Turf
& Ornamental
Tech Tips

The label that comes with a pesticide product is a legal document and must be followed explicitly, otherwise there is a...

Different weather patterns associated with fall are conducive to different issues in the landscape. Although fall isn’t...

Soil testing isn’t just for problem areas–it should be performed on a routine basis to determine actual needs for soil...

Managing soil health is critical to root development and plant performance. Only by submitting samples for lab analysis...

There are a number of factors which contribute to thatch production. Some of the simplest are turfgrass varieties....

Fall comes with a different set of property management practices. Everything from late season seeding, emerged and...

Fall typically brings cooler and wetter conditions, although you wouldn’t know it if you looked at the drought monitor....

Spotted spurge, or Euphorbia maculata, is a low-growing summer annual. It is problematic because of its rapid...

Goosegrass, or Eleusine indica, sometimes called silver crabgrass, is a very problematic weed in closer mowed turf and...

As weather patterns turn dry, more sensitive plants begin to show symptoms of stress. Annuals, herbaceous perennials,...

After strategy and execution, the wait is on. Weather conditions become milder, and there should be plenty of time for...

You spent the season looking at your turf thinking, “Soon, very soon,” and that time is here. You were able to stave...

Over 68% of the country is still experiencing some semblance of precipitation shortage ranging from (D0) abnormally dry...

The trimming and/or pruning of ornamental plants is a reality for many maintenance companies. These processes tend to...

Yellow nutsedge, or Cyperus esculentus , may look like a grass, but it truly is not. It is in the sedge family with...

Quackgrass, or E. repens , is a perennial grassy weed that can be found nearly anywhere throughout the US with the...

Phenology is the study of life cycle events of living organisms on Earth. These findings are based on growing degree...

Along with alkaline water sources, water hardness can also be a mix water quality issue. The effects of hard water,...

Around late May, things become time sensitive because crabgrass is still somewhat easy to control in its juvenile...

There is almost never a year that goes by without that ill-fated day when you learn about somebody’s spray tank that...

We could probably come up with 15 reasons why post-emergent herbicides fail, but here are five. Always remember that...

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...

Another winter annual weed that flourishes easily is common chickweed or Stellaria media . The first signs will be...

Corn speedwell, or Veronica arvensis , is one of those smaller weeds that can become a big problem in short order.

The group of organisms called lichens consist of somewhere between 13,000 and 30,000 species worldwide. These are...

Purple deadnettle, also known as red deadnettle and Lamium purpureum , is a winter annual weed that is becoming an...

They go by many names: super-absorbent polymers, co-poly gels, hydrogels, and polyacrylamides (PAM) to name a few. They...

Wetting agents have long been considered vital to the management of high-quality turf, but their actual function may...

In a perfect world, water could be applied at the rate and timing at which a plant needs it in order to mitigate...

Nearly 70% of the US is somewhere in D0 – D4 stages of drought. This is not considering dryer vs. more tropical or...

Being irrigation experts, we all have a pretty firm grasp on evapotranspiration, but let's talk about it more from a...

Iron (Fe) is one of the most common micronutrients found in fertilizers. Though plentiful in most soils it can easily...

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? It is a reasonable question because there are times when what is normally considered an unwanted plant...

Potassium plays a vital role in overall turf plant health and is second in the amount required for proper management....

Turf and landscape plants depend on phosphorus for healthy and vigorous growth. Even more so, P is essential for seed...

On every bag of granular fertilizer, there is a guaranteed analysis (or grade) expressed as three numbers. It dictates...

Common mallow, or Malva neglecta, is a winter annual, also known as "cheeseweed." It has rounded, heart-shaped leaves...

Winter and early spring are not the perfect times for cool season turf seeding, but sometimes there are no other...

Fall and winter bring the germination and emergence of winter annual weeds. In many areas of the country, hairy...

It can be frustrating to see break throughs of crabgrass and goosegrass in the spring and early summer after a...

Spring and fall are critical time periods for pre-emergent herbicide applications particularly in warmer climates. Many...