Turf Talk May 2019

Spring is here; some people may not think so being temps this second week of May are in the 30’s in the morning and the 50’s in the afternoon. But actually, this is what spring looks like – cloudy, dreary, rainy and, yes, sometimes sunny. It has just been a little wetter than normal.

Working outdoors in this cool weather has been a joy. Any day it’s below 60 is a great day in my book. Clean-ups got off to a great start by March 13th. We were mulching a few weeks after that and had spring chemicals down by April 15th. All in all, a good start to the season.

I have already started to notice the red thread is out and about. Crazy with temps in the 30’s, but yes, red thread already. You can treat it two ways. You can apply a fungicide or bump up the nitrogen on your next application. By the way, the next application should include an insecticide.Sod web worm will be out soon. You need to catch that first generation or you will have a repeat of last season – sod web worm from May to August. Hopefully not this season – only time will tell.

Pseudosclerotia (red threads) of Isaria fuciformis are clearly evident on red thread infected fine fescue.

Photo: Sabrina Tirpak, Rutgers PDL

On another note: Have you noticed that each year it seems the summer annuals are pushed out just a little earlier? I was so happy to see that this year all the nurseries were fully stocked by May 1. With temps in Sussex County in the mid 30s most mornings nothing says petunias like 34 degrees. You always hear people saying Mother’s Day is the time to put out summer annuals. I think there was a conspiracy between Hallmark the Greeting Card people and the growers to make everyone think you should have geraniums in early May. You’re not supposed to though. Last year we had a good frost on May 7th. This year it was cool all of Spring. So for clarity you don’t put out summer annuals until AFTER the 1st FULL MOON in MAY – THE FLOWER MOON. Then it’s safe to put out summer annuals. And by the way, it has not changed in our area for 400 years. Now that’s something to think about… Good luck and keep growing!

Courtesy of The Old Farmers Almanac

Greg Carpenter, CLT is co-owner of American Beauty Landscape since 1983. He attended the SUNY Farmingdale Turfgrass Program and is the Treasurer of the NJLCA. Greg also serves on the Rutgers Turfgrass Advisory Board and the Bergen Community College Horticultural Advisory Board.