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June 1, 2012 Scouting Report
Cool
Rain as June Begins: Take-all patch of bentgrass, Fairy ring on
fairways, Wet Restarts Dollar Spot and Microdochium, and Tim says that
'W' Word Waitea
Chicago/Northern Illinois Update: Derek Settle
In
a week we were the driest in quite some time - like several years. Of
course, my eyes were on the turf and less than normal rain continued to
be the look. The brownest looking lawns had appeared very early - it was
May! Memorial Day weekend did the trick when a combination of heat and
wind dropped a hammer on the landscape and maybe even your head if you
manage portions of the outdoor landscape for a living. It was a big
thump, but sprinklers and hoses lessened it into a thud (our 1st of the
season). You see, last Sunday saw temperature highs approach 100° in
Chicago, very unusual during any summer month up this way.
But,
the best part of our recent 7 day story is that it had a silver lining
(two parts). Part I: Long-awaited rain did arrive and it's timing was
beyond good as rain has been kinda rare in May -March and April for that
matter. Still, Kentucky bluegrass and creeping bentgrass continue to
enjoy their deep roots of a 2012 spring without overly saturated soils
and flooding. What about Poa did you say? Well, she's been looking a
little yellowish. Part II: Then yesterday, things suddenly looked up for
whimps like Poa annua given our high temp hit 50-some degrees.
Seriously? So, here's to June, the month that lets us say SUMMER.
Although we remain confused, on the exact season, our rain gauges are
full (momentarily) and our faces are smiling
(end-of-week-cool-break-thing).
Click here to view the June 1, 2012 Scouting Report.
This weekend, keep smiling, with your jacket on.
Derek Settle, PhD
Director of Turfgrass Program |
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