By now, it’s possible that your lawn is overrun with weeds of all types….warm season annuals, warm season perennials, cool season broadleaves and of course, that “doesn’t fit into any group” weed known as yellow nutsedge. What should be done? Let’s run down a reasonable approach to each. Warm Season Annuals Plants such as…
Dead Spots in the Lawn?
Does your lawn look like a Dalmatian? Spots of dead and live turf here and there? More here than there? If so, here are some possible causes at this time of year: *Summer Patch – this fungus disease infects turfgrass in late April, then grows inside the crown and roots of the plant, later…
Poison Ivy
“Leaflets of three, leave them be.” If you’ve tramped through a prairie, a woodland or any kind of untamed area, you’re familiar with this saying and the native plant it’s referring to. Poison ivy, Toxicodendron radicans, is a member of the cashew family. (Yes, that means cashews, eaten raw, would be poisonous but handling and…
Going Native?
Hello friends – Work has been a little hectic and Its been a few weeks since I have posted my last blog. Inspiration struck the other day when I had posted a picture of my globe thistle (Echinops sp.) in flower on a Facebook page. Someone posted that it was pretty but it was not…
Cicada Killer Wasps
The cicada killer wasp is one wasp that shouldn’t be feared by humans. Granted, some wasps are scary, particularly because we know their stings can be ferociously painful. Then, too, the size of the cicada killer wasp is intimidating—the female is two inches long and the male is 1 ½ inches. These wasps, however, are…
How About an Audit?…the Good Kind, Not the IRS Kind
We all know someone who has gone through an IRS audit…sometimes with bad results and sometimes with not-so-bad results…but always with some complaining. That’s not what we’re talking about here. The good kind of audit involves setting aside an hour to check the efficiency of your sprinkler system. Though you don’t need to,…
Tis The Season!
In December, “Tis The Season” is a common phrase, referring to various holidays and the old classic song with the words – “tis the season to be jolly”. In July, “Tis The Season” refers to watering turfgrass. There are many take home messages in the theme of turfgrass irrigation; First, don’t worry about the…
Turf Care Under the Hot Sun, Part 4
Parts 1-3 of this series have dealt with considerations of watering, mowing and fertilization that greatly impact turf performance in hot summer weather. The final segment, part 4, deals with several random strategies that will help lawns and other turf areas grow well. These common sense management practices are as follows: *Designate “hydrozones” in…
Turf Care Under the Hot Sun, Part 3
Parts 1 and 2 of this series have encouraged readers to water and fertilize less than in spring and fall, which dovetails nicely with the topic of part 3, which is to mow less often. Reducing mowing frequency is important as the process of mowing creates openings in the ends of grass blades, allowing them…
Turf Care Under the Hot Sun – Part 2
My GROBigRed post in the first week of June introduced the concept of caring for turf under hot, sunny conditions, and focused on efficient irrigation practices. Here’s an excerpt to set the stage for this week’s post – “In summer, in Nebraska, it’s hot. So hot that caring for turf requires a full set…