Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle -
This week did you sit back and enjoy the fruits of ideal growing conditions? ...for cool-season turf? We would have, but were mowing. You see, April frustrated us a bit because we stayed cool and it didn't rain much. Rapid warm-up spring came to a screeching halt. May has us back on track - most trees have now leafed out nicely and birds seem to be everywhere. Canada geese are also increasingly around and on Sunshine Course in Lemont the bluebird houses are already busy with activity - only it's the sparrows and tree swallows making the first move. Meantime, lawns and roughs are growing like no other, helped by alternating days of good rain then bright cloudfree sunlight. Interestingly, the landscape continues to remain ahead by about a month based on our historical records of scouting for flora and fauna (that's flowers and fungi for me).
If you have liked this unusual spring (March wowed us) then you should also like this knowledge - some of that early solar energy transfered below. Early warmth without too much rain has meant that we are now enjoying our best roots in what might be ages. Root Olympics 2012? It's been very different from springs 2010 and 2011- both were overly cool and wet (I called each rootless/ruthless). It got me thinking, since my arrival to Chicago in 2006 this might be the best spring for root growth yet. That's good news since a dry Chicago summer is kinda-sorta overdue.
Click here to view the May 11, 2012 Scouting Report.
Enjoy the near-ideal conditions for plant growth AND any opportunity to be outdoors this weekend!
Derek Settle, PhD
Director of Turfgrass Program
630-685-2307
dsettle@cdga.org
Weather Blog
Timothy A. Sibicky, MS
Manager of Turfgrass Research
630-685-2310
tsibicky@cdga.org
Research Blog
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