The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center has some startling news for September 12 through the 15th—a cold front moving through the central Great Plains region will bring falling temperatures, with a moderate risk of these temperatures being below freezing. How far temperatures fall is dependent on just how cold the cold front is and…
Category: Lawns
Prioritize, then Water Efficiently
In the past few weeks, Mother Nature has not brought much in the way of natural rainfall to many parts of Nebraska.
Tall Fescue is Not Perfect
It seems like many landowners are jumping on the turf type tall fescue bandwagon, switching from perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass. It’s understandable – the number of problems that these species have caused many homeowners to look for other options. The truth is no turf species is perfect, with resistance to all diseases, insects and…
Lawn Renovation – First Steps
We’ve been dealing with the “Dog Days of Summer” for a couple of weeks now. One of the things that go with this time of year are bad looking lawns, many of which need lawn renovation. Mid-August is the time for step 1 of that process. Steps 2 to 8 should take place in late…
Yellow Nutsedge
“What is this grass growing in my flower bed?” is a question I hear quite often now. Rolling the stem between my fingers quickly determines this isn’t grass at all but the infamous yellow nutsedge. Sedges are grass-like perennials that have triangular shaped stems. If they grew at the same rate as turfgrass, many lawn…
Don’t Plant This at Home
The common phrase – “Don’t try this at home” refers to all sorts of actions from pro wrestling to theatre and even television shows such as America’s Got Talent. The common thread to all of these is an element of danger, or at least something more exciting than common sense and safety. Don’t try…
Surface Roots Under Trees
Trees are great – they produce shade, create framing for a house or building, provide shelter for songbirds, slow down the wind and snow and so many other benefits…but they can create a few problems, one of which is surface roots. Surface roots are not to be taken lightly – they create a tripping…
Shade, Semi-Shade and Sun
If you look out at your landscape, you’ll probably see all degrees of sun and shade. There are lots of names of these levels of light, but shade, semi-shade and sun are good descriptors for most plants. One of the most pertinent reasons for focusing on shade levels is that it really helps locate…
Get Rid of the Grass in Your Landscape
Really? Get rid of it? But, I’m a big fan. I love the relaxing feeling I get when I mow the grass. Yes, there are many benefits of turfgrass, were outlined last week, but really, in the true spirit of the horticultural truism of “Right Plant, Right Place”, turf simply doesn’t belong in all parts…
Moles and Grubs
It’s been a good year for moles. A nice amount of rain keeps soils moist and workable—the perfect environment to enable mole movement as they “swim” through the soil. Many people approach the problem of moles by focusing on grubs—that if the grubs are gone, then moles won’t be in the lawn. Though not accurate,…