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K-State Turf and Landscape Blog

Author: kennelly

Pruning Trees and Shrubs in the Fall

Posted on by kennelly

(Ward Upham, KSU Horticulture & Natural Resources. Original source: http://www.ksuhortnewsletter.org/)

 

Pruning in August can stimulate new growth that is less hardy during the winter.  But what about pruning at this time of year?

Woody plants move sugars and other materials from the leaves to storage places in the woody portions of the plant just prior to leaf fall and we would like to maximize those stored energy reserves.  Even pruning later in the fall can cause a problem by reducing the cold hardiness of woody plants.  Dr. Rich Marini at Penn State Extension has written , “Based on everything that has been published we can conclude that woody plants do not attain maximum cold hardiness when they are pruned in the fall. Trees are affected more by heavy pruning than light pruning.”  However, this does not mean that woody plants pruned in the fall will necessarily suffer winter damage.  In most cases, I think you can get away with the old adage of “prune whenever your pruners are sharp.”  However, damage can occur if we have a sharp drop in temperature before plants are completely hardened off.  Also, marginally hardy plants are more susceptible to winter damage, especially if pruned in the fall.  Though light pruning and removal of dead wood are fine this time of year, you may want to delay severe pruning until spring.

Consider pruning to be “light” if 10% of less of the plant is removed. Dead wood does not count in this calculation.  Keep in mind that even light pruning of spring-blooming shrubs such as lilac and forsythia will reduce flowers for next year. We normally recommend that spring-bloomers be pruned after flowering.

Shrubs differ in how severely they can be cutback. Junipers do not break bud from within the plant and therefore should be trimmed lightly if you wish to keep the full shape. Overgrown junipers should be removed. On the other hand, there are certain shrubs that can be pruned back severely during the spring. Rejuvenation is the most severe type of pruning and may be used on multi-stem shrubs that have become too large with too many old branches to justify saving the younger canes. All stems are cut back to 3- to 5-inch stubs. This works well for spirea, forsythia, pyracantha, ninebark, Russian almond, sweet mock orange, shrub roses, and flowering quince. Just remember that spring is the correct time to do this, not now.

(Ward Upham)

Kansas Turf Conference!

Posted on by kennelly

Kansas Turf Conference in conjunction with KNLA

December 4, 5 & 6, 2018

Kansas Expocentre, Topeka

Mark the date to attend the Kansas Turfgrass Conference in conjunction with KNLA on December 4, 5 & 6 in Topeka.

The conference is an excellent way to learn about turf, nursery and landscape management, visit with old friends, network with new ones, and see all the latest equipment and supplies from local and national vendors.

The conference has been approved for Commercial pesticide recertification hours:

  • 1 Core hour
  • 3A – 7 hrs
  • 3B – 7 hrs
  • International Society of Arboriculture CEUs and GCSAA education points will also be available by attending the conference.

Download a copy of the program, get exhibitor information, or register online

http://www.kansasturfgrassfoundation.com/annual-ktf-conference.html

Cool fall weather = large patch season

Posted on by kennelly

Here in Kansas we see our most severe large patch symptoms in spring, but we can see it in fall, especially if conditions are cool and wet. Here, also, we’ve had pretty good success at suppressing spring symptoms with applications the prior fall.

We at KSU and others have been busy trying to tackle this disease in recent years, especially with the increasing interest in zoysia. For a review of research across the transition zone you can check out this article in Golfdom:

Don’t get overmatched: Dispatch that large patch

 

Dollar spot activity, and lingering brown patch

Posted on by kennelly

Moderate days and cool, dewy nights have increased dollar spot pressure. Check out these photos in our research plots.

Here is an untreated plot:

Here is a cleaner plot:

There are many great tips about fungicides for managing dollar spot starting on page 15 of this document:

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/ppa/ppa1/ppa1.pdf

In terms of varieties, like other universities, KSU does a lot of screening of new breeding lines and existing cultivars. In our research plots we like to have big blocks of different cultivars for different reasons. In my fungicide trials, often I like to use susceptible varieties to make sure we get strong disease pressure. For other types of studies we like to use more resistant varieties when developing reduced-input integrated management strategies.

Here is an example of two varieties out on one of our research greens. They have not been sprayed, and they are not in use at the moment, but they show the striking differences in susceptibility:

I also noticed a tiny bit of lingering brown patch on our putting green. When we switch more solidly into cool fall weather that should fade into nothing. Ah, fall! Let’s have more nights in the 50’s!

If you squint hard, you’ll see the big brown patch circle among all the dollar spot:

What do you do well that nobody else does?

Posted on by kennelly

(Megan Kennelly, KSU Plant Pathology)

At the Kansas Turf Conference on December 4, 5 & 6, 2018 in Topeka we will have a new booth in the exhibit area for YOU to show off your best innovations!

Do you have a piece of equipment that you hacked together on your own? Something that saves you headaches? Are you willing to share your idea? If so – send me a quick photo and description. I’ll display it at the booth, with credit to you.

How about a method? Do you have a special knack for motivating your crew or co-workers? Write that down, and we can share it.

What about an innovative way to reach out to customers?

If you have a special tip or trick you are willing to share, send it my way. You can email me at kennelly@ksu.edu

At the booth we’ll have people vote on their favorite innovation, with a special prize for the winner!

Fungi thriving in wet conditions

Posted on by kennelly

(Megan Kennelly, KSU Plant Pathology)

Fungi love wet, humid conditions. Parts of Kansas have received a lot of moisture lately.

Here are a few recent examples:

Brown patch mycelium on a morning with fog and dew. If you look closely you’ll see the lesions, too.

 

 

Here is some foliar Pythium mycelium from another wet site:

You can see the white mycelial threads if you look closely. Also notice how the turf is so matted down and soggy/greasy in appearance.

At this location they had just sprayed tebuconazole, so how did the Pythium keep on rolling? Well, as you might remember, Pythium is not a true fungus, and some fungicides just do not work on it. Fungicides in the tebuconazole family (the DMI fungicides, FRAC code 3) have no effect on Pythium – you might as well be spraying water. For a list of products that DO have efficacy on Pythium foliar blight you can check this reference (p. 23) http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/ppa/ppa1/ppa1.pdf

Cultural practices are outlined HERE.

Conditions for both Pythium and brown patch “should” be ending soon, and cool fall weather alone acts as a natural fungicide to slow those 2 diseases down just as our cool-season grasses find themselves in optimal conditions to grow. Recovery and seeding season is right around the corner.

And, finally, after 4 inches of rains there were mushrooms everywhere:

Some mushrooms are associated with fairy rings, and there is some information about that HERE.

How do mushrooms pop up overnight? They are actually kind of pre-made, hanging out in the soil in a small egg-like structure. When moisture comes they can expand quickly, like one of those sponge-animals that expands when you put it in a bucket. There are lots of time-lapse videos out there that show mushroom growth – here is one example:

It’s kind of cool but creepy at the same time.

KGCSA Legacy Scholarship – due August 27

Posted on by kennelly

The KGCSA Legacy Scholarship offers educational aid to the children and grandchildren of KGCSA members.  A $1,000 scholarship will be awarded. Applications are due August 27, 2018.

Eligibility
1. One or more of the applicant’s parents or grandparents must have been a KGCSA member for five or more consecutive years and must be a currently active.

2. The student must be enrolled full-time at an accredited institution of higher learning, or in the case of high school seniors, must be accepted at such an institution for the next academic year. Graduating high school seniors must attach a letter of acceptance to their application.

3. Past winners are ineligible to apply the following year. They may reapply after a one-year hiatus.

Criteria for Selection
1. Applicants will be evaluated based on academic achievement, extracurricular and community involvement, leadership and outside employment.

2. The student must submit an original essay of up to 500 words.

You can download the application at www.kgcsa.org

Living on the edge – stress on putting green perimeters

Posted on by kennelly

(Megan Kennelly, KSU Plant Pathology)

Look familiar?

 

(Photos by Megan Kennelly)

Continuing with our ongoing information about summertime turf stress, here is a great update from the USGA about the causes of stress and decline in the collar/perimeter plus a checklist of practices to mitigate that stress.

You can click here to read the article “Blue Collars.”