sessions at the upcoming conference include Basic Turf; Nursery & Landscape; Diseases, Insects & Weeds; Advanced Turf; and Sustainability, Technology & Water Management. You can download the conference brochure and get exhibitor information by CLICKING HERE!

Complete online registration by CLICKING HERE!

 

 

Autumn is the Right Time for Broadleaf Weed Control

Posted on by Jack Fry

Cool-season broadleaf weeds, including winter annuals and perennials, wait until temperatures cool down and then emerge during autumn.  The photo above was taken in Olathe in late October.  Targeting broadleaf weeds during autumn, when temperatures are suitable for application, results in good broadleaf weed control.  Immature weed seedlings are more susceptible to herbicides than mature weeds.  Find more information regarding weed control in this valuable resource. The updated “Turfgrass Weed Control Guide for Professionals – 2021” provides weed identification and control information that turfgrass professionals can use to develop effective weed control programs for golf courses, athletic fields, sod farms, lawns, and other turfgrass systems. The recommendations apply to the majority of the United States, with input from experts in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

CLICK HERE to purchase the Turfgrass Weed Control Guide for Professionals – 2021

This guide will also be available for sale at the Kansas Turf and Landscape Conference on December 1 and 2, 2021 in Manhattan, KS.  You can download the conference brochure and get exhibitor information by CLICKING HERE! Complete online registration by CLICKING HERE!

 

K-State Turf and Landscape Conference: Dec. 1 and 2

Posted on by Jack Fry

The Kansas Turf & Landscape Conference will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manhattan on December 1 & 2 (Wednesday and Thursday). The conference is an excellent way to learn about turf and landscape management, visit with old friends, network with new ones, and see all the latest in products and supplies from local and national vendors. Sessions include Basic Turf; Nursery & Landscape; Diseases, Insects & Weeds; Advanced Turf; and Sustainability, Technology & Water Management. You can download the conference brochure and get exhibitor information by CLICKING HERE!

Complete online registration by CLICKING HERE!