Get Ready: Fall is the Time for Lawn Improvements

Lawn Seeding

Indiana lawns contain primarily cool-season grasses, which grow best in the cooler temperatures of spring and fall. During the hottest times of year, they may grow very slowly or even go dormant. Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, and fineleaf fescue are common cool-season grasses.

Whether your lawn is thin from the rigors of summer or from neglect, fall is the best time of the year to improve your lawn. Some lawns can be dramatically improved with proper fertilization and weed control in fall; whereas others may need reseeding in some areas or even complete renovation.

Adequate soil moisture, warm soil, and limited weed pressure allow for excellent seedling growth. Between August 15 and September 15 is optimum seeding time in the northern half of Indiana and Illinois, and September 1 to September 30 is optimum in the southern half of Indiana and Illinois.

Consider aerating the lawn area, punching 20 to 40 holes per square ft with the largest tines available. This will increase the seed-soil contact and improve germination and establishment rate. Apply a starter fertilizer (high in phosphorus) over the entire lawn at 1.0 to 1.25 pounds of phosphate per 1000 square ft of lawn.

Next, apply the seed to the lawn with either a drop-seeder or a power over-seeder.  Be sure to seed in both directions to adequately cover the lawn area with seed.   Mulching the area will prevent erosion and conserve water. Therefore, mulching is most important when it is impossible to adequately irrigate newly-seeded areas.

Water the newly-seeded area three to four times daily in order to keep the soil surface moist. Light, frequent irrigation is the rule during the first few weeks.  Frequent mowing will limit the competition from the established turf.

Four weeks after germination, apply 1.0 pound of nitrogen per 1000 square ft of lawn using a fertilizer containing N, P, and K.

Fertilization
Properly fertilized lawns better tolerate stresses such as heat, drought, and cold. Applying the right fertilizer at the correct time helps turf plants accumulate and store the essential plant foods that are used for growth and development.

You should only apply the nutrients your lawn needs. The nutrients plants need in the greatest quantity are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Of these, N has the most impact on established lawns. N promotes green color and overall growth, especially leaf growth. Plants need P and K for strong root and stem growth, which is most crucial when establishing a new lawn

Established lawns will benefit most when you apply the majority of N fertilizer from late summer through autumn. This promotes summer recovery, enhances shoot density, maximizes green color, and prepares the turf for winter, all without a growth surge.  To promote maximum density during late summer and early fall (late August through early November), you should apply up to 1 pound of N per 1,000 square feet each month.

For more information on soil testing to help you choose the correct fertilizer, look here.

Other tips to consider to help lower fertilization costs is to return grass clippings during mowing to the lawn.  These clippings contain valuable nutrients that can be recycled into the soil. If you must regularly remove clippings when you mow, you may need to increase the amount of N you apply each year by 25 to 50 percent to maintain growth and color.

Diane's Plant of the Week: Dodder

Today I had a sample of one of my favorite and most interesting

Photo credit: Charlie Cambre

plants, a parasitic plant known as dodder. Often times people describe it as orange/yellow spaghetti growing in ditches or crop fields.  Dodder offers no benefit to its host, it strictly derives all nutrition from its victim to survive. 

Dodder does not have any leaves or, for that matter, any chlorophyll to produce its own food. It lives by attaching to a host plant and extracting the host plant’s carbohydrates. It does this by penetrating the host plant with small appendages called “haustoria.” Through the haustoria, dodder will extract the carbohydrates. It is not to the advantage for a parasite to kill its host, thus dodder generally will not kill its host, but if the infestation is severe enough, it may result in the death of the host plant.

Once thought to belong to the morning-glory family, it is now being placed in a family of its own, called cuscutacease. Dodders belong to the genus Cuscuta. The USDA plant data base lists approximately 47 species (http://plants.usda.gov).

Since dodders are annuals and are spread by seed, control

Photo credit: Charlie Cambre

with pre-emergents should work before it can attach to the host. Pre- applications of Kerb have provided good control of dodder in ornamentals and turf. Treflan and Prowl have also been reported to suppress dodder germination. However, Pre-applications often do not retain enough residual activity to provide control for the rest of the season.

Control of dodder with herbicides is dependent on the crop that you wish to control it in. Some herbicides may have an effect on the dodder, but may also either have an effect on the crop or may not be labeled for use in that crop. Always read and follow herbicide labels.

Excerpts taken from Dodder Publication from Purdue Plant Pest Diagnostic Laboratory.

Purdue Hops Team Heads West for Educational Tour

Recently I participated on a Purdue Hops and Small Farms Tour through Washington and Oregon states with the intention to introduce and Purdue Researchers, Extension Educators and Indiana farmers to new specialty crop possibilities. The primary focus of the itinerary included stops to promote collaboration and interaction among team members intermingled with learning innovative procedures, on-going research, and marketing practices.

Our first stop included a visit to Washington State University's Puyallup Research and Extension Center where we joined members of their Small Farms Team and discussed organic cover cropping systems among other projects.

That afternoon we traveled to Toppenish Washington the home of Perrault's Hop Farm, a family operated farm established in 1904. Here we spent the afternoon learning production techniques from some of the best hop producers in the country. We also enjoyed a visit with Yakima Chief, Inc and Hopunion LLC a 100% grower owned supplier for their perspective on the business and marketing of hops.

We completed our time in Washington state with a visit to the WSU - Irrigated Agriculture and Research and Extension Center. This stop may have been my favorite stop where we learned to identify common diseases associated with growing hops, such as downy mildew. This fungal pathogen Pseudoperonospora humuli can cause significant yield and quality losses in hop systems depending on hop variety and disease pressure.

Over the next few days we traveled into Oregon where

we continued to discuss hop diseases, breeding and well as a diverse group of organic vegetable systems at the Oregon State University's Hyslop Farm.
This educational opportunity was professionally rewarding and well as personally enlightening. The Purdue Hops team developed a bond with Indiana growers to promote hops, research best management practices, and develop resources for this new ever expanding commodity within Indiana. If you are interested in more information on growing hops, feel free to contact me via email at any time or by calling our local Extension Office at (317) 776-0854.

Celebrate National Farmers Market Week - August 7-13, 2016

Noblesville Farmers Market

From August 7th through 13th, communities across the country will celebrate their local farmers markets during National Farmers Market Week. The impact of these farmer-to-consumer transactions is greater than it appears on the surface. Now more than ever, farmers markets serve as anchors across American communities, positively influencing community health and wealth. Markets result in more viable regional economies and local farm businesses, increased access to fresh, nutritious food, and stronger social networks that help keep communities healthy

This year marks the 17th Annual National Farmers Market Week to honor and celebrate the important role that farmers markets play in local economies. Plan to visit one of Hamilton Counties many Farmers Markets this weekend and support our local businesses.

Carmel Farmers Market - Saturday from May to September Open: 8am-11:30am
Fishers Farmers Market - Saturday May through September Open: 8am -12noon
Noblesville Farmers Market - Saturday from May to October Open: 8am-12noon
Sheridan Farmers Market - Wednesday Open: 4pm-7pm

The Market @ Saxony - Saturday 8am-12noon
Westfield City Market - Saturday June to September Open: 10am-2pm