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K-State Turf and Landscape Blog

Category: Environmental Stress

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/

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

 

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.

Summary of Extreme Temperatures

Posted on by kennelly

By Megan Kennelly, KSU Dept of Plant Pathology

We have all been feeling the heat lately. I hope everyone has been staying safe and hydrated.

Just how hot has it been? The KSU Mesonet weather team provides a helpful summary here with interesting perspectives and historical context:

https://eupdate.agronomy.ksu.edu/article_new/a-hot-day-for-the-record-books-in-kansas-august-19-2023-559-8

 

 

Here is one of their maps – click the above link for additional data and figures. Source: Kansas Mesonet https://mesonet.k-state.edu/

Historic Dry Spells Lead to Tree Stress: Help Ensure Your Trees Are Healthy Enough to Handle It

Posted on by Teresa Roberts

By Jason Griffin, Professor, Extension Specialist

Extension personnel across the state have been answering questions about dying/dead trees and shrubs since early spring. Symptoms have ranged from dead, to partially dead, to unusual growth, and late leaf emergence. While it is always good to scout for damaging insects (bagworms anyone?), disease pathogens, and physical injuries such as repeated mower damage to the trunk or recent construction projects that compromised root systems, this year we can blame a lot on our old friend mother nature. Since late summer 2022 through May 2023 rainfall has been scarce, a hard freeze came early, and summer heat exposed any weak landscape plants.

The National Weather Service office in Wichita (@NWSWichita) describes the
period from July 1, 2022 to April 23, 2023 as the 5th driest in history and the driest since 1989. Under those conditions, trees fail to accumulate adequate carbohydrates for the approaching winter, making them more susceptible to winter injury.

As drought continues through winter and spring, trees lack adequate moisture required for new spring growth. The result is trees failing to leaf out in the spring or pushing new spring growth that looks abnormal. If the plants were compromised by pests or physical injuries, environmental stress effects are magnified.

Trees do have mechanisms to deal with elevated temperatures. Unfortunately for the plants, heat rarely occurs as a single isolated event, and it is impossible to talk about heat without mentioning its partners in crime. As seasonal temperatures rise, precipitation becomes less frequent (or absent). Additionally, the Kansas wind machine gets fired up and cloud cover becomes less abundant.  This quadruple whammy reduces a plant’s ability to tolerate elevated temperatures. Trees and shrubs use transpiration to cool themselves. When soil moisture is lacking, transpiration is reduced, thereby exacerbating the issue. If the situation does not improve, long-term damage can occur. What we see now are the effects of months of drought, a cold winter, and summer heat.

Of course, most plants made it into 2023 with little noticeable difficulties, attesting to their resiliency. What can be done to reduce the stressors that lead to tree decline?

Winter Injury Noticeable on Warm-Season Grasses

Posted on by Jack Fry

Winter injury has shown up in Kansas and many other states on some warm-season grasses, including bermudagrass and zoysiagrass.  Low temperatures came in mid-December at levels that were not common for warm-season grasses to deal with when they have not reached maximum cold acclimation.  For example, daily low temperatures did not exceed 10 F between Dec. 22nd and 27th in Olathe, KS. In addition, little or no snow cover was out to help protect turf and wind speed was high (approached 30 mph during this period in Olathe) which could have caused desiccation damage as well.  Temperatures during this period reached a low of -7 F.  Winter injury has also been reported in Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas on both bermuda and zoysia.  Injury tends to be most common in areas that have high levels of traffic, shade, or excessive thatch.  There are also many different “micro-climates” across areas that can result in different levels of injury – from excessive to none.

‘Latitude 36’ bermuda experienced winter injury at the Olathe, KS Horticulture Center.

Injury on a Z. matrella variety in KS.  Varieties of this species tend to me more cold sensitive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter injury on zoysia cultivars in the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program in Olathe. Those damaged are Z. matrella cultivars, used primarily in the southern U.S.

‘Meyer’ winter injury on golf course fairway with north-facing slope.

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.)

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!