WHAT S UP WITH THE WEATHER THESE DAYS?

WHAT S UP WITH THE WEATHER THESE DAYS?

LAWN CARE TO THE EXTREME S Chris Enroth University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator

TURF PROBLEMS CAUSED FROM WET WEATHER

PROBLEM AREAS IN YOUR LAWN LOW SPOTS COMPACTED SOIL POOR AIR CIRCULATION SHADY SPOTS

KEY INDICATORS YOU HAVE A WATER-LOGGED LAWN Pooling water Patches of bare dirt develop where turf has died and rotted away Consistently wet and muddy soil Moisture loving weeds (violets) and mosses may begin to take over A high prevalence of disease

WET WEATHER LAWN DISEASES A FUNGUS AMONG US Pythium Blight Very damaging to low mown turf i.e. creeping bentgrass, but can also affect Kentucky Bluegrass, tall fescue, and perennial rye grass First signs of disease occur in low spots where soil moisture is consistently moist for extended periods of time Spread by water running through infected areas, and mowing equipment while the grass is wet

WET WEATHER LAWN DISEASES Powdery Mildew Powdery white to grayish in appearance these are the spores Affect Kentucky bluegrass in areas with poor air circulation in shaded locations Usually doesn t lead to death of turfgrass, mostly aesthetic

WET WEATHER LAWN DISEASES Snow Mold Affects all cool season varieties Can be a problem in areas where shoveled snow is piled If piled snow remains in the same spot on turf for more than 120 days then there will be severe snow mold problems pink snow mold gray snow mold

WET WEATHER LAWN DISEASES Leaf Spot/Melting Out Leaf spot is active during hot humid, wet weather; melting out is active during cool humid wet weather Affects perennial rye grass, Kentucky bluegrass, and tall fescue leaf spot symptoms of melting out

WET WEATHER LAWN DISEASES Brown Patch Affects low mown golf course turf and residential lawns of tall fescue and perennial ryegrass Just affects the foliage, not the crown, so when weather conditions improve the grass should rebound

PROPER TURF MANAGEMENT DURING WET WEATHER

STEP ONE: IF YOU HAVE AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM, TURN IT OFF!!! watering in the rain rain sensor

MODIFY THE ENVIRONMENT grade by hand install lawn drains or grade by machine

AVOID CONSISTENTLY WET SOILS

HARVEST YOUR EXCESS WATER rain barrel above-ground cistern

REDIRECT YOUR WATER APPROPRIATELY vegetated & rocked swales

IMPROVE YOUR AIR CIRCULATION

AVOID OVER-FERTILIZATION

DELAY MOWING IN PROBLEM AREAS

DISEASE: CORRECTLY IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM

DISEASE: SELECTIVELY APPLY CHEMICAL TREATMENT

STOP STRUGGLING

TURF PROBLEMS CAUSED FROM EXTENDED DROUGHT

PROBLEM AREAS ARE full sun areas slopes underground structures reflective pavement

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT HEAT STRESSED LAWNS Cool season grasses typically go dormant during the hot dog-days of summer Develop dry brittle leaves Crowns of the grass are exposed and more vulnerable to damage from foot traffic and pests Summer weeds take advantage of this dormant period

WAIT! WHEN WILL MY LAWN GO FROM DORMANT TO DEAD? Good News! Turf has wonderful dormancy mechanisms that allow them to tolerate most droughts Bad News There s no accurate way to visually tell if a lawn has gone from dormant to dead

YOU MIGHT HAVE DEAD LAWN IF See turf begin to wilt Dormant grasses begin to darken in color

DISEASE: FUSARIUM BLIGHT Common in all soils Takes advantage of stressed turf due to heat and drought conditions Best control is proper cultural practices Use fungicide on lawns with a history of fusarium

PROPER TURF MANAGEMENT DURING EXTREME DROUGHT

1 AND ONLY GOAL:

PROPER WATERING GUIDELINES DURING DROUGHT Provide ¼-inch to ½-inch of water once every two to four weeks, respectively ¼ ½ tuna can

PROPER WATERING GUIDELINES DURING DROUGHT Provide ¼-inch to ½-inch of water once every two to four weeks, respectively Do not try to provide enough water to green up your lawn Water early morning

MOW THE LAWN HIGHER

DON T FERTILIZE

RESTRICT FOOT TRAFFIC ON DORMANT LAWNS

ANALYZE THE AMOUNT OF THATCH IN YOUR TURF if thatch is greater than ½-inch, you ve got a problem

LAWN DISEASES investigate!

RECOVERING YOUR LAWN AFTER EXTREME WEATHER SITUATIONS

KNOW YOUR TURF TYPE AND LAWN ENVIRONMENT Kentucky bluegrass Tall fescue

WHENISTHEBEST TIME TO RENOVATE A LAWN? Spring: Mid March to Mid April Fall: Mid August to Mid September ideal time

CONDUCT A SOIL TEST

DETHATCH & AERATE

DETHATCH & AERATE thatch solid-tine aerator

DETHATCH & AERATE add topdressing to your fall renovation and you are on your way to building a healthy, resilient lawn

overseeding

OVERSEEDING

OVERSEEDING -WATERING

FALL LAWN REHAB -FERTILIZER Source: TurfTalk U of I Extension

USING HERBICIDES

THE ENDURING LAWN Thank you email: cenroth@illinois.edu