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The Art of Knowing Your Seed Label

Posted on by jahoyle

(By Evan Alderman, KSU Turfgrass MS Student; Ross Braun, KSU Turfgrass PhD Student; and Jared Hoyle, KSU Turfgrass Research and Extension)

Do you enjoy having a nice green lawn, but didn’t have time to get your fall seeding done? Don’t fret, there is still time. Although the optimal time of year to seed cool season grass species is during the fall months, there is still time for you to get a great looking lawn for this summer. Now before you go to your local garden supply store and pick up some seed, there are several things you should take into account before making your purchase. The art of knowing your seed label begins now.

Turfgrass Species and Cultivar

seedSo you walk into your local garden supply store and you look at all of your options for potential seed you can use and you say to yourself “I really want a lush green lawn fast”. So you pick up a bag that says something along the lines of “quick establishment”, since that is what you want. Although this bag of seed sounds like a great option, you probably should check out the seed label before making this purchase. In the image is a picture of a seed bag with those claims. As you can see this bag contains 90.50% annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and only 5.97% perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne). Now as a turfgrass scientist I can assure you that you may have a great looking lawn temporarily, but annual ryegrass should not be a long term solution. Which is why Rule #1 for the art of knowing your seed label is know what turfgrass species performs best in your area. For much of the state of Kansas, tall fescue (Lolium arundinacea) is the predominant species in most home lawns. Tall fescue is able to handle most of the drought conditions that Kansas likely endures.

Rule #2 for the art of knowing your seed labels is also knowing which species cultivars grow best in your area of the country. One of the best options for knowing which turfgrass cultivars perform best in your area is the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (www.ntep.org). On their website, there is data available for homeowners to look at from many different university studies involving different turfgrass species and cultivars. This information will help you make an informed decision on what turfgrass species and cultivar will work best for you, this is a step in the right direction for achieving that lush green lawn you are wanting.

Other Seed Label Information

Although some of the most important information on the seed label is the turfgrass species and variety, there are several other pieces of information on the label that can be helpful. Rule #3, look at the percent germination for all turfgrass species on the seed label. Just because that type of seed is on the label doesn’t mean all of it will germinate. Thus it is important to look at the germination rate, and chose a bag of seed that has a high germination percentage. Rule #4, although the bag of turf seed you are going to by mostly contains grass seed, bags of seed can also can weed seed. It is very important to look at the percentage of weed seed in your bag of seed, if that percentage is high, I would probably pass on that bag and look for another one with a lower percent of weed seed. If a seed label has 0.5% weed seed then that equals approximately 12 to 16 weeds being planted per square foot. A seed label with <0.01 weed seed is good but 0% is best. This also applies to the “other crop” section of the label. Lastly, Rule #5, consider the seed testing date on the seed label. As with anything, turfgrass seed can get old, this will highly effect the germination percentage from that bag of seed. It is recommended to use newer seed and avoid anything over one year past the testing date.

Utilizing these five rules will help you make an informed decision for planting a lush green lawn this spring.

Always remember to READ THE LABEL for the correct rate, turfgrass tolerance, and specific instructions before application!!!

***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 me on twitter @KSUTurf.

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

This year we will honor Jim Heinze as the Alumni Fellow for Agriculture

Posted on by jahoyle

cm1947_jim_heinze_03This year we will honor Jim Heinze as the Alumni Fellow for Agriculture.  The goal of the Alumni Fellows program is to create opportunities for successful alumni to interact with our students.

Jim Heinze is the Director of Sales, North America for the Commercial Division of The Toro Company. He serves on the management team contributing to business strategies for revenue growth, new products, and market development. He directs a team of sales professionals delivering innovative product solutions and exceptional customer service through the industries’ leading distribution channel.

 Upon graduating from K-State, Heinze managed a landscape business and Toro distributor in the K.C. area. An accomplished sales professional and industry contributor, Heinze served on the Heart of America GCSA and the Kansas Turfgrass Foundation board.  He joined Toro in 1993, achieved positions of increasing responsibility, promotion to Director of Commercial Sales in 1999, and responsibility for North America in 2012.

 Heinze is from Lincoln, Kansas, earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture in 1977 and Certified Sales Executive certification in 2007. He is a contributing member to the K-State College of Agriculture Dean’s Advisory Council.  Heinze and his wife D. Lynn (Wiedenmann) Heinze ’77 have three children and reside in Apple Valley, Mn.

Congratulations Jim and “Thank You!” for everything you have done to give back to the KSU Turfgrass Program!

Weed Control For Turfgrass Professionals 2015 Edition

Posted on by jahoyle

(By Jared Hoyle, KSU Turfgrass Research and Extension)

AY-336-2015There is a great resource to all the turfgrass professionals out there.  It is called “Turfgrass Weed Control for Professionals – 2015 Edition”.  It was developed from Purdue University from some great turfgrass scientists.

It is only 12 dollars for a print copy and you can download it in a PDF file for only 10.  I highly suggest getting one for reference.

 https://mdc.itap.purdue.edu/item.asp?item_number=ay-336#.VQsaut4aj8s

Always remember to READ THE LABEL for the correct rate, turfgrass tolerance, and specific instructions before application!!!

***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 me on twitter @KSUTurf.

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

Evan Alderman Explains What His Research Is All About! (Video)

Posted on by jahoyle

(By Jared Hoyle and Evan Alderman, KSU Turfgrass Research and Extension)

Back in October I wrote a blog post about some of the research that KSU Turfgrass Graduate Student, Evan Alderman, was conducting this past winter on dormant buffalograss.

https://blogs.k-state.edu/turf/dormant-buffalograss-research-update/

Now it is getting warmer and we are awaiting to see the effect of winter golf cart traffic on a buffalograss fairway and turfgrass colorant longevity.  Evan recorded a short video of what he did this winter.  As soon as we get some results we will be able to share with you what golf cart traffic is doing to your buffalograss fairways in the winter time.  Enjoy!

Always remember to READ THE LABEL for the correct rate, turfgrass tolerance, and specific instructions before application!!!

***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 me on twitter @KSUTurf.

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

Congratulations to Christy Dipman!

Posted on by kennelly

Hello everyone,

I’m so happy to share this great news. Our own Christy Dipman was selected as a recipient of the 2015 K-State University Support Staff Award of Excellence! The eligibility included:

Outstanding Achievement and Performance: (Consistently and substantially exceeds the expectations of the position, performing at a level above and beyond normal job requirements; has made important and significant contributions in their area; has furthered the mission of the unit, college, and/or university.)

Inspirations of Excellence in Others: (Consistently and substantially demonstrates an ability and willingness to work positively, respectfully, and effectively with others; has significantly improved customer service or has increased student satisfaction in their area; demonstrates ability and willingness to manage changes in work priorities, procedures, and organization.)

Initiative and Creativity: (Has significantly improved a work process or system, or has significantly increased the efficiency of an operation or department/unit; consistently seeks to improve the quality of work assigned; demonstrates efforts to expand work responsibilities.)

Anyone who knows Christy knows that she shines in all of these areas. Most of you who read this blog know Christy primarily from the turf world, but she is an excellent colleague for those of us who also work with other commodities as well.

I was the nominator and three colleagues were more than willing to write additional support letters. Here are some of the things I wrote in my nomination statement, and I could (and did) go on and on:

“With Christy, there’s no worry about checking in to see if something is getting done. By the time you think to ask, she’s ALREADY done it!”

“At the annual turfgrass conference in Topeka, Christy works the registration desk. She greets everyone with a smile and knows many of them by name. They all know her! The participants are very comfortable with her, and her presence, attitude, and respectful nature help set the tone for the entire conference.”

“She does all this with a very positive attitude. I don’t recall her ever speaking negatively of anyone within KSRE extension or out among the stakeholders. This positivity radiates out into the whole extension team. Christy is one of the most positive individuals I have ever worked with.”

Congrats Christy! (I’m sure if you are reading this, you are blushing and feeling modest, but you are the BEST!”

 

Breaking the pine wilt cycle

Posted on by kennelly

 

 

Now you see it:

call-hall-2012-10-09_17-20-05_109

Now you don’t:

Call-Hall-now-gone-2012-10-25_17-20-32_596

This tree had pine wilt disease, and it was cut down and burned to reduce the risk of spread to other trees.

Pines have several disease and insect problems. One of them is pine wilt disease. It kills the entire tree quickly.

Pine wilt is caused by the pinewood nematode, a microscopic worm. The nematode is spread by the pine sawyer beetle. The nematode feeds and multiplies in the tree’s resin canals, causing wilting and death in several weeks to several months. The nematode and beetles spend the winter in the infected tree. In spring, the beetles emerge starting around May 1, carrying nematodes to new trees and continuing the cycle of infection.

The disease is common in the eastern half of the state, and it is spreading west around 10 miles per year. There have been pockets of infection in the western part of the state.

 In Kansas, new pine wilt infections are most visible from August to December. Trees wilt and die in a short period of time, from several weeks to a few months. In the first stages, the needles turn grey or green, then yellow and brown. The discoloration sometimes occurs branch by branch, sometimes all at once. With pine wilt, eventually the whole tree dies, within a few months. The brown needles stay on the tree for up to a year after the tree has died. Another key symptom is reduced resin. On a healthy tree, sticky resin bleeds from the site of a wound. In contrast, if a tree has pine wilt the resin is often reduced or absent, and branches become dry or brittle.

There is a website with color photos and descriptions at the following link:

http://muextension.missouri.edu/explorepdf/miscpubs/mx0858.pdf

There are images to compare and contrast pine wilt with other pine diseases here:

http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/bookstore/pubs/l722.pdf

With the other diseases (tip blight, needle blight) only parts of the tree turn brown. With pine wilt, the whole tree is brown and dead.

If you aren’t sure if your tree has pine wilt or something else, contact your local K-State Research and Extension Office or the K-State Diagnostic Lab (clinic@ksu.edu).

If a tree has pine wilt,  the tree should be cut down by  April 1  to make sure there is time to destroy the wood by May 1, when the beetles start to some out. Cut the tree to the ground—don’t leave a stump. Chip or burn the wood immediately to destroy the beetles and nematodes. Don’t keep pine wood around for firewood.

I’ll post information about some of the other pine problems soon. Are you pining for healthy pines?

 

Is ‘brown’ really the new green?

Posted on by jahoyle

(By Jared Hoyle; KSU Turfgrass Research and Extension)

Last spring I moved into a new home.  There was a lot to be done and turfgrass got put on the back burner as other things around the house needed to be done: like pruning trees, painting walls, fixing plumbing leaks, you know the typical homeowner headaches.

Well, around Thanksgiving I was not pleased with my yard, the Kansas Extension Turfgrass Specialist’s, yard.  It was bad.  It was really thin, I haven’t watered it and the tall fescue was about 50% brown. The only thing I had going for me was I didn’t have any weeds.  I am pretty good at killing some weeds.

My Neglected Tall Fescue Lawn - Nov. 28, 2014
My Neglected Tall Fescue Lawn – Nov. 28, 2014

So I got to thinking… A quick fix to what I have been doing around the house is painting. Why can’t I paint my cool-season turfgrass like you would a warm-season turfgrass for winter color too.  So I did…

I used a 3 gal backpack sprayer calibrated to deliver 0.5 gal/1,000 sq feet.  I used a mixture of two different colorant products.  I used this combination because this is what I had on hand and I didn’t have enough for a full application of one or the other.  I mixed 10.5 fl oz of Sarge 2.0 (by Numerator Techinologies) and 10.5 fl oz of Wintergreen Plus (by Presision Labratories) in 1 gal of water.  I applied in two directions for a total of 1 gal/1,000 sq feet colorant and water combination.

IMG_2765
Front lawn 3 hours after colorant application – November 28, 2014

In the picture above you can see what it looked like right after colorant application.  It was a huge contrast compared to my neighbor’s zoysiagrass lawn.  I will have to admit that it looked “Really Fake” immediately after application.  But I did receive a lot of attention: People walking their dogs would stop and stare, neighbors asked what kind of fertilizer I applied, and the best one was “It didn’t look like that this morning, What did you do?”

About two weeks after application it rained and the colorant faded a little bit.  Now the dirt, rocks, and acorns that were present when I painted where not green anymore and it looked more natural.

Dec. 20, 2014 - Front lawn still showing attractive winter color.
Dec. 20, 2014 – Front lawn still showing attractive winter color.

The picture above was taken on Dec. 20, 2014 a couple days after a snow fall.  Not only is the color still there and looks great but my lawn melted snow faster than all of my neighbors.

Jan. 19, 2014 - Winter color still holding on.
Jan. 19, 2015 – Winter color still holding on.

Still after a couple of snow falls, rain, random warm days and cold temperatures the color is still holding on into January of 2015.

Jan. 23, 2015
Jan. 23, 2015

And the most recent picture was taken yesterday, January 23, 2015.  Other than needing to clean the leaves up one more time I would say the colorant application looked great throughout the winter. I think this might not only be an option for winter color on warm-season grasses but also cool-season grasses as well.

Always remember to READ THE LABEL for the correct rate, turfgrass tolerance, and specific instructions before application!!!

***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 me on twitter @KSUTurf.

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

 

 

Plant Injury from Herbicide Applications

Posted on by jahoyle

(By Jared Hoyle; KSU Turfgrass Research and Extension)

Dandelion "twisting" from hormone-disrupting herbicide application
Dandelion “twisting” from hormone-disrupting herbicide application

Throughout the year I get calls, emails, texts and social media questions about herbicide damage. Most of the time it is damage to off-target plants and not the turfgrass.  This can happen due to many different factors including, but not limited to, the list below.

Accidental plant injury from herbicide applications can occur from:

  1. herbicide drift
  2. misapplication
  3. sprayer tank contamination
  4. residual herbicides

A really great resource by University of California is the Herbicide Symptom Search Engine.  You can search by mode of action, chemistry, herbicide, plant species, and symptoms.

http://herbicidesymptoms.ipm.ucanr.edu/index.cfm

Understanding the herbicide you are applying is most important.  The environmental fate of herbicides varies across KS and the United States due to many different factors. Some of the factors include:

  1. photochemical decomposition
  2. volatilization
  3. runoff/erosion
  4. adsorption by clay and organic matter
  5. leaching
  6. chemical decomposition
  7. microbial decomposition
  8. plant uptake

Understanding the herbicide you are going to apply and how it interacts with the environment will prevent non-target plant damage.

Pesticide applicators can use the Kansas DriftWatch website to find sensitive-crop locations in an effort to minimize the potential for damaging pesticide drift.

https://agriculture.ks.gov/divisions-programs/pesticide-fertilizer/sensitive-crops-driftwatch

Always remember to READ THE LABEL for the correct rate, turfgrass tolerance, and specific instructions before application!!!

***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 me on twitter @KSUTurf.

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

 

It’s not too early to start your home lawn management plan!

Posted on by jahoyle

(By Jared Hoyle; KSU Turfgrass Research and Extension)

DSCN0563“Spring is just right around the corner!”  Yeah, right… I think immediately right after I typed that a winter weather advisory went into effect for Manhattan.  It seems like spring will never make it but don’t let it catch you off guard.  Right now is a good time to start planning your lawn calendar for the year.

In one of the latest Horticulture Newsletters, KSU Horticulture Extension Associate, Ward Upham, outlined a calendar for cool-season grasses.  This is a good outline that you can modify to fit your home lawn.

Lawn Calendar for Cool-Season Grasses
The following suggestions are for cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass or tall fescue. Zoysiagrass, bermudagrass, and buffalograss are warm-season grasses and require a different maintenance regime.

March
Spot treat broadleaf weeds if necessary. Treat on a day that is 50 degrees or warmer. Rain or irrigation within 24 hours of application will reduce effectiveness.

DSCN0010April
Apply crabgrass preventer when redbud trees are in full bloom, usually in April. The preventer needs to be watered in before it will start to work. One-quarter inch of water will be enough to water in any of the products mentioned in this calendar.  Remember that a good, thick lawn is the best weed prevention and may be all that is needed.

May
Fertilize with a slow-release fertilizer if you water your lawn or if you receive enough rainfall that your turf normally doesn’t go drought-dormant during the summer. If there are broadleaf weeds, spot treat with a spray or use a fertilizer that includes a weed killer. Rain or irrigation within 24 hours of application will reduce effectiveness of the weed killer, but the fertilizer needs to be watered in. If you are using a product that has both fertilizer and weed killer, wait 24 hours after application before watering in.

June through Mid-July
Apply second round of crabgrass preventer by June 15 – unless you have used Dimension (dithiopyr) or Barricade (prodiamine) for the April application. These two products normally provide season-long control with a single application. Remember to water it in. If grubs have been a problem in the past, apply a product containing imidacloprid during the first half of July. This works to prevent grub damage. It must be watered in before it becomes active.

IMG_0563Late-July through August
If you see grub damage, apply a grub killer that contains Dylox. Imidacloprid is effective against young grubs and may not be effective on late instar grubs. The grub killer containing Dylox must be watered in within 24 hours or effectiveness drops.

September
Fertilize around Labor Day. This is the most important fertilization of the year. Water in the fertilizer.

November
Fertilize. This fertilizer is taken up by the roots but is not used until the following spring. Water in fertilizer. Spray for broadleaf weeds even if they are small. Broadleaf weeds are much easier to control in the fall than in the spring. Spray on a day that is at least 50 degrees. Rain or irrigate within 24 hours reduces effectiveness. Use label rates for all products!

Always remember to READ THE LABEL for the correct rate, turfgrass tolerance, and specific instructions before application!!!

***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 me on twitter @KSUTurf.

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

 

GDD Tracker for Poa annua Seedhead Suppression

Posted on by jahoyle

(By Jared Hoyle, KSU Turfgrass Research and Extension)

Annual bluegrass in a bentgrass putting green
Annual bluegrass in a bentgrass putting green

Golf course superintendents in KS typically have to manage annual bluegrass in putting greens and not so much “control” it because of the large populations of annual bluegrass that exist in the putting greens.

One of annual bluegrass management practices is the use of PGRs. This is combination with aerification, pre-emergent herbicides, fertility and proper irrigation management, just to mention a few, can lead to the success of reducing annual bluegrass populations and increasing bentgrass incidence.

Timing of the PGR applications in the spring can be one of the most difficult tasks. Too late can lead to a summer of playing catch-up. The use of Growing Degree Days (GDD) can really help predict PGR application timings.

http://www.gddtracker.net/

Just type in your location on the “Proxy/Primo Seedhead Timer (GDD 32)” page and it will give you the GDD in your area. Earlier applications have seen to be more effective than later applications so try and get a Proxy/Primo application out after two mowings (full green-up) or 200-250 growing degree-days on the GDD 32 model. The Target Range is 200-500 but greater success has been seen when the initial application was made earlier. In 2014 Manhattan, KS reached 200 GDD (base 32) on March 15th.  Right now Manhattan is at 5 GDD.  But watch out it can catch-up real quick!

Research conducted out of MSU suggests that tank mixes of Proxy/Primo for Poa annua Seedhead Suppression on bentgrass greens should be made at 5 + 0.125 fl oz per 1000ft2. A repeat application can be made 21 days later. If golf course superintendents plan on applying Primo throughout the season then they can start their program 14-21 days after the tankmix treatment.

Information contained in this blog can be found at http://www.gddtracker.net/about ; Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences, Michigan State University.

Always remember to READ THE LABEL for the correct rate, turfgrass tolerance, and specific instructions before application!!!

***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 me on twitter @KSUTurf.

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