The Ohio State University

Home SportsNotes I took a walk-about today to see how the sports turf has faired the winter. It's amazing how even during frigid temperatures, poor light quality and saturated soil conditions how there is still signs of turf waking up, diseases kicking in, and weeds popping up...

*Red thread (Laetisaria fuciformis) - pictured left, was apparent today on perennial ryegrass turf. Red thread is a common turf disease, usually seen in the spring but has been seen in the state of Ohio every month of the year (Joe Rimelspach). Cultural practices carried out in the spring, particularly soil aeration and fertility, should reduce severity.

*Annual bluegrass (Poa annua) has greened up and is ready to grow into bare soil areas and anywhere else there is a void. Sports turf managers that use pre-emergence herbicides as a control strategy for Poa annua and crabgrass should be thinking about applications coming up soon (posting today on Landscape Notes). Note that any pre-emergence herbicide applications made will also have an adverse effect on spring seedings.

*Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) are still dormant and straw-brown but some of the perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) cultivars have greened up, or in fact kept some of their color over the winter months, particularly in sheltered or south-facing areas. Late February to early March is a great time to identify grasses as they come out of winter domancy at different times and are easily distinguished from each other.

*There has been considerable winter-heave, especially on newly renovated turf and soil areas tilled last fall. This spring, those areas need to be lightly rolled as soon as the soil is dry enough to drive on. Rolling wet soils causes surface compaction. The aim is to make the playing surface "true" and safe, while not causing so much soil compaction that the soil will not drain and grasses cannot grow.

Further Reading: Management of Turfgrass Pests Weeds, Diseases, and Insects

Posted by Pam Sherratt & John Street