turfsite blog

Kudos to Albion College

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:27:00 -0400

The Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program has added another certified property to the ranks. On Thursday, October 29 we celebrated with Albion College as they were awarded certifiation in the MTESP. Albion becomes the first college campus in Michigan to complete certification. Congratulations to Grouds Director, Mark Frever, and the staff at Albion for taking this important step. Full Press Release>>

Dealing with leaves

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:14:00 -0400

It's that time again when the pretty fall foliage will soon begin to tumble to the ground and cover up the turf. Instead of breaking your back raking, consider mowing the leaves back into the turf. So, if you're thinking about giving mowing a try here's what you need to know to be successful.

First of all make sure your mower has a sharp blade, after a long season of mowing, the blades may be dull at this time of year and trying to chop up leaves will be more challenging with a dull blade.
Second, raise the mower as high as it will go and mow at your normal speed, don't "rev" the throttle to the high jackrabbit setting and blaze around the yard. Try to mow the leaves when they are moist from the morning dew, but don't mow them when they're really wet. This will prevent the leaves from blowing all over the place and will help with your allergies.
Finally, don't let the leaves pile up too high before you mow. Too high would probably be greater than 3 to 4 inches of leaf depth on the turf. Good luck and give it a try; you may find that mulching leaves helps the turf by returning nutrients and organic matter, besides that it saves my aching back.

Western Michigan Fundraiser

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:38:00 -0400

The Western District of MiGCSA held their Turfgrass research fundraiser at aegypt Valley CC on Monday September 14. What a great day! Thanks to everyone who took the time to come out and show their support. The course was perfect (kudos to Jeff Holmes, Kevin Theilke, and crew) and the weather matched. Additional thanks to the industry sponsors that made the day a success.

Warm regards, MSU Turf Team

Red Thread in Lawns

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:11:00 -0400

I recently stumbled across some nice red thread in a predominantly tall fescue lawn. Red thread is often found in lawns that are deficient in nitrogen but in an unirrigated lawn with a nice dry spell to start September, it may be as much a slow growing lawn as an undernourished lawn. For more info on Red thread see Rick Latin's tip sheet which can be accessed here.

GAM Member Relations Day

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:51:00 -0400

The Golf Association of Michigan Member Relations Day to benefit the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation and the Evans Scholars was held September 11 at Western Golf and Country Club. Over 120 attended to show support and enjoy a great day of golf. Thanks to everyone at the GAM and Western Golf and C.C. for their efforts in organizing this event. The golf course superintendent, John Ringholz, and his entire staff had the golf course in outstanding shape. Thanks for your support!

High School Athletic Fields

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:23:00 -0400

After a relatively cool and wet summer we're having some nice warm and dry weather. With the drier weather and the added stress of multiple games on a single field, it's never a bad idea to check the uniformity of the irrigation system to ensure all heads are working. This might be the first time all year when a field would show stress from poor irrigation coverage. Also, don't forget the fertilizer during the fall playing season. All the activities on the field will obviously start to wear on the turf, make sure it has enough fertilizer to be able to recover from the traffic.

Core aeration and dethatching of lawns

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:49:00 -0400

This post also appears in the MSU Landscape Advisory Newsletter.

Students are now back on campus, college football kicks off this weekend, I’ve actually started to see some fall leaf color already, and no doubt I’ll soon be seeing the signs advertising for core aerification of lawns on the street corner. Core aeration reduces soil compaction, creates channels in the soil for water infiltration and gas exchange and removes thatch. Core aeration is the removal of soil plugs that will leave your lawn looking like you have rabbit problems. Core aeration can be very beneficial for high clay content soils as it will help loosen up the soil to facilitate better drainage and rooting of the turf.

Whether you are hiring a contractor to core aerate your lawn or you are doing it yourself, I would make sure to know where everything is buried. If you have an in-ground irrigation system, invisible dog fence wire, or any other buried wires you’re worried about, I’d make sure to have them well-marked and make sure you don’t go too deep to create problems. Although core aeration will remove thatch, if you have a serious thatch problem it will not provide the quickest remedy. Many homeowners seem obsessed about managing thatch and making sure that their prized lawn does not accumulate too much of it. There was a time not too long ago when folks picked up clippings in order to avoid the risk of thatch accumulation. Returning clippings to the turf will not produce thatch unless your mowing interval is so long that the lawn looks like a recently cut hay field when you finish mowing. Thatch as defined by Dr. James B. Beard is “a tightly intermingled layer of dead and living stems and roots that develops between the zone of green vegetation and the soil surface.”

In the most basic sense, thatch is what gives the turf that “spongy” feeling when you walk on it. If you ever walk on a recently established turf area, you might notice that it feels very firm because a thatch layer has not developed yet. Just like beer, a little thatch is good but a lot can really cause a headache. A thin thatch layer of half an inch or less on lawns is normal and helps insulate the growing point of the plant, lower soil temperatures and retain moisture. However, when the thatch layer starts to accumulate to greater than a half inch, and especially if it gets to be over an inch in depth, then it’s time to get off the sofa and take action. Excessive thatch accumulation can result in decreased rooting, increased potential of scalping, and possibly increased insect and disease occurrence.

Although core aeration can be used to remove thatch, dethatching will remove more thatch in one operation. Dethatching is the removal of thatch that has accumulated in the turf and is a very aggressive procedure that will leave piles of debris on the lawn that will then need to be raked and removed – a procedure not for the faint of heart. Dethatching equipment goes by many names including but not limited to: power rake, dethatcher and lawn comber. The best time of the year to do aerating or dethatching is in the fall as generally the turfgrass is not under stress this time of year and will have favorable growing conditions for recovery.

Let's Go State!

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:17:00 -0400

The college football season kicks of for the Spartans tomorrow. Thanks to Adam Ikamas for sending along this photo from Crystal Mountain Resort. Adam received a call on his radio this morning telling him to take a look at the huge waste bunker between #13 and #14 on the Ridge course. After taking this photo Adam commented, "Looks like someone is bucking for a raise."

Grass Gazin' - Weekly Update

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:39:00 -0400

Cooler temperatures and steady rain are a sure indication that fall is around the corner. This is the perfect time to consider a renovation project. Check out the renovation tab under homelawns for more resources.

Gear up for fall weed control

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:27:00 -0400

The heavy, consistent rains of 2009 have likely depleted your soils of nitrogen. This is evidenced by the proliferation of white clover, black medic, and birdsfoot trefoil in lawns across the state. These weeds are particularly well suited to deal with nitrogen-poor soils. In addition to fertilizing this fall, you may want to consider using a broadleaf herbicide to selectively remove the weeds in your lawn. Fall is the time for weed control. When the sleeping weather returns in August, it's time to consider what you are going to do about those broadleaf weeds in your turf. Broadleaf herbicides move to the new growth in plants. In the fall, that new growth is in the roots. This is exactly why fall is such a good time to try and remove those pesky perennial weeds that have persisted in your lawn for years. Most lawn and garden centers will soon be removing herbicides and replacing them with holiday lights. If you plan on getting your turf ready for next spring, it's advisable to get your products before they get buried in the warehouse until next spring. more>>

Turf School Returns

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:22:00 -0400

The MSU Turf Team is pleased to announce the return of Turf School December 14-17 at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing, MI. Turf School is taught by the entire MSU Turf Team and will take you on a rapid fire cruise of our world-class turgrass curriculum. This is a great opportunity to gain exposure to the world of turfgrass management. more>>