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With spring at our doorstep, it is time to look at several aspects of turf management and biannual turf maintenance. Although spring and fall are crucial times to provide much-needed maintenance to grounds, factors will differ depending on where you live, what types of fields you maintain, and the level of wear the turf incurs. The first step in any maintenance program is determining what strategies best fit fields, how to prioritize those, and how they address any specific issues you may have. There are a few approaches at the top of my list every spring that should give you a push in the right direction.
Fungicides
Let’s start by first thinking about spraying fungicides. Using fungicides can be tricky because today most are made to treat a specific disease or pathogen, so it is extremely important to determine what type of disease is causing problems (or common diseases in an area) in order to select the fungicide with the greatest impact. At Virginia Tech, I have Summer Patch, Rhizoctonia Blight and Fusarium Blight to think about. In your area, the type and severity of disease may be quite different.
Once you identify what type of disease or pathogen is affecting the grounds, and the ideal fungicide is selected, application time is critical. Since diseases are harder to control once they begin to spread, it is best to treat turf before diseases appear. I usually start spraying around April 1, but weather is a factor. Don’t apply fungicide just before it rains or on an extremely sunny day, as it will wash away or decrease the effectiveness of the fungicide, and you will need to reapply more frequently.