Turf Tips >>>
By Dave Han, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Auburn University
Golf Although it seems far off, now is the time to look ahead and begin making preparations for winter. The past two winters saw many bermudagrass greens suffering from winter damage. An effective long-term solution is investing in covers for greens. Over the past two springs, greens that were covered during the coldest nights consistently survived better, came out of dormancy earlier and were more vigorous in spring and early summer than uncovered greens. Covers are expensive to buy and require labor to move onto and off of the greens, but consider them at least for the most exposed and vulnerable greens. Putting covers into the budget now and having them available before cold weather will allow you to rest easier this winter.
Lawncare Proper irrigation is key to healthy lawns. Many homeowners are unaware of the basics, even just how much water warm-season grasses need during the growing season (1 to 1 1/2 inches per week). The biggest mistake is forgetting that irrigation is supposed to supplement natural rainfall, not replace it and certainly not add to it. Overwatered lawns are more prone to disease, have shallower root systems that can withstand less stress and waste a valuable resource. Educating your clients on the right way to irrigate turfgrass will make your job easier and build good will. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s Smart Yards program provides materials to help your clients irrigate properly and a host of other useful information. See more at http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1359/ ANR-1359.pdf.
Athletic turf If you are on a regular aerification program through the summer (hopefully you are) and you intend to overseed, remember to make your last core aerification no later than six weeks before your projected overseeding date. For a mid-September overseed establishment, this means no coring after August 1. This cutoff date allows the field to fill in aerification holes, and it avoids having ryegrass germinating preferentially in old aerification holes, giving a spotted appearance. Also, make sure that any fall pre-emergence herbicide applications are made well in advance of overseeding. All pre-emergence herbicides will also interfere with overseed germination. For specific wait times, refer to individual product labels; as a rule of thumb, however, do not use pre-emergence herbicides for at least eight weeks prior to overseeding.
Alabama Turf Times >>> S u m m e r 2011
Sod production Sod farmers who fall under the definition of “private applicator� for their use of pesticides in producing sod should be aware that the USDA has provided funding for the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries to conduct on-site audits of federally required records for restricteduse pesticides. This is being done on a contract basis with the federal government, so decreased state funding for the department should not affect these inspections. If you are unaware or not sure of the recordkeeping requirements, or simply want to double check, contact your local Extension office, which has the requirements and blank recordkeeping books supplied by the USDA.
20