Who knows what the closing months of the year will bring, but what I do know is that golf course maintenance expectations aren’t going to change going into 2021. So, what do you do between now and then?

As the growing season draws to a close and turfgrass growth slows, fall becomes an essential time for fertilization. To fertilize properly in the fall, we want to know a few things:

Aerification and seeding are kind of like macaroni and cheese. Good by themselves, but so much better together. Aside from mowing and a balanced fertility program, aerification, and seeding are the two most basic operations required to successfully manage established sports fields.

When the leaves begin to turn in the fall, it can signal a great time to revitalize the cool-season rough on your golf course.

If you are constructing a new baseball or softball field or planning a renovation project, one major component in the process will be laser grading. Find out what benefits this technology can bring to your infields.

No one wants a spring course reveal ruined by snow mold. But, without snow mold applications in the fall, this could happen to your course (especially in the northern regions of the Midwest). 

Selecting the correct wetting agent can do a lot to save you time and money plus improve your greens!

Depending on conditions, dollar spot can be an issue all season long for Superintendents. One of the most critical times to watch out for dollar spot is the fall. If dollar spot issues linger in the fall and are not addressed, problems will most certainly pop up in the spring. 

Spring dead spot can ravage highly-managed bermudagrass. While we would like to think a singular management practice could entirely control it, this is not the case. Regular fungicide applications in conjunction with proper fertility and cultural practices will provide the best results for preventing spring dead spot.

It’s that time of year again; time evaluate the turf conditions at your facility or property and prepare for late summer turf recovery and early fall renovation. Let’s review a few basic concepts to get a leg up on a busy fall.

Turf care managers often ponder the question “Is there a benefit to adding an adjuvant to their herbicide when conducting a low-volume application?” The short answer to that question is YES!

Localized dry spot is prevalent this year. A good water management plan with soil surfactant applications can help. If a proactive program was not employed, rescue treatments can be effective, but understanding how products influence the behavior of water at the surface and in the soil will help give us more control over turfgrass conditions.

We all know that turf diseases will attack the most stressed and least healthy grass on the putting green. With that in mind, here are 5 quick tips to reduce summer stress.

Learn these tips to make sure your turf is stress-free during these hot summer months.

As we charge forward into some of the toughest months for golf course management, DEFENSE becomes the name of the game. We offer some great options to help battle these harsh conditions.   WETTING AGENTS Flowable Wetting Agents During the stressful times of summer, wetting agents can ease your mind. They help hold water and […]

As we all find ways to navigate through life’s challenges there needs to be a sense of calm in our day to day lives.  A place we can relax and take comfort.  Where the senses can be revitalized and take a break. 

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 am I so adamant on fall plantings of cool-season grass seed? There’s a whole bunch of reasons.

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, turf color, […]

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.