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    Turf
    & Ornamental
    Tech Tips

    Kevin Lewis

    Kevin Lewis

    With 34 years in the green industry, Kevin is a certified arborist and commercial applicator with a degree in Turfgrass Management from The Ohio State University ATI. After working with companies like the John Deere Landscapes team and Ecologel Solutions / Arborjet, Kevin now serves in Technical Services at Ewing.

    Recent Posts

    Return of the Fall Armyworm

    By Kevin Lewis on August 22, 2024
    I have been hearing more reports about fall armyworm (FAW) sightings this summer than in the last few years. There have...
    Severe drought stress in turfgrass, highlighting the impact of prolonged dry conditions and traffic patterns

    What To Do About Drought Stress Now and How to Prepare in the Future

    By Kevin Lewis on August 8, 2024
    Some observations I have noticed in areas I have been looking at include heavy anthracnose on maples and ash, which is...
    A picture showing the different life stages of the spotted lanternfly.

    How to Spot and Stop the Invasive Spotted Lanternfly

    By Kevin Lewis on November 9, 2023
    I have written many tech tips about invasive species ranging from what they are to specific pests. Most of the time,...
    Showing the whole process of compaction and how it works over time.

    It’s Time to Take Action on Compaction

    By Kevin Lewis on October 5, 2023
    Turf, meaning natural grass in this case, and landscapes can become a very big part of people’s lives. They bring...
    An image of bentgrass invading a lavender plant.

    Tools for Battling Landscape Bed Weeds: Over-The-Top Herbicides

    By Kevin Lewis on September 21, 2023
    Landscape bed weed management always comes with a number of challenges. It is vital to possess a keen eye and a broad...
    A person’s hand holding three small Fall armyworms.

    Fall Armyworms are Already on the March

    By Kevin Lewis on August 22, 2023
    In early August, NC State entomologist Rick Brandenburg observed fall armyworm (FAW) activity in North Carolina,...
    A beetle sitting on a green leaf of a plant.

    How to Combat the Japanese Beetle Invasion

    By Kevin Lewis on August 17, 2023
    Recent walks around many landscapes revealed an old pest that I had thought was diminishing. The numbers this year are...

    Debunking Spring Fertilizer Myths: A Brief Discussion, Not the Entire Buying Guide!

    By Kevin Lewis on March 9, 2023
    Buying granular fertilizer can be a dreaded process, particularly with the recent price hikes causing many of us to...

    Are You Applying Pesticides Properly? Check the Label

    By Kevin Lewis on February 20, 2023
    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated February as National Pesticide Safety Education Month....

    States Begin Banning Invasive Callery Pear Trees

    By Kevin Lewis on February 2, 2023
    The motivation for this post comes on the heels of the recent ban on the Callery pear. Pyrus calleryana is an...

    Understanding Pesticide Labels

    By Kevin Lewis on November 16, 2022
    The label that comes with a pesticide product is a legal document and must be followed explicitly, otherwise there is a...

    Fall Turf Diseases to Know: Powdery Mildew of Turf

    By Kevin Lewis on November 9, 2022
    Different weather patterns associated with fall are conducive to different issues in the landscape. Although fall isn’t...

    A Comprehensive Soil Testing Discussion

    By Kevin Lewis on November 2, 2022
    Soil testing isn’t just for problem areas–it should be performed on a routine basis to determine actual needs for soil...

    The How's and Why's of Soil Testing

    By Kevin Lewis on October 26, 2022
    Managing soil health is critical to root development and plant performance. Only by submitting samples for lab analysis...

    How to Recognize Annual Conifer Needle Drop

    By Kevin Lewis on October 19, 2022
    Fall brings cooler weather and a change of colors in the tree canopy. While the most obvious are deciduous trees...

    Thatch 201: Thatch Management Practices

    By Kevin Lewis on October 5, 2022
    There are a number of factors which contribute to thatch production. Some of the simplest are turfgrass varieties....

    Thatch 101: Understanding Thatch

    By Kevin Lewis on September 28, 2022
    Fall comes with a different set of property management practices. Everything from late season seeding, emerged and...

    Fall Turf Diseases to Know: Turf Rust

    By Kevin Lewis on September 21, 2022
    Fall typically brings cooler and wetter conditions, although you wouldn’t know it if you looked at the drought monitor....

    Weed ID - Spotted Spurge

    By Kevin Lewis on September 14, 2022
    Spotted spurge, or Euphorbia maculata, is a low-growing summer annual. It is problematic because of its rapid...

    Weed ID - Goosegrass

    By Kevin Lewis on August 31, 2022
    Goosegrass, or Eleusine indica, sometimes called silver crabgrass, is a very problematic weed in closer mowed turf and...

    Long Range Drought Effects on Trees

    By Kevin Lewis on August 24, 2022
    As weather patterns turn dry, more sensitive plants begin to show symptoms of stress. Annuals, herbaceous perennials,...

    Turf Renovation Part 3: The Final Steps

    By Kevin Lewis on August 17, 2022
    After strategy and execution, the wait is on. Weather conditions become milder, and there should be plenty of time for...

    Turf Renovation Part 2: Time to Execute

    By Kevin Lewis on August 10, 2022
    You spent the season looking at your turf thinking, “Soon, very soon,” and that time is here. You were able to stave...

    Turf Renovation Part 1: Where to Start

    By Kevin Lewis on August 3, 2022
    Over 68% of the country is still experiencing some semblance of precipitation shortage ranging from (D0) abnormally dry...

    How To Use Plant Growth Regulators To Be More Profitable

    By Kevin Lewis on July 27, 2022
    The trimming and/or pruning of ornamental plants is a reality for many maintenance companies. These processes tend to...
    Landscape with manicured lawn, trees, plants, hedge, flowers, sidewalk, pavers, planter, and lighting.

    Adding PGRs To Your Turf Program

    By Kevin Lewis on July 20, 2022
    The notion of reducing the growth rate of grasses has been around for over 50 years. The evolution of plant growth...

    Plant Biochemical Warfare and Allelotoxins

    By Kevin Lewis on June 22, 2022
    The concept of allelopathy has been noticed world-wide, and its first noted observation dates back to 350 B.C....

    Weed ID - Yellow Nutsedge

    By Kevin Lewis on June 15, 2022
    Yellow nutsedge, or Cyperus esculentus , may look like a grass, but it truly is not. It is in the sedge family with...

    Weed ID - Quackgrass

    By Kevin Lewis on June 8, 2022
    Quackgrass, or E. repens , is a perennial grassy weed that can be found nearly anywhere throughout the US with the...

    Prevention and Control of Fire Ants

    By Kevin Lewis on June 1, 2022
    Red imported fire ants or RIFA can be found from coastal North Carolina across the southern/ central US to Texas and a...

    Understanding Phenological Markers

    By Kevin Lewis on May 26, 2022
    Phenology is the study of life cycle events of living organisms on Earth. These findings are based on growing degree...

    Mix Water Quality Issues

    By Kevin Lewis on May 24, 2022
    Along with alkaline water sources, water hardness can also be a mix water quality issue. The effects of hard water,...

    Post-Emergent Crabgrass Strategies

    By Kevin Lewis on May 19, 2022
    Around late May, things become time sensitive because crabgrass is still somewhat easy to control in its juvenile...

    Chinch Bug Management

    By Kevin Lewis on May 17, 2022
    There are four species of chinch bugs, or Blissus leucopterus spp., that provide for the bulk of turf damage across...

    Safeguards Against Misapplication of Non-Selective Herbicides

    By Kevin Lewis on May 12, 2022
    There is almost never a year that goes by without that ill-fated day when you learn about somebody’s spray tank that...

    Why Post-Emergent Herbicides Fail

    By Kevin Lewis on May 10, 2022
    We could probably come up with 15 reasons why post-emergent herbicides fail, but here are five. Always remember that...

    The Pitfalls of Tank Mix Water Sources

    By Kevin Lewis on May 5, 2022
    On the way to your first job site of the day, you let your brain wander for just a few seconds, then it is GO time. But...

    Weed ID - Common Chickweed

    By Kevin Lewis on May 3, 2022
    Another winter annual weed that flourishes easily is common chickweed or Stellaria media . The first signs will be...

    Weed ID - Corn Speedwell

    By Kevin Lewis on April 28, 2022
    Corn speedwell, or Veronica arvensis , is one of those smaller weeds that can become a big problem in short order.

    Reasons to Like Your Lichens

    By Kevin Lewis on April 26, 2022
    The group of organisms called lichens consist of somewhere between 13,000 and 30,000 species worldwide. These are...

    Weed ID - Purple Deadnettle

    By Kevin Lewis on April 21, 2022
    Purple deadnettle, also known as red deadnettle and Lamium purpureum , is a winter annual weed that is becoming an...

    The Curious Case of Co-Polymer Gels

    By Kevin Lewis on April 19, 2022
    They go by many names: super-absorbent polymers, co-poly gels, hydrogels, and polyacrylamides (PAM) to name a few. They...

    What's the Word on Wetting Agents?

    By Kevin Lewis on April 14, 2022
    Wetting agents have long been considered vital to the management of high-quality turf, but their actual function may...

    Basics of Drought Stress on Turf

    By Kevin Lewis on April 12, 2022
    In a perfect world, water could be applied at the rate and timing at which a plant needs it in order to mitigate...

    A Deep Dive on the Stages of Drought

    By Kevin Lewis on April 7, 2022
    Nearly 70% of the US is somewhere in D0 – D4 stages of drought. This is not considering dryer vs. more tropical or...

    Sod Webworm Management Strategies

    By Kevin Lewis on March 29, 2022
    Most lawn moths have been a problem on nearly all species of grasses. The familyPyralidaeconsist of over 20...

    Eliminate Spreader Errors with Proper Calibration

    By Kevin Lewis on March 24, 2022
    In different parts of the country, lawn care programs have been underway for some time. Companies are likely anywhere...

    Techniques For Outdoor Flea Control

    By Kevin Lewis on March 22, 2022
    The official start of spring brought a sigh of relief and an anticipation of warmer weather, particularly for those of...

    Is That a Rabbit or a Deer?

    By Kevin Lewis on March 17, 2022
    When bulbs are starting to emerge and the landscape is starting to wake up, we know spring is not far away. It is...

    Winter Kill and Other Cold Temperature Turf Issues

    By Kevin Lewis on March 15, 2022
    Turf loss during the winter months is a larger problem with warm season grasses. Conditions leading to death can...

    Building Business Relationships

    By Kevin Lewis on March 10, 2022
    “To be a trusted advisor, which is what all professionals should be aiming for, you need to do two things: build trust...

    How Drought Affects Turf

    By Kevin Lewis on March 8, 2022
    Being irrigation experts, we all have a pretty firm grasp on evapotranspiration, but let's talk about it more from a...

    The Importance of Iron for Healthy Plants

    By Kevin Lewis on March 3, 2022
    Iron (Fe) is one of the most common micronutrients found in fertilizers. Though plentiful in most soils it can easily...

    Winter Annual Weeds and Control Strategies

    By Kevin Lewis on March 1, 2022
    Winter annual weeds can begin their life cycle as early as fall and complete it during the summer. We bring them up now...

    What is a Weed?

    By Kevin Lewis on February 22, 2022
    What is a weed? It is a reasonable question because there are times when what is normally considered an unwanted plant...

    What's in the Fertilizer Bag Part 3 - Potassium (K)

    By Kevin Lewis on February 17, 2022
    Potassium plays a vital role in overall turf plant health and is second in the amount required for proper management....

    The Role of Phosphorus in the Soil

    By Kevin Lewis on February 15, 2022
    Turf and landscape plants depend on phosphorus for healthy and vigorous growth. Even more so, P is essential for seed...

    Turf Fertility - What's in the Bag?

    By Kevin Lewis on February 10, 2022
    On every bag of granular fertilizer, there is a guaranteed analysis (or grade) expressed as three numbers. It dictates...

    Weed ID - Common Mallow

    By Kevin Lewis on February 8, 2022
    Common mallow, or Malva neglecta, is a winter annual, also known as "cheeseweed." It has rounded, heart-shaped leaves...

    Proper Winter and Spring Cool Season Seeding Techniques

    By Kevin Lewis on February 3, 2022
    Winter and early spring are not the perfect times for cool season turf seeding, but sometimes there are no other...

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