Turf Scouting Report, November 2nd

Growing Season Ends: Winterizing Irrigation, Sandy's Winds Cooled Chicago, Turf Begins Dormancy, and Tim Sees Control of Poa in Bentgrass

Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle -

And so the season concludes. How do I know? This morning while working in our lab (outer wall is adjacent to Sunshine Course) a hissing sound got my attention. A little worried I was relieved to find our superintendent winterizing our irrigation system - compressed air blows water from underground lines and this prevents freezing/breaks. I smiled as it meant one thing, our growing season in the upper Midwest had ended. On Sunshine Course in October the turf increasingly had developed a dormant look - from the purples of cool-season creeping bentgrass, Agrostis stolonifera, to the golden hue of warm-season zoysia, 'Zenith' Zoysia japonica.

To be sure, growing season 2012 will be remembered. For the young ones, we would use a lot of exclamation marks in our week to week communications. For turf professionals long in the tooth (anonymous highly respected individuals who've seen everything) they instead were reminded of two growing seasons (1988 and 1995). And so together we would learn valuable lessons (first time or again) in the great outdoors. Have a good winter with some well-deserved vacation time. For continued communications/blogs see www.cdgaturf.org or check @TurfResearch on Twitter.

Click here to view the November 2, 2012 Scouting Report.

On behalf of the CDGA turf program, your support during the 2012 growing season was appreciated. Thank you,

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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