From the home lawn to the biggest events under the brightest lights, getting grass seed to grow can seem frustratingly simple to unnecessarily complicated. From time to time, we interact with customers who experience turfgrass seed failure or simply do not see firsthand the experience they had hoped. We understand the frustration of our customers […]

First and foremost, I would say I’m not an expert. So, I rely on the recommendations of the experts at ATS, like Brian French, who I owe a lot to for our fields and the condition they are in at only two years old. Second, we only cut the infields with a push mower 2x […]

Not sure where to begin performing maintenance, renovation, or construction tasks? Learn more about what our sports services division offers.

So why all the spring seed displays and advertisements when university extension documents across the country point people away from this? All I can come up with is the weather is turning warmer, people are sick of being inside, and want to make their yard pretty after it may have been off-color for a few months. Also, farmers are out planting at this time, so it’s gotta be the right time to plant lawns, right? Well, not really. In my former position as a university extension specialist, I would tell people the best time to seed is this fall. The second-best time to seed? Next fall…

Cool season turfgrass suppliers are continually looking to improve their product lines of proprietary varieties in order to bring the best genetics to their customers. Plant breeders are always developing new cool season turfgrass varieties to improve upon a multitude of desirable turf characteristics. These turf traits range from wear tolerance, disease resistance, leaf texture, […]

As the season begins to heat up, we should be on the lookout for disease pressure in cool-season turf. There can be several diseases that can appear in turf, but we will focus on a few that are most common: leaf spot, brown patch & dollar spot.

High humidity, along with high soil temperatures and high soil moisture, can lead to several different turfgrass diseases, including brown patch. Brown patch is very common, producing damage in the spring, summer, and fall. However, it is most active and severe in the summer. The good news about brown patch: it is a very treatable disease even in a curative situation.

To create value and to maximize the return on investment of fertilizer, it is important to apply the correct rates and the correct combination of fertilizer.

Don't let sting nematodes damage your greens! Find out what you need to know about curative applications and preventive maintenance.

We asked Aaron Hathaway, Nufarm Technical Services Manager, a few questions about yellow nutsedge. Learn when the weed begins to appear, how to identify it, what conditions create a perfect environment for it, challenges we face when trying to manage it, and how to effectively control it.

It is time to think about weeds that you might find difficult to control in warm-season turf.

During the summer months, a decline in turf quality and growth can be a significant problem on putting greens, affecting both bentgrass and bluegrass. Several stressors, both abiotic and biotic, can be attributed to it.

There are many turfgrass growth regulators on the market today. Each of these regulators controls the growth of different turfgrass varieties in distinct ways with varying intensity.

Red thread is a fungal turfgrass disease that can strike pretty much any time during the year. However, conditions in the spring and fall, which typically include prolonged periods of cool and wet weather, are perfect for red thread. The pathogen prefers conditions that promote slow turf growth, and long periods of cool and wet weather do just that.

The United Nations declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health. Had they waited a little longer, I’m sure they would have declared 2020 the year of... Nevertheless, we are in the year of plant health and that means using fungicides effectively.  

Is the bermudagrass you’re managing slow to green up? This is not uncommon.

Summer is an optimal time for Pythium root rot and Pythium root dysfunction outbreaks. By taking cultural and chemical preventions in the spring, you can avert these diseases in the summer.

We asked BASF a few questions about dollar spot and anthracnose. Learn what the symptoms of dollar spot and anthracnose consist of, how applications should be managed, and what challenges we are facing when controlling these diseases in this Q&A. Dollar Spot What are the symptoms of dollar spot that we need to look out […]

Thoughts on hydroseeding bluegrass for soccer fields? Past experience, pros and cons? Compared to traditional slit? –@_GodMadeAFarmer Brian Winka: “I don’t have any experiences hydroseeding soccer fields, but I know that it can be an economically effective way to seed if needed. I prefer slit seeding with a good seeder, like a Charterhouse, because it […]

April and May offer a window for fraze mowing, especially now that fields are temporarily unavailable for play. Read about the fraze mowing process and how ATS can help improve the health of your field.

COVID-19 precautionary recommendations permit outdoor activity at open outdoor recreation areas with social distancing. Golf is a safe activity that allows for social distancing with many health and economic benefits.

Check out our Smart Turf guide to building your own set of base anchors.

For years most golf courses throughout the Midwest transition zone have grown zoysiagrass on the tees and fairways. The big variable each season is the transition period in the springtime.

Collectively, we are in a challenging time. Playing surfaces are out of play with social distancing due to COVID-19. Baseball and softball infields and warning tracks can quickly become covered in weeds and unwanted grass.

The SandMaster and the Verti-Quake help to improve the quality of the turf. Find out how Advanced Turf can use these machines to keep your sports field ready for play.

To learn more about common phenological events visit this blog post.

We asked Paul Giordano, Ph.D., from Bayer’s Green Solutions Team, a few questions about the annual bluegrass weevil. Learn where the insect predominantly is today, if it’s spreading, how to treat for it, and a few other things in this Q&A. In what areas does the annual bluegrass weevil predominantly cause issues? Historically, the annual […]

Does fertilizer coated with Foliar-Pak's Armament really give better results with turfgrass establishment and growth compared with uncoated fertilizer? The results from a pan test conducted by Product Development Manager Mark Sybouts give a resounding yes!

The desire to play sports all year long has increased drastically in recent years. Sports knows no boundaries on the calendar which provides a new set of issues for the professionals in the sports turf industry. Growing grass in the transition zone already comes with its own set of challenges, but growing grass in February, […]

Is your turf looking a little thin or damaged? It might be time to plan a spring overseeding. Check out these three tips for success!

I believe over the past 20-30 years the horticultural market has overused glyphosate, therefore making it less effective due to herbicide sensitivity/resistance. I want to preserve this chemistry for future generations and hence recommend other chemical options.

Phenology is the study of naturally recurring biological events in plant and insect life cycles. You can use things like plant bud break or bloom time to predict when certain weeds will emerge or when certain insects will hatch.

Let’s review some of the key spring applications that will make or break on how your season will go.

There are plenty of pre and post-emergence herbicides to control crabgrass in cool-season turfgrass, but they all have certain intervals when one cannot seed. Here several sports field scenarios and tips to fit the herbicides around the seeding windows.

If you are monitoring growing degree day accumulations to plan your spring Proxy sprays, the above-normal winter temperatures thus far have your spring Proxy spray fast approaching.

Before finalizing your agronomic plan, check out these quick, helpful tips!

If you who work with warm-season turf, you may be loading your sprayer with a non-selective herbicide, like glyphosate or glufosinate, for weed control now or soon. To keep applications going smoothly, follow these guidelines. Assess your warm-season turf’s dormancy. What is your turfgrass’s current level of dormancy? Is it just going into dormancy? Is […]

If Superintendents want to control weeds like crabgrass on their courses, they must apply pre-emergents. There's no getting around it. However, there are a few tips Superintendents can use to save time and a little budget when making pre-emergent applications.

Advanced Turf Solutions is continuing its tradition of hosting education seminars across our trade area. Select a seminar to view the agenda and RSVP online.

Every year, Mother Nature has her way of throwing curveballs to those individuals that are responsible for maintaining fine turf. This year spring rains were excessive and lasted well into June. Summer was hot, humid, and saw very little rain, while the fall was also hot and dry. Now, in early November, we have witnessed […]