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K-State Turf and Landscape Blog

Author: Teresa Roberts

Importance of Turf Selection

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

Adapted from the K-State Turf and Landscape Problem Solver

Careful turfgrass selection is an important first step in establishing, overseeding, or renovating a turfgrass. Many potential problems related to turf use, appearance, environment, insect or disease pests, and cultural practices can be avoided by properly choosing species and cultivars that best fit the situation in which the turfgrass will be grown.  A turfgrass, when planted in areas where it is not adapted, often deteriorates or fails. The result of planting a turfgrass where it is not adapted is a poor-quality turf that requires excessive pesticide applications, fertilization, and replanting to retain a green ground cover. A high-quality turf may not be obtainable in this situation.

Consider these criteria when selecting a turfgrass:

  • Desired quality
  • Appearance – turf color, texture, density, growth habit, and uniformity
  • Use – turf purpose, e. g., athletic or play surface, lawn, erosion control
  • Pest resistance – turf resistance or tolerance to disease or insect pests
  • Culture – turf management requirements from a time and a financial view point
  • Site – turf soil and sunlight requirements compared to those of the final planting site.

Turfgrasses differ with regard to these criteria. For example, some Kentucky bluegrass cultivars form a dark emerald green turf adapted to high maintenance and light shade. This can be contrasted with buffalograss, a gray-green, low-maintenance turfgrass that performs poorly in light shade. Other differences among species and cultivars also exist regarding wear tolerance, environmental adaptation, pest resistance, and cultural requirements. Careful selection at planting time is the best way to solve potential problems in the future.

Generally, the cost of planting turfgrasses, whether from seed, sod, plugs, sprigs, or stolons, should be of minimal concern. In most normal plantings, the cost difference between poor-quality and high-quality seed or vegetative propagules is small, and the time and money spent trying to produce high-quality turf from low-quality seed or vegetative material can often become great. The long-term benefit of planting high-quality turfgrasses in appropriate conditions is a healthy, cost-effective, quality turf.

The effort and time expended selecting the right grass species, mixes, and/or blends will be well spent. Consider the site, use, desired appearance, and management the turf will receive when selecting the species combination. Then select cultivars that best fulfill the desired outcome. Often, there may be more than one “good fit” between turf species, mixes, and/or blends for the specific situation. In such cases, cost and availability may become important factors in the final decision. Plant only high-quality propagules (e. g., seed, sod, plugs). When these steps are followed and the actual turf is planted, many potential problems will be reduced, or in the best of situations, eliminated.

2024 Turf and Ornamentals Field Day

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

Join us at the Kansas Turf & Ornamentals Field Day, held Thursday, August 1, 2024, at Rocky Ford Turf Research Center, 1700 Barnes Rd, Manhattan, KS.

The field day program is designed for all segments of the turf and ornamentals industry – lawn care, athletic fields, golf courses, landscape, nursery, and grounds maintenance. Included on the program are research presentations, problem diagnosis, commercial exhibits and equipment displays. There will be time to see current research, talk to experts, and get the answers to your questions.

One hour of pesticide recertification credit in both 3A and 3B are available, as well as GCSAA education points.

You can find more information and register online at:
https://www.k-state.edu/turf/events/index.html

Please register by July 26.

For questions, contact Christy Dipman at 785-532-6173 or cdipman@ksu.edu.

Pine Problems in Kansas

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

By Judy O’Mara, Diagnostician, K-State Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab

It was pretty cold in mid-January 2024, the low temps in January sent me to the K-State Mesonet (https://mesonet.k-state.edu/weather/historical/) to take a closer look at the weather patterns during that time period. The Mesonet is a collection of weather stations across Kansas that can be used in a variety of ways but my favorite is to take a look BACK in TIME at the historical weather patterns. The temperature dropped pretty low on Jan 14th (-10.5F) and Jan 15th (-10.6F) in Manhattan, KS. Brrr.

In any given year, it is not uncommon to see extreme weather patterns impact plant growth and health. Winter damage to pine trees frequently shows up on the north or northwest side of the tree, although it can hit the top of the tree as well. Winter damage can hit multiple trees or can show up on scattered trees within a planting. The outer needles tend to be scorched with the inner needle growth remaining green. The more exposed foliage is more susceptible to desiccating winter winds. Winter damage on pine trees can be confused with some common Kansas pine diseases such as pine wilt, Diplodia pine tip blight and Dothistroma needle blight.  One tip that can help to differentiate between these problems is the TIMING of the damage. Pine trees generally enter the winter looking good and then get hit by low temperatures and/or desiccating winds sometime between December-February. A look at the K-State Mesonet can help pinpoint the weather event that caused the damage.

Winter damage can look pretty dramatic but it is best to wait until early to mid-May to assess recovery potential. Even though the pine needles are scorched, the dormant buds frequently escape damage and push out new growth in the spring. The damaged needles eventually shed and the overall appearance of the tree will gradually improve. Another quick way to check recovery potential is to pop off a few buds at the end of the branch and see if they are still green inside.

Winter damage can be confused with some common Kansas pine diseases. For help sorting out these problems reach out to your local county extension office. The K-State Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab can also provide assistance.  https://www.plantpath.k-state.edu/extension/plant-disease-diagnostic-lab/

Tree and Shrub Problems in Kansas Publication Updated

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

A new version of the Tree and Shrub Problems in Kansas: Diseases, Insects, and Environmental Stresses book is now online! This guide provides an overview of different tree problems followed by an extensive itemized list of specific diseases, insects, mites, and environmental/abiotic stress problems of trees and shrubs common in Kansas, information on how to identify those problems, and guidelines for management.

https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/Item.aspx?catId=538&pubId=17559

 

Planting Buffalograss and Controlling Weeds

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

By PhD student Dani McFadden, and Jack Fry, Professor and Commercial Turf Extension Specialist

Are you thinking about converting an area to buffalograss? It is a warm-season grass native to Kansas and much of the Midwest, with excellent heat, drought, and cold tolerance.  It is important to understand the characteristics of your site before determining if buffalograss is an adequate fit. Buffalograss grows best in an area receiving morning sun, and 6-8 hours of sunlight throughout each day. It is recommended to not plant buffalograss in poorly-drained areas or sandy soils. For non-irrigated sites, planting is recommended in the spring once soil temperatures reach 55 F. An optimum seeding rate is is 1.5 to 2 lbs of buffalograss burrs (1 to 5 seeds in a burr) per 1,000 sq. ft.

Buffalograss is dioecious, which means there are male and female plants.  In seeded areas, you can see the inflorescences (male flowers) on male plants  emerge several inches tall.  The female plant produces a flower close the soil and is not as noticeable.  Ultimately, several seeds are produced within the female burr. There are vegetative buffalograss cultivars that can be purchased which are most typically plugged for establishment.  They are generally the female plants (no visible seedheads during the growing season).

You can learn more about cultivars, establishment, and management by using these links:

K-State “Buffalograss Lawns”: https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/mf658.pdf

K-State Turf and Landscape Blog:  https://blogs.k-state.edu/turf/

National Turf Evaluation Program:  https://ntep.org/

For irrigated sites, you can delay seeding until June through July; early June planting enhances the potential for good coverage by the end of the growing season. Seed should have good contact with the soil – planting 0.25 to 0.5 inches below the soil surface is recommended.  For effective grow-in, any non-desired vegetative grasses or weeds should be removed from the area with the use of herbicides (check label to confirm time required before seeding can be done after application).

Converting an area to buffalograss can be costly and time consuming; therefore, it is important to protect the area from weed invasion. Weed control is critical during establishment, as many weeds are able to outcompete buffalograss seedlings. Mesotrione (Tenacity) is labeled for application at the time of seeding. Quinclorac (Drive XLR8) is also labeled for application any time before or after seeding buffalograss for the postemergence control of grassy weeds. Two combination products, SquareOne and Solitare, are labeled for use on established buffalograss for the control of a broad spectrum of weeds. If you are facing weed pressure, it is important to first identify the weed before purchasing the herbicide. For example, products containing quinclorac as a single active ingredient will control many grassy weeds, with minimal control of broadleaf weeds. You should always read the herbicide label for a detailed list of weeds controlled by the product, along with application rates and timings.

 

Winter Desiccation

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

By Dr. Jack Fry, Professor and Commercial Turf Extension Specialist

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

 

Ice, Ice Baby

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

By Dr. Jack Fry, Professor and Turf Extension Specialist

Ice can cause many problems for turf, in various forms.

Ice Inside the Plant

Ice routinely forms inside plants when temperatures drop below freezing. Where the ice forms is important – when it’s outside the plant cells, it’s usually not an issue. This is called extracellular freezing.  However, no plant cell will survive when ice forms inside it.

The most important part of the turfgrass plant regarding survival is the crown, or growing point. Again, ice forming outside cells inside the crown is common and usually not harmful. It can become an issue, primarily in warm-season grasses, like bermudagrass, when temperatures are very cold for extended periods of time. This forces water inside cells to exit toward the ice (a matter of physics), and too much water leaving the cells will cause dehydration, which can cause the crown to die.

Freezing injury on bermuda is caused by ice forming outside cells within the crown of the plant that causes dehydration.

Ice formation inside cells of the crown commonly causes the death of grasses in the northern U.S, and it’s called intracellular freezing or crown hydration injury.  Usually, grasses that succumb to this type of injury become well hydrated in early spring, often growing in low areas that don’t drain well. Hydrated crowns that are then subjected to extremely low temperatures often suffer from ice formation inside cells of the crown;  when this occurs, they don’t survive. This is common in the northern U.S. on annual bluegrass on golf greens. It could also occur here, but would be most likely on warm-season grasses lying in low areas.

Ice Covering the Plant

Fortunately, in the central U.S., we don’t deal with extended periods of ice cover on turf. Ice cover can result from sleet, freezing rain, or snow melting and refreezing. Turf managers in the northern U.S. begin to worry about ice cover when it remains in place for about 60 days. That’s usually the limit for annual bluegrass – being under ice cover more than that can cause issues with lack of oxygen and/or accumulation of toxic gases under the ice

Ice on the Leaf Surface – Frost!

In a humid environment, when the leaf surfaces cool to temperatures below freezing, ice will form as frost on the leaves. Leaves of cool-season grasses tolerate frost on leaves just fine. Leaves of warm-season grasses don’t like frost, and we often see them go dormant shortly after the first hard frost in the fall.

Frost on the leaf surface can damage when foot or vehicle traffic causes the crystals to puncture the leaf cells (photo courtesy of Dr. Hoyle).

Frost is primarily a problem for turf managers in spring and fall on cool-season grasses. Foot or vehicle traffic pushes the ice crystals through the leaf surface and punctures cells, causing them to collapse. The result is that there is often brown turf where traffic was present. Honestly, I don’t think we know enough about the physics of ice that comprises frost, and I suspect that frost differs a lot – some ice forming on leaves may be more damaging than other ice.

Following are a few articles related to frost on turf.

For golfers:

https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/articles/2018/01/5-things-to-know–frost-delays.html

For superintendents managing golf courses:

https://www.golfcourseindustry.com/article/golf-frost-delay

Apparently, in Japan, golfers play year-round regardless of temperature.  Some courses ignore frost to sustain income and have had less damage than expected:

https://www.blog.asianturfgrass.com/2016/12/how-to-lose-120-million-yen-with-frost-delays.html

Wind Chill Analysis Tool from Kansas Mesonet

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

By Christopher “Chip” Redmond, Kansas Mesonet Manager, via Agronomy eUpdates

The forecast for the coming week consists of bitter cold air, the coldest of the 2023/2024 winter season thus far. However, the temperature does not always give the air that nip. The “feels like” temperature is also usually influenced by the wind. We call this the wind chill.

What is the wind chill?

When temperatures drop below 50oF and wind speeds are greater than five mph, the “Feels Like” temperature is lower than the actual temperature. Wind chill can be calculated in two ways: 1) using the chart below or 2) mathematically. Wind chill values decrease as the wind increases and/or the temperature decreases. This means that despite it being 0oF on a very cold morning when factoring in the wind (for example, 20 mph), it can feel like a much colder temperature (in this example, -22oF).

This colder “feels like” temperature can make you feel chilled quicker and lead to other problems such as frostbite much quicker. Exposure time estimations of frostbite issues at 0 degrees F with no wind is 30 minutes, while 0oF and 55 mph winds are less than 10 minutes of exposure. Wind chills can be determined by the following chart from the National Weather Service (https://www.weather.gov/safety/cold-wind-chill-chart):

Where can you access wind chill data?

The Kansas Mesonet makes viewing the wind chill very easy! We have put together a webpage depicting the current wind chill via a gradient map here: https://mesonet.k-state.edu/weather/windchill/. It can also be accessed via the menu in the top left (Menu à Weather à Wind Chill)

The map defaults to the current wind chill but also has a selection at the top where you can change the map to view temperature and wind speed/direction. Since these are the two ingredients for the wind chill, it tells the complete story. The table below the map also displays each station’s wind chill, temperature, and wind data in sortable columns. By clicking the column headings, that particular column will sort from lowest to highest values. Click it again, and it will reverse the order. You can also select a specific station either on the map or in the data table, and it will display the specific information for that location.

How many hours has the temperature been below freezing?

Winter wheat and cover crop producers still have an interest in the cold temperatures. The freeze monitor data is available on our webpage as well. It allows you to track the hours below 32 or 24oF thresholds useful for permafrost development or winter wheat/cover crop damages.  You can access this information via the menu in the top left (Menu > Weather > Freeze Monitor) or at mesonet.ksu.edu/weather/freeze

Stay warm and safe on these chilly days! Winter has only just begun.

Visit with Industry Representatives at the Kansas Turf and Landscape Conference Trade Show

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

Register for the Kansas Turf and Landscape Conference and chat with various turf and landscape industry exhibitors!

The 73rd annual Kansas Turfgrass and Landscape Conference, held November 29 & 30 (Wednesday and Thursday), 2023 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Manhattan also hosts a trade show to see all the latest products and supplies from local and national vendors.

Vendors will have a booth with representatives present for the following companies:

Interested in being part of the trade show as an exhibitor or as sponsor for the event? Register online or contact Christy Dipman for more information at cdipman@ksu.edu or 785-532-6173.

 

Fall is for Planting

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

By Jason Griffin, Professor and Extension Specialist, John C. Pair Horticultural Center Director

We’ve all heard it and probably repeated it. But why is this slogan so common-place, and is it accurate…Is Fall really a good time to plant?

First, there is the emotional side. As summer fades away and yields to cooler temperatures, more frequent rain events, and beautiful fall colors; it just feels like the right time to plant a new tree or shrub.

Second, there is the economic side. Many nurseries offer fall specials on their inventory. The simple truth is that any plant that does not sell, has to be moved and stored for overwinter survival. This involves labor, consumes valuable space, and uses mulch or plastic to protect the plants from freezing winter temperatures. Nurseries would prefer to sell plants rather than store them.

Last, there is the plant side. Is fall a good time to plant a new tree or shrub? Yes, and here is why. The primary job of a newly planted tree or shrub is to grow roots for survival. New roots are necessary for balled and burlapped plants to replace the ones lost during the harvest process at the nursery. If it’s a container plant, new roots are necessary to explore the soil and find nutrients and moisture necessary for long term survival. For the first year of a new plant’s life, it’s all about the roots!

So why plant in Fall? Woody plants have two primary seasons for growing roots, and it’s NOT winter or summer. Frozen soil and slow metabolism prevent much root growth in during winter in cold regions of the country. Frequent droughty conditions combined with searing summer temperatures limits root growth during a hot summer. In Kansas we have both. Most root growth on woody plants occurs during spring and fall in the temperate region.

Trees planted in spring have only a few weeks of peak root growth before Mother Nature unleashes the environmental stresses that come with summer weather. However, trees planted in fall have the long fall and early winter season to grow roots before they go dormant. As the soil warms in spring, they get another season of root growth prior to the stress of summer in Kansas. Fall planted trees, therefore, have the advantage of two full seasons of root growth before summer drought and heat strike. It’s not too late. As long as the soil isn’t frozen at your planting site, you can still get plants in the ground. So is spring a bad time to plant? No, spring is a great time to plant. Those trees just need a little more TLC during that first summer than fall planted trees.

Happy planting!