For those interested in soil health – we all should be – the Soil Health Institute has release a 60-minute documentary featuring innovative farmers and soil health experts from throughout the U.S. You can view the film at https://livingsoilfilm.com/
August 12, 2018
Dog Days and Cool-Season Grass
According to Merriam-Webster, dog days is the period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere; a period of stagnation or inactivity. The dog is actually the Dog Star – also called Sirius – which rises simultaneously with the sun during the hottest […]
July 23, 2018
Summer Patch on Hard Fescue
Hot weather in early July brought on some severe summer patch (root disease) symptoms in hard fescue. This disease on fine fescues hasn’t been as thoroughly studied as it has been on other grasses. So recommendations are based on knowledge learned in Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and annual bluegrass (Poa annua) turfs. We are establishing plots […]
June 13, 2018
Managing Thatch
Recently received a couple of questions about managing thatch. One question was concerning the recent trend in the industry to not core putting greens and only use solid tines. Non-coring programs rely on topdressing to dilute the organic matter (thatch) that accumulates, thus forming a mat layer as opposed to a thatch layer. Turgeon defines […]
April 20, 2018
Cadmium and Phosphate Fertilizer Debated in EU
Fertilizer derived from phosphate rock, which naturally contains cadmium, is being debated in the European Union. More than half the cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, in some agricultural soils originated from phosphate rock derived fertilizer. Sedimentary phosphate rock mined in northern Africa contains naturally high cadmium levels. Phosphate from mines of igneous rock in Russia […]
February 9, 2018
Rectangles of Melting Snow
Made an interesting observation while inspecting this trial for geese damage last December; rectangular plots of snow melting faster than other plots. Not sure of ramifications, but snow cover on some treatments was melted or melting faster compared to other treatments. This trial has numerous combinations of topdressing sands and rates as well as hollow […]
