Excessive and in some cases, abusive rainfall amounts; keys to soggy turfgrass management; winter injury potential causes and recovery, red thread, spring golf disease prevention Weather Spring, which officially started on March 20, is rolling along, and into mid-April temperatures in the region are ahead of statistical normal, but lagging somewhat behind last year. I[Read More…]
Resources for landscapes and gardens in the Midwest
Landscape Report
Turf
Summer 2024 was a stressful season for lawns in Indiana and throughout the region. Temperatures often spiked to uncomfortable levels, particularly towards the end of August, and were accompanied by either sweltering humidity or an abrupt halt to rainfall. Diseases such as brown patch on tall fescue were prevalent and leaf spot/melting out diseases on[Read More…]
Bill Walton, the legendary basketball player, sports announcer and perhaps the most outspoken and famous Grateful Dead fan, passed away in May leaving behind enough quirky quotes and euphemisms to make Yogi Berra proud. In a now viral clip since his passing, Mr. Walton reflects on teachings from his legendary coach and former Purdue basketball[Read More…]
Gardeners are bombarded with sayings like save the stems, leave the leaves, and no mow May. These sayings are rooted in the same goal of protecting pollinators, but often leave gardeners with more questions. Let’s dig into each of the sayings. Save the stems: The first question that often arises from this saying is: “When[Read More…]
Later this week, fall finally brings the respite of cooler temperatures and a much-needed drink of rainfall. While the cool-season species such as tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass that dominate most of the Indiana lawnscape revel in this well deserved breather from disease pressure and high temperature stress, the metabolism of warm season plant species[Read More…]
The 2023 Purdue Turf and Landscape Seminar will be held on November 16th and 17th at the W.H. Daniel Turfgrass Research and Diagnostic Center in West Lafayette, IN. This event is designed for intermediate and advanced turf and landscape professionals, providing them with the latest technology for managing turf and landscape systems, and to maintain[Read More…]
The final month of summer is here, meaning children are returning to school and pools will be closing soon. The end of summer also signifies shorter days, cooler temperatures and a nearing finish line for the long marathon run by our cool season lawns. Summer is tough on the fescues, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass[Read More…]
As we get into the throngs of summer, disease activity takes hold on the cool season turfgrass species we commonly use on lawns. This spring/early summer 2023 much of the state has been in a considerable drought, missing approximately two inches of normal precipitation in both April and May, and three inches below normal so[Read More…]
Spring in all its wild weather swings, plant growth and flowering glory has arrived, and along with it, the chore of mowing the lawn. Many decry the labor and monotony, but evidently some do enjoy the practice, as a new video game allows one to mow a virtual yard even when rainstorms are thundering outside.[Read More…]
Pink snow mold is a disease caused by the fungal pathogen Microdochium nivale (syn. Monographella nivalis) that is being observed in middle and northern Indiana this late winter. The pathogen is termed psychrophilic, or cold loving, due to its propensity to grow and infect in colder temperatures. The disease can be particularly severe on unfrozen[Read More…]
This publication is the first of a series of articles aiming to assess the economic feasibility of growing sod. Publications can be found at the Purdue Education Store. This publication assesses the economic feasibility of growing Kentucky bluegrass in the Midwest by determining the financial costs and returns associated with one year of production. This[Read More…]
Dr. Lee Miller began as an assistant professor of turfgrass pathology in January 2022. Lee previously served in a similar position at the University of Missouri from 2010 – 2021. Lee’s responsibilities include providing disease diagnosis and control recommendations for the lawn, golf, sports turf, and sod industries in Indiana and the surrounding region. In[Read More…]
Recently, home lawns have been maligned in several media outlets as a waste of time and resources. Mismanagement by using too much water or misplacing fertilizer may compound the issue by straining environmental resources or serving as pollutants. While not going into all the defenses for turfgrass use on home lawns, (remember “right plant, right[Read More…]
Join us at the Purdue Turf and Landscape Field Day on July 26th! The Purdue Turf and Landscape Field Day is an annual one-day event with the objective of providing professional turf and landscape managers exposure and educational opportunities with the latest research and technical resources. The Field Day features research tours, talks on current[Read More…]
Biology: Pineapple weed (Matricaria matricariodies), behaves as either a summer or winter annual and it is commonly found throughout the United States. It is a weed of both high- and low-maintenance turfgrass lawns, landscapes, and nursery crops. Its ability to tolerate low mowing heights and highly compacted soils allow pineapple weed to compete with in weak[Read More…]
Ascochyta blight is a sporadic disease that can infect Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue and perennial ryegrass. Outbreaks are closely tied to high rainfall or irrigation events in mid to late spring, and drainage patterns. If the lawn is irrigated, Ascochyta can be a sign of too much irrigation. Current rainfall events are providing a prime[Read More…]
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