Crabgrass Emerging

Crabgrass has been emerging for several weeks now, depending on the exposure. Warmer and more open turfs will likely have more advanced (larger) plants while cooler and denser turfs will have smaller plants.
Management options for this weed at this point in the season range from doing nothing to postemergence herbicide applications.

Emerging Crabgrass

Relatively small crabgrass plants (most pre-tillering stage) emerging
from a footpath on June 11th.

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Tis the Season for Summer Stress

Optimum growth of cool season grasses occurs within the temperature range of 60 to 75°F. Yesterday, the New Brunswick weather station indicated that soil temperature at 2 inches exceeded 75°F for more than 12 hours and peaked at 82°F.

This doesn’t mean that grasses will soon be dead. But it is a signal to be watchful for summer stress problems.

Summer stress is often a combination of multiple stresses. Localized drought, ponding of water, diseases, insect pests, poor culture (mowing, fertilization, and irrigation) and other stresses combined with high temperature stress can challenge the health and persistence of cool season turfs from now through the end of summer. It is important to avoid situations that compound too many stress at the same time. [Read more…]

Right On Cue: Dollar Spot Disease

Exactly like Dr. Bruce Clarke teaches, Memorial Day arrives and so does dollar spot disease.

Dollar Spot Disease

Creeping bentgrass entries in one of Dr. Stacy Bonos’ evaluation trials that are
highly susceptible to dollar spot disease. Dollar Spot Disease seen in foreground.

Symptoms appear as round, brown to straw-colored spots approximately the size of a silver dollar. On short cut turf, the spots with advanced damage can become somewhat sunken. At taller cutting heights (greater than 1 inch), the damaged spots are larger and more diffuse.

Highly susceptible grasses will be the first to exhibit symptoms including annual bluegrass, creeping bentgrass (depending on cultivar), and perennial ryegrass. Tall fescue and most Kentucky bluegrasses will be more tolerant of this disease.

Cultural techniques that can suppress dollar spot disease include disruption of dew and guttation water in the morning and increasing N fertility (if it is low). Mowing early in the morning (disruption of dew) should also be helpful.

Pesticide Worker Protection Inspection Warning

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Pesticide Control Program (NJDEP) has announced that federal agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) compliance farm inspections will be conducted mid-May through July. Be a prepared agricultural employer. Take the necessary actions this week to make sure your farm is in compliance to avoid citations.

Two outstanding farm employer resources on agricultural WPS compliance are:
1. EPA Ag Employer Quick Reference Guide (2005)
2. EPA website How to Comply with the Worker Protection Standard for Agricultural Pesticides: What Employers Need to Know

These are inspections by the US EPA, although NJDEP inspectors may accompany them. Approximately 20 to 30 inspections are slated to be conducted any time from May through July.

 

Turf Green-up Update

Most landscape lawns, sports turfs, and golf course surfaces should have reached full green-up but there will be some exceptions. The major exception to this is zoysiagrass turf.

Zoysiagrass will not begin green-up until mid- to late-May. Although not as slow to green-up as zoysiagrass, fine fescue will be slower than perennial ryegrass and tall fescue. Many of the Kentucky bluegrass varieties that are commonly used for sod production will be slow to green-up in the spring.

Dormant Zoysiagrass with Patches of Perennial Ryegrass

Dormant Zoysiagrass with Patches of Perennial Ryegrass

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Brown Ring Patch Spotted in New Jersey

Brown Ring Patch (aka Waitea patch) is starting to show up on golf course putting greens at this time.

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Brown Ring Patch on a Golf Green
Photo: S.McDonald

This disease is caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia circinata var circinata and typically develops during warm weather from April through June. Symptoms start as small yellow rings (0.25-2 inches wide) with green grass in the center and can ultimately reach a foot or more in diameter. The yellow rings can turn an orange or brown color as the disease progresses. [Read more…]