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K-State Turf and Landscape Blog

Category: Cultural Practices

Fall Seeding Tips

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

By Dr. Jack Fry, Professor and Extension Specialist

  • September is the optimum time to seed cool-season grasses.
  • Use good quality, certified seed; avoid seed with significant levels of “weed” and “other crop.”  More information HERE
  • Use recommended seeding rates with good distribution – more than one direction; seeding at rates too high can cause issues with disease and environmental stress.
  • Seed to soil contact is critical!

  • If renovating an existing stand of turf, mow low to reduce competition with seedlings and help improve seed contact with soil.
  • Aeration, slit seeding, topdressing, or raking to cover seed are methods of enhancing seed-to-soil contact contact. If thatch levels are high, seed-to-soil contact may be difficult to get without thatch reduction first.
  • Aeration brings soil the surface, and is often done in concert with vertical mowing, which breaks up cores and also creates small furrows in which seed can make contact with soil.
  • Slit seeders create furrows in the soil surface and drop the seed into them.
  • Topdressing or raking loose soil in a tilled area covers seed and ensures contact.
  • If the desire is to convert from one species to another, and a reasonable stand of turf exists, it will have to be removed before conversion happens. Removal is typically accomplished with a nonselective herbicide.
  • Managing a high-traffic athletic field? Consider allowing for presence of a “seed bank” through the playing season.  More information HERE
  • Starter fertilizers, that contain nitrogen and phosphorus, help enhance establishment.
  • Light, frequent irrigation is needed the first few weeks after planting, and may be required several times daily, depending upon weather.

Pushing Snow

Posted on by Cheryl Boyer

Many of you are busy “pushing snow” with the recent cold weather, and there will likely be more snow to push in the next couple of months. Please take a few minutes to train your staff on protecting ornamental plants when clearing hard surfaces like parking lots.

While clearing the lot, driveway, or sidewalk is the most critical objective, “do no harm” should also be a goal. Far too many plants are crushed by the push and weight of snow in winter months. Sometimes, the mystery summer problem is actually a clear winter problem.

There is a tendency to pile snow on top of green spaces in parking lots. However, plants in those spaces continue to need to photosynthesize (evergreens) and exchange gases and are likely to die or suffer severe dieback if the cold weather persists and the snow takes a significant time to melt. Piling snow in planting areas can also contribute to soil compaction and root decline, causing problems later in the growing season.

De-icing chemicals are often mixed into snow that is pushed into landscape settings. As the snow melts, it dumps salt into the planting area, damaging shoots and roots for the long term. To minimize the landscape impacts of clearing snow, consider alternative de-icing salts like calcium chloride and calcium magnesium acetate and follow the label instructions when possible. Sand can also help provide traction.

With your staff, practice identifying an appropriate place to pile snow that isn’t in landscape areas, offers a place to collect runoff, and won’t result in slush that can splash onto plants. When possible, make these decisions before snow is on the ground—snow can cover a lot of detail and make it easy to lose track of the areas that need to be preserved.

Study each site individually and develop a plan for human, pet, and plant safety when winter storms hit to avoid problems in the future and establish trust with your clients.

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!

Water Conservation Practices in Kansas Landscapes

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

By Cheryl Boyer, Professor and Extension Specialist

While some parts of Kansas are experiencing relief from drought (let’s celebrate with far Western Kansas!), significant portions of the state continue to need water. The current map of Kansas on the U.S. Drought Monitor shows only 9 of our 105 counties with no drought. That means that 91% of Kansas counties are experiencing some combination of abnormally dry, moderate drought, severe drought, extreme drought, or exceptional drought.

Having enough water for human needs and health will always (and should) take priority over landscape use. So how do we adapt? Here are some best practices for water conservation in the landscape. Use these ideas as regular practices for your work and as opportunities to educate consumers on ways they can contribute to our ongoing water needs.

  1. Make a plan.
    • Consider factors on each site that may affect water use, like steep slopes, shading, and overall landscape goals.
  2. Improve soil conditions.
    • Get a soil test! Identify nutrient status, organic matter content, and pH to help you identify needs and approaches.
  3. Choose appropriate plants.
    • Understanding which plants can tolerate Kansas conditions, as well as the specific site conditions for the project, will help place the right plants in the right place.
  4. Water slowly, deeply, and infrequently.
    • Observe the weather and water based on plant needs. Soaker hoses, drip irrigation, sprinkler systems, and micro-drip water bags/buckets are all good options to achieve this best practice.
  5. Use mulch.
    • Organic mulch will increase soil quality as it breaks down while keeping soil cooler, reducing weed pressure, and helping soil retain water.

 

For more information (for yourself or to share on your organization’s online platforms) based on learning style, check out:

Boxwood Leafminer

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

From the KSU Entomology Newsletter

Figure 1. Boxwood leafminer adult (Joe Boggs, OSU)

The boxwood leafminer, Monarthropalpus flavus, is a major insect pest of the common boxwood, Buxus sempervirens, which is a plant commonly used in landscapes throughout Kansas.

Boxwood leafminer adults emerge (eclose) from pupae when Weigela florida is flowering in the spring. Adults are 1/15 to 1/9 of an inch (2 to 3 millimeters) long, yellow-orange, and resemble mosquitoes or gnats (Figure 1).

Figure 2. Boxwood leafminer larvae (Howard Russell, MSU)

 

 

Adults leave behind pupal cases attached to the leaf after emergence. After mating, females insert eggs inside the tissue of new leaves. A single female lays approximately 29 eggs and then dies afterward.

Larvae emerge (eclose) from the eggs in about three weeks. Larvae are legless maggots, yellow-white to green, and about 1/9 of an inch (3 millimeters) in length (Figure 2).

Figure 3. Boxwood leafminer larvae (Joe Boggs, OSU)

 

 

 

The larvae feed on the leaf tissue inside the leaf (Figure 3). Boxwood leafminer larvae tunnel between the upper and lower parts of leaf tissue creating blotched or irregular-shaped blisters on the lower leaf surface and raised areas on the upper leaf surface.

Learn more about boxwood leafminer and their control in an article by Dr. Raymond Cloyd by clicking HERE.

Preparing Putting Greens for a Summer Marathon

Posted on by Jack Fry
Potential summer decline of putting greens can be reduced by taking advantage of seasons in which they’re most efficient.

I’m not a marathoner, but I’ve heard those that do run marathons prepare not only through extensive training, but also by consuming the appropriate food for weeks before the race.  Examples include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.  Fasting or an improper diet wouldn’t result in a good marathon, and would likely require someone to withdraw during the race.

Creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass, cool-season grasses, are also participants in summer marathons in many parts of the world.  They enjoy the cool climate in spring and autumn and prefer to prepare for the marathon during these seasons. Of course, grasses don’t rely on consumption of food, but they do create their own carbohydrates through photosynthesis.  Plants take in carbon dioxide through stomates on leaves, which is used in combination with light and water in the photosynthetic process to manufacture carbohydrates that include glucose, sucrose, and fructose which promote plant growth and health.  Carbohydrate storage is also a critical to finish the summer marathon.

If creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass have met nutritional demands to sustain health and promote growth, they may then be able to store carbohydrates (fructan and starch) in crowns or stolons for use later in the season. This is critical for summer survival, as the ability to manufacture carbohydrates declines as temperatures rise.  If nothing’s left in the refrigerator, and a runner can’t go shopping, that would also create pre-marathon issues.  To maximize the ability of these grasses to store carbohydrates in preparation for the summer marathon, two things other than cool air temperatures are desired – leaf area and no seedheads (annual bluegrass).

Grasses on putting greens are mowed at heights that minimize leaf area.  Years ago, one-eighth of an inch (0.125 inches; 3.2 mm) was considered very low.  Now, it’s not unusual to hear from superintendents who may mow at heights lower than one-tenth of an inch (0.100 inches; 2.5 mm).  Lower mowing heights increase green speed (ball roll), but keep in mind that whenever a portion of a leaf is removed, chlorophyll, which captures sunlight for photosynthesis, and stomates, the entry points for carbon dioxide, go away with that portion of the leaf, which reduces carbohydrate manufacturing capability.  Leaf area is increased by mowing higher or less frequently.  If either is done, speed can be enhanced by rolling rather than mowing, which allows the leaf area to remain.  Many superintendents have incorporated rolling as a mechanism to enhance green speed and leaf area.

Cool-season grasses tolerate lower mowing heights better during spring and autumn months than in the summer.  This has encouraged many superintendents to consider mowing lower during cooler months, and then raising the mowing height when summer stress occurs.  However, keep in mind that the efficiency of carbohydrate production is greater during the cooler months than it is in the summer.  As such, the potential to accumulate carbohydrates for the summer marathon is enhanced by allowing greater leaf area in spring and autumn.*

Annual bluegrass can be a prolific seedhead producer, even at very low mowing heights.  Seedhead emergence tends to drop the level of carbohydrates in the plant, and can also reduce rooting.  Suppressing annual bluegrass seedheads by using plant growth regulators can help annual bluegrass get through the summer marathon.

A pastor in Kansas City recently spoke about how he was training for several weeks prior to a marathon and was excited about it.  He also considered that his diet at the time was critical, and adjusted it several weeks before the race.  Once the marathon began and the physical demand had started, he asked himself “why am I doing this?”.  He struggled through the first 10 miles of the marathon, but at the halfway point, his attitude improved, and the healthy food consumed prior to the marathon began to take effect.  He finished the marathon with a smile (but hasn’t run another) and followed it with a beer – first attempt to get carbohydrate levels back up!  Superintendents in areas where a summer marathon is on schedule should consider enhancing leaf area when creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass are most efficient at fixing carbon.  You may not see the putting greens smile at the end of the summer, but quality may likely be enhanced!

(Article appears in Golf Course Management magazine, April 2022; *Dr. Bingru Huang, Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University, has conducted extensive research on creeping bentgrass heat tolerance and has enhanced our knowledge in this area.)

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.

 

 

 

Fall Seeding Tips

Posted on by Jack Fry
  • September is the optimum time to seed cool-season grasses.
  • Use good quality, certified seed; avoid seed with significant levels of “weed” and “other crop.”  More information HERE
  • Use recommended seeding rates with good distribution – more than one direction; seeding at rates too high can cause issues with disease and environmental stress.
  • Seed to soil contact is critical!

  • If renovating an existing stand of turf, mow low to reduce competition with seedlings and help improve seed contact with soil.
  • Aeration, slit seeding, topdressing, or raking to cover seed are methods of enhancing seed-to-soil contact contact. If thatch levels are high, seed-to-soil contact may be difficult to get without thatch reduction first.
  • Aeration brings soil the surface, and is often done in concert with vertical mowing, which breaks up cores and also creates small furrows in which seed can make contact with soil.
  • Slit seeders create furrows in the soil surface and drop the seed into them.
  • Topdressing or raking loose soil in a tilled area covers seed and ensures contact.
  • If the desire is to convert from one species to another, and a reasonable stand of turf exists, it will have to be removed before conversion happens. Removal is typically accomplished with a nonselective herbicide.
  • Managing a high-traffic athletic field? Consider allowing for presence of a “seed bank” through the playing season.  More information HERE
  • Starter fertilizers, that contain nitrogen and phosphorus, help enhance establishment.
  • Light, frequent irrigation is needed the first few weeks after planting, and may be required several times daily, depending upon weather.

 

Drive Your Car Without a Fuel Gauge?

Posted on by Jack Fry

By Wes Dyer (Ph.D. student)

The dreaded check engine light popped on this past month. Bound to happen to a 15-year-old vehicle, pushing a quarter of a million miles. I immediately stopped by a local auto parts store and connected a diagnostic scanner to find a faulty fuel level sensor. Not the worst diagnostic error, but I knew I had to be more aware of the miles I drive between refueling. It reminded me of a quote by Dr. Dana Lonn, former managing director for technology at Toro Company, in which he states, “controlling an irrigation system without soil moisture data, is like driving a car without a gas gauge.” I realized more than ever what he meant as I found myself making more frequent stops at the gas station to refuel this past month, just to be sure.

The rootzone profile is much like a fuel tank, where adequate water, or “fuel”, is needed in the profile to maintain a healthy turfgrass stand. How do you know when to refill your soil profile? Setting irrigation clocks to specific days of the week to water is prone to lead to overwatering, like myself now, making more stops than necessary to refuel the vehicle. Even calculating daily evapotranspiration rates (which are estimates of the water used by turfgrass) fail to accurately account for moisture in the soil profile. Utilizing technology and devices to determine soil moisture is much like a fuel level sensor that can aid in determining when the plant needs water. This is where implementing technology in the landscape has advantages. The greater period you can stretch between irrigation applications, the greater chance a rainfall event will occur which will serve as “free water”, though I do not anticipate free gas events.

Soil water sensors are like a fuel gauge – necessary! Both wired and wireless are available.

For the past three years, I have been working to determine how to best employ technology in the turf landscape. Soil moisture sensors are one of many tools we can use to precisely determine when irrigation is needed to maximize water savings, increase turfgrass quality, provide consistent playing conditions, and minimize overwatering. Research results from 2020 indicated soil moisture sensor-based irrigation yielded 84% water savings compared to frequency-based irrigation (2x week-1) and 72% savings compared to deficit evapotranspiration (60% ET) irrigation. These significant water savings were achieved by simply monitoring soil moisture and watering only when necessary to “refuel the tank.” For more information as reference to this project, see this past article (Development of Irrigation Scheduling Techniques that Conserve Water in Turfgrass Landscapes using Soil Moisture Sensors and Weather Data. Kansas Turfgrass Foundation Newsletter, September 2019).

Throughout my turfgrass management career, I have had the opportunity to work with many great golf course and athletic field facilities across the United States. Many of those managers took on the philosophy to be data-driven because it removes the guesswork. The more data available at one’s fingertips the better decisions one can make. The key is not to become overwhelmed with the data, however, but to use the data to aid in improving your decisions or as a “tool in the toolbox”. Regarding irrigation, automated systems may become more widespread in the future and use sophisticated technology to control irrigation. Until then, we can use the current technology to establish our own automated irrigation decisions. I often like to think about two or three simple questions before I choose to irrigate. Specific questions and thresholds center around soil moisture data, turf canopy conditions, and future precipitation forecasts. Certain criteria must be met before the irrigation is turned on which has achieved significant water savings while maintaining turfgrass quality. As my research nears an end, I think it is time to schedule that service on my fuel level sensor.

Seeding after Herbicide Application

Posted on by Jack Fry

By Daniele McFadden (recent M.S. graduate at K-State)

With spring in full swing many of you are taking advantage of the warm soil temperatures and overseeding turf areas. Often times we can mistakenly coincide our spring-time herbicide applications with seeding cool-season turf. So, are your new seedlings going to mature and develop if this happens? Research was done over the last two years to evaluate how several herbicides affect the emergence and growth of tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass when seeded after application.  Following are some takeaways from these experiments.

The good:

  • When dandelions and other common broadleaves start to appear, a standard three-way postemergence broadleaf product containing 2,4-D + MCPP + dicamba (numerous trade names) is often applied. In both the field and greenhouse, we found that seeding tall fescue into an area treated with this herbicide combination was safe on the seedlings, and was comparable to tall fescue growth in areas where the herbicide wasn’t applied.
  • Other combination products used for control of broadleaf weeds were found safe on tall fescue seedlings when seeding was done 0 to 14 days after herbicide application. These herbicides included:
    • Carfentrazone-ethyl + MCPP + 2,4-D + dicamba (SpeedZone)
    • Fluroxypyr + halauxifen-methyl + 2,4-D (GameOn)
    • Triclopyr + pyraflufen-ethyl + 2,4-D + dicamba (4-Speed XT)

The bad:

  • Playing catch-up with yellow nutsedge control? Applying halosulfuron-methyl (Sedgehammer and other trade names) in late summer or early fall for the control of nutsedge could affect your tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass seedlings if seeding occurs within two weeks of application. Both cool-season grasses emerged in the field with mild chlorotic symptoms that went away within 8 weeks after seeding. However, a closer look at root development showed that seeding tall fescue into soil treated with halosulfuron-methyl significantly stunted development. The Sedgehammer label guidelines clearly state that a four-week delay after application is needed.  Plan your nutsedge control earlier in the summer so it does not interfere with early fall seeding.

The ugly:

  • Did you accidentally apply a preemergence herbicide for crabgrass control before seeding? You might be wasting your seed. Our studies found that seeding tall fescue or Kentucky bluegrass into an area treated with dithiopyr (Dimension) greatly inhibited growth of the seedlings.

Bottom line – reading the label to learn how soon seeding can be done after herbicide application is critical. Labels on some of these products indicate that seeding should be done after a longer interval has passed after application compared to what was observed as required in this research.  Seeding guidelines on labels must be followed; that said, research results from this project provide useful information to herbicide manufacturers and turf managers who may unknowingly seed into herbicide-treated areas.

Evaluating emergence of tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass when seeded 0 to 14 days after herbicide application in Manhattan, KS.

These research results will soon appear in greater detail in K-State’s 2021 Turfgrass Research Research Report.

***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.***