TurfgrassTurfgrass

Uneven fertilization

Fertilizer injury

Management ProblemsManagement Problems

Dog urine

Drought

Bird damage

Dull mower blade

Insect ProblemsInsect Problems

Sod WebwormCT: 150-500 per square foot1 year life cycle (1 to 3 generations)Control: beneficial nematodes (Scanmask)

Sevin, Spinosad, Merit, MACH 2, TempoBacillus thuringiensis (BT)

BillbugCT: 30 – 50 per square ftOne year life cycleControl: beneficial nematodes

Sevin, Diazinon,MACH 2 (for larvae)Merit

Black Turfgrass AtaeniusLife cycle: one to two generations per yearCT: 8 - 20 per square footControl: beneficial nematodes (Scanmask or Cruiser)

Sevin, Merit, MACH 2, Bt

May/June BeetleCT: 3-4 per square footLife cycle: 1 to 4 yearsControl: Sevin, Merit, MACH 2

nemotodes (Scanmask, Cruiser), Bt

Disease Disease ProblemsProblems

Pink Snow Mold (Fusarium nivalis)• Avoid heavy fall fertilization• Avoid heavy snow accumulation when shoveling snow• Apply fungicides to affected areas in fall

and early spring

Gray Snow Mold (Typhuyla sp.)

• Avoid heavy snow accumulation when shoveling snow• Spread snow or apply black fly ash or graphite• Apply fungicides to affected areas in late fall

Melting out (Helminthosporium sp.)

• Aerate to reduce thatch in early spring• Avoid single heavy nitrogen application in spring• Water deeply and infrequently

Necrotic Ring Spot(Leptosphaeria korrae)

• Aerate to reduce thatch in early spring

• Nitrogen fertilizer applied frequently at low rates

• Deep, infrequent water• Mow 2.5 to 3 inches• Replant with resistant varieties

Summer Patch(Magnaporthe graminicola)

• Aerate to reduce thatch in early spring

• Nitrogen fertilizer applied frequently at low rates

• Deep, infrequent water• Mow 2.5 to 3 inches• Replant with resistant varieties

Fairy Ring (Basidiomycete sp.)

• Fertilize adequately to mask effects of disease• Aerate to improve water penetration in rings• Prostar fungicide provides suppression

Powdery Mildew (Erysiphe graminis)

• Don’t plant in heavy shade, or use shade varieties• Water deeply and infrequently• Apply fungicides where there’s a history of mildew

Weed Weed ProblemsProblems

Black medic (Medicago lupulina)• Apply postemergence broadleaf herbicides during

periods of active growth from late spring through early summer and again from early through mid-autumn (dicamba, triclopyr)

• Hand pull

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

• Apply postemergence broadleaf herbicides

from early through mid-autumn (all broadleaf herbicides)

• Hand dig, include complete root

Knotweed(Polygonum supina)

• Apply postemergencebroadleaf herbicides in spring (dicamba, triclopyr), pre-emergent herbicides when forsythia bloom

• Hand pull

Prostrate spurge (Euphorbia spp.)

• Apply postemergencebroadleaf herbicides in spring (triclopyr), pre-emergent herbicides when

forsythia bloom• Hand pull

White Clover(Trifolium repens)

• Apply postemergencebroadleaf herbicides in mid-spring to early summer and/or mid to late fall when actively growing (dicamba, triclopyr)• Maintain turf density and health through proper culture. Do not fertilize heavily with phosphorus.

Henbit(Lamium amplexicaule)

• Maintain turf density and health through proper culture, avoid seeding in fall; hoe or hand pull• Apply postemergence herbicides from mid through

late spring and again from mid to late autumn. Preemergence herbicides should be applied in late summer before germination.

Plantain(Plantago major,or lanceolata)

• very tolerant of harsh compacted, wet or dry conditions

• physically remove short, tough root system when the soil is moist

• Apply herbicides spring or fall (combination of 2,4-D &/or MCPP, dicamba, triclopyr, clopyralid)

Musk Thistle(Carduus nutans)

• low maintenance areas and roadsides

• biennial, reproduction by seed• consistent mowing and good

nitrogen fertilization create competitive turf

Wild violet(Viola papilionacea)

• colonize shaded, well fertilized, moist areas and easily out-compete cool-season turf

• hand digging of small clumps can be very effective if the entire root system is removed.

• Herbicides have limited effectiveness (combination product repeatedly applied beginning in May)

Annual weedy grasses

• preemergent control applied 2 weeks prior to germination (soil temp = 55º to 58º for several consecutive days)