Turf: Dead or Alive?

Many areas in Indiana have received recent rains to their lawns. Some lawns have greened-up and others are still brown leaving many wondering whether their lawns are dead or alive. Below are some images that illustrate the process of determining whether or not your lawn is dead or alive.

Step 1. In an area of suspected dead turf (brown areas), pull at the brown (dead) leaf blades.

Step 2. After pulling up some of the dead leaf blades, examine the ground closely and look for signs of new growth. All new turf growth comes from the crown of the plant (turf) and these crowns are located at or near the soil surface.

Step 3. If you find new turf emerging in these dead areas then that is good news that your turf will recover from drought and heat injury. If not, wait a few more weeks and reexamine these areas.


Step 4. If no new growth is occurring in areas you might need to reseed these spots. For lawns with bunch-type grasses such as tall fescue and perennial ryegrass, reseed dead spots larger than 3 inches in diameter. For Kentucky bluegrass lawns, reseed dead spots larger than 6 inches in diameter (about the size of your hand, or at least mine). Since Kentucky bluegrass has rhizomes (underground stems) it has a greater recuperative capacity than bunch-type grasses. The photo below shows a bare area between clumps of perennial ryegrass.

Aaron Patton, Turfgrass Extension Specialist


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Certainty Turf Herbicide Label Changes

Monsanto recently updated the Certainty® Turf Herbicide label 2011-1 on packaged goods. These changes are effective on product packaged and shipped after May 2011. All cool season turfgrass uses for Certainty have been removed from the 2011-1 label. The product can still be used on warm-season turf. The label change also adds nursery and landscape recommendations for preplant, directed and over-the-top applications in ornamentals and groundcovers.

Q: What does this mean?

A: Product packaged before these changes can continue to be used according to label directions in cool season turf, but any Certainty® purchased in the future will be labeled only for use in warm-season turf like bermudagrass and zoysiagrass.


Q: Certainty® worked well on yellow nutsedge in Kentucky bluegrass, what should I use now?

A: Many herbicide options are available for sedge control in cool-season turf including bentazon (Basagran), LescoGran), halosulfuron (SedgeHammer, ProSedge, others), mesotrione (Tenacity), sulfentrazone (Dismiss), and sulfentrazone containing herbicides (Echelon, Q4 Plus, Solitare, Surge,TZONE).


Q: Certainty® was labeled for rough bluegrass control in Kentucky bluegrass and creeping bentgrass, what should I use now?

A: Velocity is the only other turf herbicide labeled for rough bluegrass control, but it is only labeled for sod and golf course use. Rough bluegrass control in residential and commercial lawns will now need to be controlled with non-selective applications of glyphosate.


Q: Certainty® was labeled for suppression and partial control of quackgrass. Are there alternatives for selective quackgrass control in cool-season turf?

A: No. Certainty® was the only herbicide labeled for selective control of quackgrass in cool-season turf (primarily Kentucky bluegrass). Quackgrass will now need to be controlled with non-selective applications of glyphosate.


Aaron Patton, Turfgrass Extension Specialist




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DuPont launches www.imprelis-facts.com Website

This week DuPont launched a new website designed to help answer questions from those who have used Imprelis® and are seeing injury to trees.

The website, www.imprelis-facts.com, states the following: "As a precaution until we are able to more fully understand the circumstances surrounding reports of tree damage related to Imprelis®, do not apply Imprelis® where Norway Spruce or White Pine are present on, or in close proximity to, the property to be treated. Be careful that no spray treatment, drift or runoff occurs that could make contact with trees, shrubs and other desirable plants, and stay well away from exposed roots and the root zone of trees and shrubs."

Starting August 1, 2011, DuPont is establishing a toll free hotline to take all reports of problems from lawn care professionals, property managers and owners, and golf courses, and to handle any homeowner questions and concerns.

For more information visit www.imprelis-facts.com

Read a letter (click here) dated July 27, 2011 from Michael McDermott, Global Business Leader, DuPont Professional Products, which provides and update from DuPont on the issue in addition to the facts on their new website linked above.

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Water Restrictions and Managing Turf During Drought

For those in the Indianapolis area, customers of the Department of Waterworks – City of Indianapolis are “asking residential and business customers to not water lawns through Friday, July 29 in the wake of continued lack of rain, high heat, and high water consumption”.

The request is voluntary – initially requested on Wednesday, July 20 – and is targeting lawn irrigation in addition to other summer uses such as water for swimming pools, outdoor recreation, etc.

The water restrictions are not due to a shortage of water in this case but due to infrastructure challenges (water main breaks).

A main reason for the request to stop watering lawns is to reduce the stress on the system and a concern on being able to maintain adequate pressure (for hydrants) in order to assist in the event of a major fire."

We published a few tips last week on how to deal with the high temperatures and drought. Two key points for managing lawns during this period are:
  1. Stay off the turf when it is drought stress. Do not mow or drive across drought stressed turf (see photos below).
  2. Your lawn may be brown from drought, but it is not likely to die unless it goes 4 weeks or more without irrigation/rainfall. Therefore, water once every 2-4 weeks with ½ inch of water to keep turf plant crowns hydrated during drought. This amount of water will not green up the turf, but it will increase its long-term survival during long dry spells. This type of irrigation strategy will help keep your turf alive (although not green) and help comply with the request from the Department of Waterworks.

Vehicle traffic to turf that is drought stress will damage and kill turf in many cases.

Aaron Patton, Turfgrass Extension Specialist
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Imprelis UPDATE and INFORMATION

Many Indiana turf professionals who used the herbicide Imprelis® in the fall of 2010 or spring of 2011 and now are reporting off-target damage to trees and ornamentals in the landscape. Additionally, many homeowners have read an article or seen a news story about a Imprelis®. Below are links for homeowners and for turf professionals that provide answers to frequently asked questions about Imprelis®, provide recommendations on what to do next, and provide additional information on this issue.

Homeowners

Purdue University Press Release, Avoid use of herbicide Imprelis, Purdue experts advise

A Homeowner’s Guide to Suspected Imprelis® Herbicide Injury in the Landscape

Turf Professionals

Purdue University Press Release, Avoid use of herbicide Imprelis, Purdue experts advise

A Homeowner’s Guide to Suspected Imprelis® Herbicide Injury in the Landscape

A Turf Professional’s Guide to Suspected Imprelis® Herbicide Injury in the Landscape

News Alert from the Office of Indiana State Chemist, Imprelis Herbicide Injury to Landscape Trees & Ornamentals

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Turf disease watch

A new posting has been added to Turfcast. See Turfcast (http://btny.agriculture.purdue.edu/turfcast/ ) to read more about this post and for a daily summary of risk for several turfgrass diseases.

Rick Latin, Turfgrass Pathologist

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The Heat is On!

Extreme heat is stressing turf areas quickly!

High temperatures cause turf decline

There are many causes of turf decline in the summer, but three primary physiological causes are 1) low photosynthesis rates at high temperatures, 2) lack of sufficient moisture, and 3) photorespiration. Photorespiration occurs instead of photosynthesis at temperatures above 87 °F causing cool-season grasses to use energy instead of making energy. As a result, cool-season grasses don’t make energy well when it is hot out and as a result they don’t grow (roots or shoots) well in hot weather which can lead to a decline in turf quality.

Lack of irrigation causing dormancy in some lawns

Water is critical to the growth of all plants, not just turfgrass. Water is a key part of photosynthesis and respiration reactions as well as many other plant metabolic activities. Turfgrass leaves and shoots are comprised of about 80% water. A lack or water (rainfall or irrigation) will lead to a decrease in growth due to a decrease in photosynthesis and plant respiration and an increase in plant temperature (lack of transpirational cooling; analogous to humans not being able to sweat). Each turf species responds to drought differently. Some grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass enter summer dormancy when soils begin to dry whereas others such as tall fescue can maintain their green color longer during drought.

How should turf be managed during dry spells and drought?

When possible stay off the turf! Limit traffic (including mowing) to minimize crushing of the turfgrass leaves and crowns and causing damage. In order to keep your lawn green during hot and dry periods at least 1.0 inch of water will need to be applied weekly. However, with far less water you can keep your lawn alive. Water once every 2-4 weeks with ½ inch of water to keep turf plant crowns hydrated during drought. This amount of water will not green up the turf, but it will increase its long-term survival during long dry spells.

When irrigating it is best to irrigate early in the morning, but occasional watering at mid-day or early in the morning in order to prevent injury from moisture stress is allowable. Following drought, turf should recover in 1-2 weeks after significant rainfall returns.

This year is looking very similar to last year. Hopefully we will not have extended periods of drought in 2011 and period rains will help keep turf alive and growing.

Damage from vehicle traffic on a drought stressed turf

Drought symptoms are visible right now.

Tall fescue clumps in a brown Kentucky bluegrass lawn under drought stress

Aaron Patton, Turfgrass Extension Specialist
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