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Volume • 65 No.

2
March • April 2003

Brian Gimbel discussing TS-II in Ohio Stadium


as part of OSU Short Course.

Deb Holdran & Dr. J. Street

Inside: Mike O’Keefe & Pam Sherratt

2003 OTF Board and Trustees


See pages 4–5

Billbugs
See pages 16–17

Graduate Student Corner


See pages 18–20
Sports Turf Short Course attendees
treated to National Championship trophy
This Issue Sponsored By:

March • April 2003

TurfNews distributes useful and timely advice,


information and research from Ohio’s most
knowledgeable experts and professionals to
OTF members and those in the turfgrass industry.
Vol. 65 • No. 2 • 2003
TurfNews is produced by the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation,
PO Box 3388, Zanesville, Ohio 43702–3388,
1–888–OTF–3445 and is available to all members.
www.OhioTurfgrass.org
Inside:
Message From The
2003 OTF President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
OTF Calendar of Events 2003 2003 OTF Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2003 OTF Trustees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
OTF/OSU Turfgrass Research Field Day OTF News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–7
August 13, 2003–OTF Research & Education Facility
888-683-3445 Golf Course Tips

2003 OTF Conference & Show Late Spring Pink Snow Mold . . . . . . . 8
December 9–12, 2003 Residental Turf Tips
Greater Columbus Convention Center–Columbus, Ohio
888-683-3445 Springtime Broadleaf
Related Events: Weed Control Strategies . . . . . . . . 9–11
Ohio Sports Turf Managers Association (OSTMA) SportsTurf Tips
Spring Athletic Field Painting Clinic
April 14, 2003–Fremont, Ohio
Using Growth Tarps/Covers . . . . 12–13
419-824-9805 New Growth and Technology
Ohio Sports Turf Managers Association (OSTMA)
Workshop at the Great American Ballpark
Billbugs–The Great
June 10, 2003–Cincinnati, Ohio Turf Destroyers of 2002 . . . . . . . 14–17
419-824-9805
Graduate Student Corner . . . . . . 18–20
Northeast Ohio Lawn Care Seminar (OLCA)
June 26, 2003–Wooster, OH Member Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . 21
800-510-5296
Turfgrass Producers International
HortShorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Summer Convention & Field Days OTF Guest Column. . . . . . . . . . 23
July 22-25, 2003–Dayton, OH
847-705-9898 Message from the Director of
2nd Annual OSTMA/OLCA Golf Outing Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
July 30, 2003(tentative)
888-683-3445 Corporate Sponsor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Ohio Lawn Care Association (OLCA)
Central Ohio Diagnostic Seminar
For more information or to register for OTF events,
August 14, 2003
please contact the OTF office at 888-683-3445 or
OTF Research & Education Facility, Columbus
visit www.OhioTurfgrass.org.
800-510-5296
OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 2
Message From
The President On The Cover
OTF–Alive and Well Stephen Myers and Stephen Baertsche

N ow that was a winter! Wherever


you are in Ohio, it is probably a
safe bet that you couldn’t wait to
get this winter over with. You realize
it’s been cold when you had the
first 30-degree day and drivers had
their windows down and their arms
out the window.
It is my pleasure and honor to
introduce myself as the 41st
President of the Ohio Turfgrass
Foundation. The 2003 Board of Annual OSU Sports Turf
Directors have met and begun plan-
ning this year’s activities. In January, Short Course
a 2-day “Committee Summit” was conducted that involved not
One hundred field managers and industry
only OTF board members but also volunteers from both OSU
personnel from Ohio, Maryland &
and the “Green Industry.” Many “new” ideas were discussed
Tennessee came to Ohio Stadium in March
and budgets were set. Thanks to all the volunteers that attend-
to participate in the annual OSU sports
ed the 2-day meeting.
turf short course. Distinguished speakers,
Thanks to the leadership of last year’s OTF President,
such as Dr. A.J.Powell from the University
Mark Heinlein. The relationship between OTF and the OSU
of Kentucky, Matt Williams from the
Turf Team has been strengthened by Mark, and is one area
Cincinnati Reds, Dr. Chuck Darrah from
the 2003 OTF Board will continue to develop.
CLC LABS, and Jeff Limburg from Toledo
Sitting on the OTF board the last 7-years, I have learned so
Mudhens joined the OSU turf faculty and
much from the past presidents such as Mark Heinlein. I
the OSTMA in hosting this event.
remember the first few years thinking, “ How can these peo-
ple be so dedicated to the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation?” After Session topics were varied in nature and
attending numerous OTF Annual Awards Banquets and see- were very practical and much needed,
ing checks like this year’s donation to The Ohio State especially after the wet fall of 2002. All
University of $153, 549, which represented research grants, participants also received the new OSU
financial support and student scholarships, I realize why Sports Turf Resource Manual, which
board members are so dedicated to the “OTF cause.” is a composition of helpful articles and
Witnessing students receiving scholarships that will assist them resources relating to athletic field
in earning a Turf Degree is the most gratifying moment for management.
any board member. If you have not attended an Awards As well as a tour of the 2002 champion’s
Banquet before, mark your calendar for the 2003 banquet in stadium, everyone was given the opportu-
December. nity to have their picture taken with
On behalf of the 2003 board, we look forward to working the Circuit City trophy, which had been
with our Executive Director Kevin Thompson and Offinger kindly (and trustingly!) provided by the
Management Company. Kevin is constantly looking out for stadium staff.
the “best interest of the OTF member” and has a great sup-
What a great and informative event. We’re
port staff in the Offinger office in Zanesville. The Ohio
already planning to be bigger and better in
Turfgrass Foundation is Alive and Well! The mission of the
March 2004!
2003 board is to make this “great” organization, “greater”!

John Mowat
2003 President, OTF

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 3


OTF 2003 Officers

President Treasurer
John Mowat Dr. Chuck Darrah

John Mowat is currently serving his D r. Chuck Darrah, CLC LABS, has
seventh year as a Trustee of the Ohio served as an OTF Trustee since 1993.
Turfgrass Foundation. In 2002, John He has served on the Program
served as Vice President and Membership Development Committee since 1994,
Division Leader, while also serving as Vice President and in 2002 as the Membership
chair of the Trade Show Committee and George Furrer Development Committee chair.
a member of the Golf Tournament Chuck holds a Ph.D. in agronomy
Committee. Since joining the Board of
Directors he has also served as Treasurer
G eorge Furrer has served on the
from Cornell University. He was an
Assistant Professor of Agronomy and
OTF Board of Directors since 1998,
and a member of the Education and Extension Turf Specialist at the
serving as Treasurer and Education
Publicity Committees. University of Maryland from 1976-79.
Division Leader the past 2 years. He
John graduated from The Ohio State He was a Senior Research Scientist for
was the Education Committee co-chair
University with a B.S. in Business in 1986. Chemlawn Services Corp. and
in 2000 and 2001.
His interests in the green industry began Director of Technical Service at
George is a 1984 graduate of The
while working at Riviera Country Club Chemlawn from 1982-1990. Chuck
Ohio State University—ATI in Wooster.
during his final two years at Ohio State. has been a member of many Green
He is currently a Market Sales
He has been a Commercial Sales Industry trade associations and is Past
Representative for Lesco, Inc., working
Representative with Century Equipment President of Ohio Lawn Care
primarily with the golf course business
since 1987, and is presently Sales Association. He is currently the
in Central Ohio. During his 15-year
Manager for the Golf Division. President of CLC LABS, a soil testing
career, he has worked with Golf Course
John is serving his tenth year as and green industry consulting group.
Superintendents, Lawn Care
President of the Ohio State University Chuck resides in Dublin, OH with
Operators, Sports Turf Managers, and
Hockey Alumni Association and is his wife Linda and 2 daughters.
Grounds Managers.
responsible for keeping 400 members
George resides in Powell, OH with
abreast of activities within the University
his wife Karla and their three children
and the Ice Hockey Team. He is also in
ages nine, six, and four.
his fifth year as Color Commentator for
820 WOSU Radio, broadcasting Ohio
State Hockey games.
John resides in Hilliard, OH with his
wife, Amy, and their children, Dylan
and John.

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 4


OTF 2003 Trustees –Term Expires 2006

Mark Jordan

Mark Jordan, elected to his second


term on the OTF Board of Trustees, is
currently the Club Manager for the
Westfield Companies Country Club.
He served as Superintendent from
Mark Grunkemeyer 1989-1999. Prior to that, Mark served Dan Walter
as the Assistant Superintendent for the
Mark Grunkemeyer, Winding Hollow Country Club in
Columbus and the Hyde Park Golf and
D an Walter, Superintendent,
Owner/President of Buckeye City of Blue Ash Golf Course, was
Country Club in Cincinnati.
EcoCare in Dayton, was elected to elected to his first term as an OTF
Mark served as the Golf
his second term on the OTF Trustee. Dan joined the course as
Tournament Committee Chair in
Board of Directors. Buckeye assistant superintendent in 1992
2002, while also serving on the
EcoCare is a 19 year old lawn care and became superintendent in
Membership Services and Publicity
company serving Dayton and sur- 1995. Prior to Blue Ash Dan was
Committees.
rounding areas. Grunkemeyer, a assistant superintendent at
He is a Past President of the
Past-President of the Ohio Lawn Moundbuilders C.C.
Northern Ohio Golf Course
Care Association, has been an Dan earned a degree in
Superintendents Association (NOGC-
OTF member since receiving an Turfgrass Management from The
SA), and has been active on the
OTF Scholarship in 1975. Mark is Ohio State University/Agriculture
NOGCSA Board of Directors since
a 1976 graduate of The Ohio State Technical Institute. He has served
1996. Mark has been a member of the
University/Agriculture Technical on OTF’s Program Development
OSU/ATI Turfgrass Management
Institute with a degree in Turfgrass Committee the last three years,
Curriculum Advisory Committee
Management. and is a Past President of the
since 1996.
Greater Cincinnati Golf Course
Mark graduated from The Ohio
Superintendents Association.
State University/Agriculture Technical
Dan resides in Liberty
Institute in 1984 with an Associates of
Township with his wife Renee and
Applied Science Degree in Turfgrass
two children, Christian and
Management, and then went on to
Courtney.
receive his Bachelor of Science degree
in Agriculture from The Ohio State
University in 1986.
In his free time, Mark enjoys play-
ing golf, coaching Little League, fol-
lowing the Indians and spending time
with his wife, Melinda, and four chil-
dren Nathaniel, Alaina, Janelle, and
McKenna.
OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 5
OTF News
2003 Membership 45 Attend Ohio Sod
Renewals Due Producers Winter Seminar
I t is time to renew your membership to OTF. The
OTF Membership year runs from February 1—
January 31. Membership renewal invoices were T he Ohio Sod Producers Association (OSPA) held its
mailed to all 2002 members in late January, with a annual Winter Seminar February 5 at the Ramada Plaza
May 1 due date. Hotel, Columbus. Forty-five sod producers from around
Please renew your membership immediately. If we Ohio attended the all day workshop entitled “Safety on
do not receive your renewal before May 1, you will not the Sod Farm.”
be listed in the 2003 Membership Directory, you will
stop receiving this newsletter, and other valuable OTF This highly informative workshop included
member benefits and services will expire. speakers covering the following topics:
1. Forklift Safety
Following is a brief description of each OTF
Membership Type: 2. Tractor Safety—John Fields, JD Equipment
Organizational—any company currently involved in 3. Harvester Safety—Ian True, Brouwer Turf
the management of turfgrass, including: golf courses, Equipment
lawn care companies, landscapers, nurseries, sod pro- 4. Safety—Why it’s Important, Gary Hanson,
ducers, parks and recreation, grounds maintenance, American Safety & Health Management
cemeteries, athletic fields, suppliers, and all other
“As a sod producer and business owner, the issues of
related organizations. Organizational members have
worker safety and workers comp are both a moral oblig-
one contact person with full voting privileges.
ation and financial issue in today’s business climate”,
Affiliate Organizational—Any one person whose according to OSPA President Mike Ward, Eastgate Sod,
company has joined as an Organizational Member. Cincinnati, OH. “I was excited to include several of my
Affiliate members receive all OTF mailings, are listed employees in this training as well as see a great turnout
in the Membership Directory, and receive member from other Ohio Sod Producers. This should be a great
benefits, but have no voting privileges. This is only start to the year for our safety and training programs”.
available to Organizational Members. Attendees received certificates signifying that they
had participated in the all-day workshop geared specifi-
Individual—Anyone currently involved in the man-
cally to safety training in sod production.
agement of turfgrass. Individual members have full
Included in the agenda was a brief OSPA business
voting privileges.
meeting and deli lunch buffet. At the business meeting,
Student—Any student currently enrolled in a high Mike Blair, Green Velvet Sod Farms, updated members
school, vocational, technical school, college, or univer- on the planning of the Turfgrass Producers
sity. Student members have no voting privileges. International (TPI) Summer Convention that will be
Faculty—Any person involved in teaching turfgrass held at Green Velvet Sod Farms in Dayton, July 22-25,
management, landscape, horticulture, or other relat- 2003. For more information contact TPI at 847-705-
ed field. Faculty members have no voting privileges. 9898, www.TurfGrassSod.org.

The annual Winter Seminar is one of the


If you have questions about your member- many benefits of OSPA membership. For more
ship, please call OTF at 888-683-3445, or information, contact OTF at 888-683-3445.
visit www.OhioTurfgrass.org.

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 6


Ohio Turfgrass Research Trust
Announces 2003 Officers and Trustees
T he Ohio Turfgrass Duncan and Motz
succeeded Doug
Research Trust (OTRT),
the tax-exempt fund-rais- Halterman and Gene
ing arm of OTF, is direct- Probasco on the Board of
ed by a six member Board Directors. The 3-year
of Directors who work terms of Halterman and
hard to make The Ohio Probasco, both OTF Past
State University Turf Presidents, expired
Program the best turf pro- January 31, 2003.
gram in the country. Halterman, Past
OTRT is pleased to President and Treasurer
announce Joe Duncan of OTRT, and Probasco,
Joe Motz Joe Duncan Auction Committee
and Joe Motz as new
trustees serving 3-year terms on the Board of Chair played important roles in establishing OTRT.
Directors. Paul Jacquemin, OTRT Trustee since 2000, Both men retired recently after many successful years
was nominated to serve a 1-year term as Treasurer. as professionals in the turfgrass industry.
Joe Duncan is the owner/president of Ever-Green “Doug Halterman and Gene Probasco will be sore-
Turf and Landscape in Troy, OH. From 1975-1984 ly missed,” lamented Randy Tischer, current OTRT
Duncan was Zone Manager for Leisure Lawn, Inc. President. “I cannot think of two more dedicated,
He served as Treasurer of OTF from 1992-1995 and respected individuals to have served on this board.
President in 1998. Duncan is currently on the Ohio They deserve a lot of credit for all their hard work
Lawn Care Association (OLCA) Board of Directors over the years,” he added. “But I am looking forward
and a Trustee of the Miami County Foundation. He is to the additions of Joe Duncan and Joe Motz. They
also on the officiating staff for Big Ten football and both bring a great amount of knowledge, enthusiasm,
professional arena football. Duncan has been married and leadership to the organization. They will serve
to his wife Gina for 22 years and has two daughters OTRT and OTF very well.”
Alyson and Natalie. Also serving on the OTRT Board of Directors is
Joe Motz is President & CEO, The Motz Group, Mark Heinlein, The Motz Group, Inc. and Bob
Inc., Cincinnati, OH. The Motz Group specializes in O’Brien, Century Equipment. Heinlein is OTF’s
the design, consultation, construction, and manage- Immediate Past President and is serving as the OTF
ment of high performance natural and synthetic ath- liaison to the OTRT Board. O’Brien, another OTF
letic field systems. He is a member of the Sports Turf Past President, has been an OTRT Trustee since 2000.
Managers Association (STMA), National Association OTRT is a non-profit, charitable foundation desig-
of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges nated as a 501 (c)3 organization by the IRS. Utilizing
(NASULGC) and the Council for Agricultural its tax-exempt status, OTRT plans to raise significant
Research, Extension and Teaching (CARET). funds specifically for turfgrass research. OTRT is dedi-
A 1997 graduate of The Ohio State University, cated to a strong turf program in Ohio and appreci-
Motz is a Past President of OTF (1991) and received ates the past support of OTF’s members as it looks for-
the 1994 OTF Professional of the Year Award. ward to an even bigger and better future.
He resides in Cincinnati with his wife Jane and
three children.

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 7


Golf Course Tips
Late Spring Pink
Snow Mold
J.W. Rimelspach
Department of Plant Pathology • The Ohio State University

P rolonged wet conditions and cooler temperatures as a yellowing of the infected turf area that progresses
rapidly to a rusty, reddish, brown color. The source of
are ideal for the occurrence of “Pink Snow Mold”.
This disease can occur from fall through late spring. spores is often from old patches that were on the turf
In Columbus 1 or 2 cases often occur in early June in the winter or the thatch. When the disease occurs
each year. The problem with this disease is that it is in late spring it is usually active for short periods of
often misdiagnosed as cool temperature pythium in time so the patches are not as large, distinct, or well
the spring. Rarely do we see cool temperature pythi- defined as in winter and makes diagnosis more diffi-
um. This disease is especially active on annual blue- cult. With the return of warm and dry weather the turf
grass in areas that are in shade, wet, north facing, or will often recover rapidly. Pink snow mold does survive
have a history of the disease. Creeping bentgrass is in grass residues, infected plant parts and thatch.
also susceptible to pink snow mold but not to the Cultural management of pink snow mold includes
same extent as annual bluegrass. Young, juvenile, or mowing greens, if possible, when they are dry; and
lush turf is more susceptible then mature stands. improved drainage. Often these are limited things you
Although golf course superintendents commonly can do since the weather is out of your control and is
know this disease as pink snow mold, the official name the major factor for disease development. If establish-
of the disease in the plant pathology world when there ing a new turf area, there are significant differences in
is no snow, is Microdochium patch or Fusarium patch. creeping bentgrass cultivar susceptibility to pink snow
Pink snow mold is usually seen in winter when there mold. For more information on cultivar susceptibility,
would or could be snow cover. This may all seem contact the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program
confusing, and it is. I tend to call it “pink snow mold” (NTEP), the web site is: www.ntep.org.
all year long. Fungicide treatments can be effective for control-
Through the winter pink snow mold symptoms ling pink snow mold. Some products to consider
usually appear as circular patches that tend to be tan include: iprodione, vinclozolin, trifloxystrobin,
or whitish and in some cases have a pinkish border. In chlorothalonil, and fludioxonil. The combination of
late spring when temperatures are between 40° and iprodione and chlorothalonil is especially effective.
60°F and abundant moisture is present or during There have been cases of resistance to certain fungi-
rainy periods, the pathogen becomes quickly active. cides such as iprodione, however not permanent. If
The pathogen produces spores that move in water severe disease occurs there is often a large amount of
along drainage patterns and can easily be tracked by inoculum in the turf for reinfection to occur.
mowers. In spring, symptoms are more variable and Repeated applications are needed if environmental
may appear as streaks, which can cause confusion with conditions persist that favor continued development
cool temperature pythium. Symptoms initially appear of the disease and on sites with severe disease.

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 8


Residential Turf Tips
Springtime Broadleaf
Weed Control Strategies
Dr David Gardner
Department of Horticulture and Crop Science • The Ohio State University

S pring is just around the corner, and so is a fresh alone. Even though it is being sold as a stand-alone
product, it should not be used by itself. Rather, the
crop of annual and perennial broadleaf weeds. Fall is
the best time to control perennial weeds, such as dan- intent was to allow the user the ability to combine the
delion, the plantains, and white clover. However, faster action of the material with the traditional
spring and early summer (depending on the weed) is broadleaf herbicide or 3-way material they were
the time to target annual broadleaf weeds. You should already using.
use either postemergence herbicides early in the
weed’s life cycle, or, if possible, the same preemer-
gence herbicides you might already be using for crab- Clopyralid
grass prevention. Use the guide on page 11 to deter- There continues to be considerable confusion sur-
mine what strategies to use to control your most com- rounding the label change to clopyralid that will
mon annual broadleaf weed problems. If you must reflect the decision to pull this product from residen-
treat perennial broadleaves in the spring (as is often tial turfgrass usage. The EPA approved new wording
the case), remember that best control in cooler weath- on the clopyralid technical labels in October 2002.
er is with ester formulations of the phenoxy and Changes to technical labels occur before changes are
pyridinoxy herbicides. Be aware, though, that as tem- made to package labels, which is what end-users refer
peratures rise into the 60’s and 70’s that the ester for- to when applying products. DowElanco and others
mulations become very volatile, and non-target injury who use clopyralid in formulated products have until
can occur. Amine formulations will reduce this risk in September 2003 to change the wording on end-use
warmer weather. Regardless of formulation, postemer- package labels to reflect “not for use on residential
gence broadleaf herbicides should not be applied turf”. Dow expects to submit the new package labels
when air temperatures exceed 80-85 degrees. to the EPA in March. Once the labels are approved
(expected in June), any product manufactured from

Carfentrazone that date must have the new label language on it,
including Confront, Momentum, Millennium Ultra,
There are a few changes to our arsenal for Chaser Ultra, and etc.
broadleaf weed control. FMC corporation is market- End-use product manufactured in the fall of 2002
ing a stand-alone carfentrazone product. and winter/spring 2003 will have the residential use
Carfentrazone was introduced last year as a compo- label on it since the EPA has not received and had
nent of the Powerzone and Speedzone products from time to review the revised end-use labels. And, after
PBI Gordon. The herbicide is a cell membrane dis- the “not for use on residential turf” labeling is
rupter, and results in faster burn-down of weeds com- approved, it will not be illegal to sell or use product
pared to treatment with a phenoxy or pyridinoxy inventory that contains the old label “for use on resi-

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 9


dential turf”. There are other “gray” areas with the So if you are a commercial applicator and you use
label change. For example, what happens if you are a clopyralid on commercial property, take steps to
landscape maintenance contractor servicing a residen- ensure that the clippings on those sites are returned,
tial development, such as a retirement home. The not collected. Questions about this issue should be ref-
opinion of the legal staff at DowElanco at the time of ered to the state EPA or Department of Agriculture.
this writing is that this would be considered commer- DowElanco is actively conducting research on flurox-
cial property and use would be allowed. Remember, ypyr as an alternative to clopyralid and labeled prod-
the purpose behind the label change is to prevent ucts may begin appearing late this year.
clopyralid residues from appearing in composted turf.

Students Attend GCSAA Conference


Ohio State students
who attended this years
GCSAA conference:

Adam Alt
Ryan Beeson
Sean Brennan
Phillip Brodzinski
Pat Burton
Matt Cochran
Sherwin Elias
Chad Elkins
Adam Farrell
Katie Flath
Pete Foreman
Lance Fox
Jesse Hartman
Charlie Hobor

Dr. David Gardner and fourteen students in The Ohio State University Turf Club Mark Kuligowski
Julian Mooney
attended the GCSAA’s 74th International Golf Course Conference and Show in
Atlanta, Georgia. The contingent included a student in the OSU international Brad Novotny
program from Great Britain, one from Ireland, and two from Australia. In addition to Raemonn O’neill
attending educational sessions and competing in the Turf Bowl, the students exhibit-
Kyle Smith
ed a booth highlighting the Turfgrass Management program at The Ohio State
University as well as the turfgrass industry in the state of Ohio. The exhibit was made Erica Titus
possible through a generous donation from the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation. Five Christina Todd
students lined up internship opportunities.
Gina Wirthman
The GCSAA conference provides a valuable opportunity for students to interact
with industry representatives, student clubs from other universities, and prospective
future employers. This was the second year that the OSU turf club attended. The
students would like to thank the OTF membership for providing funding support for
the trip, and to thank those members who stopped by the booth. We are looking
forward to next year’s conference in Atlanta.

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 20032 • Page 10


Annual Broadleaf Weed Control Guide
Controlling annual broadleaf weeds is easy if you use recommended herbicides and
target their application to the time that the weed is most vulnerable.

Knotweed
(Sometimes con-
Pigweed
(May have red-
fused with crab- dish stem and
grass when first taproot)
emerging)

Mallow
(Has a central taproot and does not root at the nodes like
creeping charlie)

Purslane (Fleshy leaves)

Black medic
(Short stem on end leaf distinguishes from white clover)
Mallow can be controlled with postemergence products
Spurge (Milky sap distinguishes from knotweed)

early in its life cycle. Black medic may be controlled with


dithiopyr or with postemergence materials.
Knotweed germinates early in the season, so preemergence
herbicides typically need to be applied before traditional
times for crabgrass.

Oxalis
(Yellow Woodsorrel),(Heart-shaped leaves)
These weeds (right column) germinate later in the season.
Prodiamine and dithiopyr are labeled for pigweed.
Pendimethalin, prodiamine, dithiopyr, and oxadiazon are labeled
for the others. Once emerged, you may need to spot apply
postemergence materials early in the life cycle, before seed set.

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 11


Sports Turf Tips
Using Growth
Tarps/Covers
Dr. John R. Street and Pamela J. Sherratt
The Ohio State University • Department of Horticulture & Crop Science

T hroughout the year, the aim is to retain100% Darian Daily, field manager at the Columbus Crew
stadium has the following helpful hints on using covers:
grass cover of desirable species on the field
because the key to providing a “safe” athletic field • When placing covers in the fall, cover the entire
is to have adequate grass cover. The grass cover field, or the field will be different shades of green
provides (1) athlete foot traction, (2) surface fric- the following spring.
tion, and (3) a surface that can absorb athlete
• Put the covers on as early as possible, once snow
shock forces.
cover has gone, to encourage soil warming (Darian
The window of opportunity to establish new
aims for February 1).
grass is very small, with sometimes only a few days
between games. One tip for establishing fast grass • Because temperatures underneath can be as much
cover is to bring soil temperatures up quicker in as 10°F higher than outside the cover, and air circu-
the spring by using growth tarps or covers. lation is minimal, watch carefully for turfgrass dis-
A wide variety of growth covers are available. eases, such as pink snow mold, if covers are in place
Check with your local distributors for types and for an extended period of time. Preventative fungi-
costs. Growth covers vary in price. An “evergreen” cides limit possible disease problems.
cover from Covermaster costs around $3000 to • Roll the covers back up onto a drainage pipe, for
cover the area between hashes and end zones. It easy maneuverability & storage.
requires manpower to put the covers on (especially
• Use colored side staples to pin the cover down, so
if they are wet or frozen) but they have been
that they are easily located and do not end up lost
shown to offer benefits. Most importantly, covers
on the field potentially damaging mower blades.
can raise soil and turfgrass canopy temperatures,
thereby: • In the fall, put covers on when frost is forecast, to
prevent the soil from freezing.
1. Encouraging quicker spring green-up by up to
4 weeks • Buy the best you can afford. Some cheaper covers
will rip quickly & carry no warranty.
2. Extending fall color
• One field manager in Ohio used a small section of
3. Encouraging seed germination
growth cover to show the school administration
4. Minimize soil freezing, thereby allowing the how good the field could look by using covers.
field manager to get on the field earlier in He had no problem getting the money to
the spring. purchase one.

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 12


Manchester United, UK (above) and Ohio Stadium (below) are using covers for more rapid seeding
germination and establishment during windows of opportunity between games. Covers custom
made to size come in several pieces.

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 13


New Growth and Technology

Billbugs–
The Great Turf Destroyer of 2002!
Dr. David Shetlar (the BugDoc)
Department of Entomology
The Ohio State University

F
or the second summer in a row, billbugs caused gives them a dark brown look. The pronotum (the first seg-
major damage across Ohio’s turf, especially in ment behind the head) has numerous small punctures which
residential lawns, grounds and sport fields. may be missing down the top mid-line. The wing covers
Many lawn maintenance firms are already planning appear to be grooved with regularly spaced lines, but if you
reseeding projects for their customers, but their expla- look under a microscope, these grooves also have regularly
nations for the reasons for turf loss rarely include spaced pits.
billbugs. This is because many people, especially new Billbug adults commonly wander about and end up on
hires and turf managers not exposed to billbug sidewalks, driveways and along the curbs of streets.
zdamage in the 1990s, simply do not have the experi- Billbug larvae look like miniature white grubs (somewhat
ence needed to diagnose billbug activity and damage. C-shaped grubs with a brown head capsule), but if you look
In Ohio, the most common billbug is the bluegrass closely, they have no legs. Billbug larvae generally have more
billbug, Sphenophorus parvulus. We also have the less- pointed abdomens, being thicker in the middle of the body
er billbug, S. minimus, but we have not yet confirmed than regular white grubs. Early instar billbug larvae usually
damage by the hunting billbug, S. venatus. The lesser burrow within grass stems and can be 1/16 to 1/8 inch. These
billbug is a bit smaller than the bluegrass billbug and are rarely seen unless you specifically look for them. Once the
it has a life cycle that is nearly identical. Therefore, larvae become too large to fit within stems, they drop out and
there is no real need to differentiate between these feed on the crowns and roots while burrowing through the
two billbugs. The hunting billbug is mainly a pest of soil. Mature larvae can reach 3/8-inch to 1/2-inch in length.
bermudagrass and zoysiagrass, though it has been The larvae tend to remain at the soil-thatch interface and they
found attacking cool-season turf in New Jersey and can be easily detected when their populations cause death of
Pennsylvania. The hunting billbug has a very different turf in mid-June to early July. However, once the larvae are
life cycle, often overwintering as larvae, but since it is ready to pupate, they dig deeper into the soil, often one to
not common in Ohio, I will not discuss it further. two inches down.

Billbug Diagnosis–The Insect Billbug Diagnosis–Turf Damage


Billbugs are merely weevils in which the beak Billbug damaged turf is commonly misidentified as some
(snout or bill) and first thoracic segment are as long other kind of damage—disease, drought-induced dormancy,
as the rest of the body (wing covers and abdomen). chinch bug or white grub attack, etc. Fortunately, billlbug
Most weevils have the wing covers and abdomen much damage can be easily diagnosed—after the damage has been
longer than the head and first thoracic segment done! Simply grasp stems of turf that have turned brown and
length. The bluegrass billbug adults are about 5/16- pull up. If the stems break off easily and, upon inspection of
inch to 3/8-inch in length. They are a slate black in the broken ends, they appear to be filled with a fine sawdust-
color, but the bodies can be coated with soil which like material, billbugs have been active. This procedure is call

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 14


Bluegrass billbug larvae feeding on basil stem/crown with resultant frass.

the “tug test” and it only takes a few seconds to perform.


The tug test can be done from mid-June into Billbug Damage and Drought
October, so there is no reason to deny that billbugs were Through much of the 1990s, I mentioned in several
the problem even when turf doesn’t recover in years that billbugs were very common, but their damage
September or October. was rarely noticed. Why? It’s because of the relationship
In general, slight or early damage will appear as of the billbug life cycle and the normal growth cycle of
round to oval spots, three to five inches in diameter that the turf.
turn straw colored. This usually begins in mid-June and Billbug females generally seek out expanding seed
the damage can be mistaken for dollarspot disease or stems in May in which to insert their eggs. The larvae
damage from cutworms or sod webworms. Moderate burrow up and down these stems, eventually moving
damage shows up as the scattered spots expanding to toward the crowns. During this same period, our mowing
2002 Memorial Scholarship Winners
join together in a general mottled pattern across the practices force the turf plants to switch to asexual repro-
lawn. This often happens in late-June and if drought is duction and expansion—tillering. The new tillers have to
also occurring, significant turf loss can be expected. rely on the “parent” plant for support until they establish
Unfortunately, this damage is often mistaken for leafspot their own root systems. If a single billbug larva destroys
diseases or chinch bug damage. Again, the tug test will the supporting parent crown, before the tillers have
confirm whether the damage is from billbugs or not. established roots, a patch of turf, often three to five inch-
Heavily damaged lawns simply look like they have com- es in diameter, will collapse and turn straw color. This is
pletely gone into summer dormancy, usually by July. The most evident during drought periods in mid-June.
turf will first be straw yellow in color, but the stems soon However, if there is sufficient soil moisture (rain or irriga-
blanch to a straw white color. The damaged stems also tion) this total plant collapse doesn’t occur. Instead, the
tend to fall over and lay flat on the ground. This is differ- new tillers are able to set roots and fill in where the par-
ent from summer dormancy or chinch bug attack where ent plant was killed.
the stems remain yellowish and stay upright. If drought continues, the billbug larvae may move lat-
Early detection of billbug damage is difficult but a erally and feed on roots and stems of additional plants,
sharp eye will alert you to its potential. When you see the thereby extending the damage into the mottled look.
seed stems turning straw colored in June, pull on a few And, if the drought continues even further, all the turf
stems just to see if they have been hollowed out by bill- plants in an area can be killed, resulting in large areas of
bugs. If they
Bill Prest, Sweetbriar Golfhaven’t
Club, been fed upon, you’re likely safe
Fred Bosch, for One,dead
Solution presents
turf.
presents thethe2002 George
season. Biddulph
However, if you find quite aRyan Beeson
few stems with the 2002 Don
hol-
Memorial Scholarship to Ryan Margraf. Sweda Memorial Scholarship.
lowed out, be sure to tell the turf owner to water more
than normal, especially if drought is expected. This will
allow the turf to grow and mask most of the potential
damage.

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 15


Billbug Control
to have the endophyte. Therefore, if renovation is to
Billbugs can be controlled using cultural (resistant
be undertaken the fall or spring after significant bill-
turf) and chemical means. Overseeding or interseed-
bug damage, consider using endophytic perennial rye-
ing with endophyte-containing perennial ryegrass or
grass or endophytic turf-type tall fescue.
fescues is a long-term solution. Dr. Doug Richmond, a
Chemical control has generally relied on two use
former graduate student, found that a single overseed-
approaches—preventive and curative. In the preven-
ing of endophytic perennial ryegrass into an existing
tive approach, Dursban or diazinon was applied in
stand of Kentucky bluegrass provided protection with-
early to mid-May to kill overwintered female billbugs
in two seasons. He also confirmed that about 40% of
before they laid sufficient eggs that would lead to sig-
the grass stems needed to contain the endophyte in
nificant damage from the larvae. Billbug activity diag-
order to keep billbug populations below damaging
nosed in mid-June could also be treated with diazinon
levels. In essence, you don’t need 100% of a turf stand
or one of the “grub” insecticides such as Oftanol or
Triumph. Unfortunately, because of the EPA-Food

Table 1. Efficacy of Billbug Insecticides Quality Protection Act implementation, Oftanol and
Triumph have been removed from the market,
a
(used as preventives)—1989–2002 Dursban has been banned from residential use and
diazinon will soon follow this fate in 2004.
Over the last decade, my technicians and I
Rate ave have been evaluating all the new turf insecti-
Insecticide lb.ai./A % Control #Tests cides for their potential as preventives and
curatives for billbug control. At present, there
CARBAMATES is no insecticide that seems to have the activity
Carbaryl 6.0 91.7 1 of Dursban and diazinon as preventive
(=Sevin) 8.0 58.3 1 treatments (Table 1). However, several of the
Chlorpyrifos 1.0 47.8 3 pyrethroids have shown good control when
(=Dursban) 2.0 74.5 3 used as preventives and Merit and MACH 2
have also shown promise, mainly as
Diazinon 4.0 88.2 4
preventives. We have yet to discover a good
replacement insecticide for curative control
PYRETHROIDS of billbugs!
Bifenthrin 0.05 50.1 1 Now, I’m not recommending that we
(=Talstar) 0.1 54.2 1 return to the lawn care practices of the 1970s
Cyfluthrin 0.14 39.4 2 and 1980s where every lawn received a general
(=Tempo) surface insecticide treatment in May or June
for billbug, chinch bug and sod webworm con-
Deltamethrin 0.06 71.0 1
trol! Over the last two years, I’ve seen certain
(=DeltaGard) 0.13 75.2 2
neighborhoods that seem to be hit more
Lambda-cyhalothrin 0.06 81.0 1 severely by billbugs than others. This is most
(=Scimitar) likely due to the use of highly susceptible
Kentucky bluegrasses or endophyte free peren-
NEW COMPOUNDS nial ryegrasses that were planted on all the
Halofenozide 1.5 62.6 6 lawns during the initial neighborhood develop-
(=MACH2) 2.0 41.4 2 ment. In such areas, a preventive strike with a
pyrethroid, or Merit or MACH 2 may be in
Imidacloprid 0.3 86.4 8
order. Remember, Merit labels recommend
(=Merit) 0.4 61.5 6
the higher rate of 0.4 lb.ai./acre when going
Thiamethoxam 0.2 81.0 1 after billbugs. This rate, applied in May, should
(= Meridian) 0.26 100.0 1 also provide sufficient residual activity to sup-
press chinch bugs and the white grubs that
a
Data from ESA publications (1989-2002) using bluegrass billbug data where appear in July and August. MACH 2 labels
timing of application was at egg lay to early egg hatch. Note: Thiamethoxam
is not yet registered for turf usage, chlorpyrifos is no longer available for have also been changed for 2003 from a 1.5
residential usage and diazinon is not available for golf course or sod farm lb.ai./acre rate to 2.0 lb.ai./acre.
use.compiled by D.J. Shetlar, January, 2003.

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 16


Billbug damaged lawn (above) and stems damaged by billbug larval feeding, the “tug test” (below).

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 17


Graduate Student Corner
Dissertation Title
Plant fungal endosymbionts alter host-parasite
relationships between generalist
herbivores (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
and an entomopathogenic nematode.
Major Advisor:

Dr. Parwinder Grewal


Department of Entomology
Ohio State University, OARDC, Wooster OH

Student: Brian A. Kunkel


Degree: Ph.D.
Abstract:
Endophytes are beneficial fungi belonging to the Japanese beetle. Peramine occurs widely in endophyte
genus Neotyphodium that live in the leaves and stems containing grasses and seems to play an important
of grasses. This association naturally occurs in perenni- role in the resistance of ryegrass to the Argentine stem
al ryegrass and fescue grasses. Endophytes enhance weevil, sod webworm, and the greenbug aphid.
growth and survival of the grass plants. The plant Peramine solely functions as a feeding deterrent to
provides all the food resources for the fungus, and insects. Bluegrass billbug can be controlled with
the fungus confers resistance to the grasses against overseeding endophyte infected perennial ryegrass in
insects, diseases, and drought. Endophyte infected Kentucky bluegrass lawns. Research shows that only
grasses are better able to tolerate environmental about 40% of the plants in a turf sward have to
extremes such as drought and acidity than those contain the endophyte to obtain effective control of
plants without the endophytes. bluegrass billbug and sod webworm. Many turfgrass
In fact, the endophytes provide a built-in systemic insect pests, plant-parasitic nematodes and mite
pesticide to the plant. Defensive chemicals are pro- pests can be managed with the use of endophyte
duced by the endophytes which are disruptive to containing grasses.
numerous animal species capable of utilizing endo- My research has been with the black cutworm,
phyte-free grasses. Three classes of fungal metabolites, Agrotis ipsilon, a generalist plant feeder that is able to
the indole diterpenes, the ergot alkaloids, and develop on endophytic perennial ryegrass. I wanted to
peramine have been implicated as being responsible determine the compatibility of endophytes and insect-
for the insect resistance of endophyte-infected peren- parasitic nematodes in managing the black cutworm
nial ryegrass. The lolitrems, paxilline, and indole larvae. My research demonstrated that older larvae
diterpenes are toxic to Argentine stem weevil. The (4-5th instars) feeding on plants with high (>90%)
ergot alkaloids affect the Argentine stem weevil and incidence of endophyte become less susceptible to the

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 18


OARDC/University sponsored events are held regularly on and off campus to educate children, the public, and the industry.

nematode Steinernema carpocapsae than those larvae the endophyte-produced alkaloid, ergocristine, is part
fed on plants with no or low incidence of endophyte. of the mechanism for this resistance provided by the
Early (2-3rd) instars were equally susceptible to nema- interaction.
tode attack regardless of the host plant consumed. The significance of this research is that nematodes
I found that none of the ergot alkaloids reduced are capable of controlling black cutworm if they are
nematode survival at either 200 or 100 µg/ml, but applied when the insect is still in early stages of devel-
ergocristine reduced the infectivity of S. carpocapsae opment. Older instars (>4th) that consume exclusively
at both concentrations. Upon further examination, I endophytic perennial ryegrass become less susceptible
found that ergocristine inhibited the growth of to the nematode. This research demonstrates the abili-
Xenorhabdus nematophila, the symbiotic bacteria of ty of fungal endophytes to influence the composition
S. carpocapsae. Furthermore, X. nematophila grown of communities through multi-trophic interactions.
in broth with 200 µg/ml of ergocristine was less patho- While at The Ohio State University, I was responsi-
genic to the wax worms. I also injected X. nematophi- ble for the organization and implementation of the
la into the fall armyworm larvae and found that the first four Annual Night Insect Walks of Wayne County.
larvae that had consumed endophyte free grass died These events were very successful with each even
quicker and in more numbers than those that had attended by over 200-400 children and parents. I have
consumed endophyte infected grass clippings. My been involved in other university-sponsored events to
results suggest that the generalist plant feeder A. help educate children such as: “Bug Zoos”, the Wayne
ipsilon receives resistance against insect parasitic County Home and Garden Shows, Plant Discovery
nematodes when it consumes endophyte infected Days, and BiOhio. I have also given extension talks at
perennial ryegrass. I concluded that the presence of The Ohio State University Turf and Ornamental Field
Days.

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 19


Publications from the Dissertation: Professional Awards Received:
Kunkel, B.A. and P.S. Grewal. 2003. Endophyte infec-
tion in perennial ryegrass reduces the susceptibility of Recipient, University Graduate School
black cutworm to an entomopathogenic nematode. Leadership Award, May 2002
Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. [in press] Recipient, OARDC Graduate Student
Research Enhancement Competitive
Kunkel, B.A., P.S. Grewal and M.F. Quigley. 2003. Grant—Funded, May 2002, $5,000
Endophyte infection in perennial ryegrass reduces the
susceptibility of black cutworm to an entomopatho- Recipient, DeLong Student Paper
genic nematode: the mechanism. Biological Control [in Competition Award, The Ohio State
press] University Travel Fund Competition, 2001
Recipient, First place, Student Paper
Kunkel, B.A., P.S. Grewal and K.T. Power. 2003. A sim- Competition, APS/MSA/SON Joint Annual
ple method to remove Neotyphodium endophytes Meeting, 2001
from perennial ryegrass and tall fescue seed. [in
review]

Kunkel, B.A., S. O. Salminen, and P.S. Grewal. 2003.


Fate of Neotyphodium lolii - produced alkaloids in
generalist herbivores, Agrotis ipsilon and Spodoptera
frugiperda and possible ecological consequences.
[in prep]
Formby G.C.—Travis
enjoys the beach

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 20


“On a ship, the
Member Damage Control Party
responds to fires,
Spotlight    flooding,
explosions...”
 and missile
  
Mike Boehm
Associate Professor
The Ohio State University
College of Food, Agriculture,
and Environmental Sciences

Defending Your Turf


H ow does a plant pathologist, turfgrass specialist
to the commander of the ship. Boehm and his team
and OTF member from Sheffield Lake, Ohio find
were eventually able to equip five aircraft carriers with
himself fighting bioterrorism for the U.S. Navy?
his training system!
Ask Mike Boehm, Associate Professor in Ohio
Now that he is safely home again with his family
State University’s College of Food, Agriculture and
and in the classroom and lab at OSU, has OTF’s
Environmental Sciences.
defender against agricultural terrorism found his land
Boehm recently returned from a call to duty from
legs? “It was a difficult absence,” says Boehm. “I was
the U.S. Naval Reserves, for which he has been a
away from all I hold dear for so long: Family, friends,
member since 1995. During this call, he was stationed
colleagues and OSU. But such a call to duty requires
in Silver Springs, Maryland, where he managed the
you to go and to help provide answers. So much is at
daily operations of the Biological Defense Research
stake.”
Directorate.
Boehm indicates that much was learned that could
This effort included the dispatch of a field team to
be of relevance to the industry and to the academic
Uzbekistan to search for biological and chemical
community. He plans to initiate a course at OSU that
weapons in Afghanistan.
addresses issues on homeland security and biological,
“Whenever you heard news about the detection
chemical and nuclear weapons. He envisions partici-
and seizure of the al-Qaida’s biological weapons, we
pation from related departments, such as public
were involved in the testing,” says Boehm
health and animal sciences.
In addition to this weighty task, Boehm’s team par-
“The chain of protection must be addressed:
ticipated in the much publicized search and disposal
From plants to animals to people, knowing how to
of the anthrax-enhanced letters mailed to government
protect and strengthen each link against biological
officials and media personalities. “We tested approxi-
attack is key in our fight against these threats.”
mately 16,000 samples that came in from several
Back in his lab at OSU, Boehm is also conducting
Federal agencies,” says Boehm.
research in the area of biological control, which,
Boehm also assisted the Navy in creating a disaster
boiled down, involves the employment of organic
recovery training program for vessels under biological
materials and microbes to control bad microbes and
attack. “On a ship, the Damage Control Party
agents. He also plans to travel to Chicago in
responds to fires, flooding, and missile explosions,”
November to give a speech to the Midwest Association
says Boehm. “Until recently, this group had had no
of Golf Course Superintendents (MAGCS).
experience with biological agents.” Boehm’s response
“I am so thankful for these everyday activities,” Says
was to equip the Damage Control Party with face
Boehm, “and for being able to participate with my fel-
masks to filter airborne chemicals, equipment to test
low American in the defense of everyday activities for
the air for agents and a program to educate the entire
all its citizens.”
organization of the ship-from the ship’s medical staff

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 21


HortShorts
By Jim Chatfield
Ohio State University Extension • Nursery Landscape and Turf Team

Deciduous Conifers for Ohio


The term “deciduous conifers” almost seems oxymoronic - aren’t conifers evergreen? Most are, of
course, from pines to spruces, from hemlocks to firs. But there are several cone-bearing, needle-
bearing trees which are deciduous; they do lose those needles in the fall in Ohio. Lets take a brief
look at these deciduous conifers for Ohio landscapes: baldcypress, dawnredwood, larch, and a most
wondrous but little known example - the goldenlarch. Lets start with...

Goldenlarch (Pseudolarix amabilis). Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum).


As you might imagine from its name, goldenlarch This is a far more versatile tree than we sometimes real-
develops lovely golden fall color. What I did not realize ize. Not only is it a great choice for a grove of trees in a
until this fall is that the rows of small upright cones are swampy area but baldcypress can also thrive in more upland
also a waxy golden color in the fall - and this is a truly mag- drier sites, though don’t push this too far and put it in a
nificent feature though a bit lessened by the fact that postage stamp plot in a parking lot! Baldcypress does not
cones are often obscured by being high up in the tree. quite match the fall color beauty of larch or goldenlarch
Nevertheless, it is worth the search and the needle colors but the pumpkin to orange brown feathery foliage is still a
throughout the year are more than enough in the mean- positive ornamental feature. This feathery foliage is quite an
time. In April and May the radiating clusters of needles on attribute throughout the growing season as are the reddish
the spur branches are a soft light green, springy to the brown buttressed trunks and the narrowly pyramidal sym-
touch, stiffening through the season to the yellow and metrical growth habit. Baldcypress can become fairly tall
orange golds of autumn. It is a medium size tree (30-40 with age and provides a sentinel-like aspect in the winter-
feet), typically open in habit with some horizontal branch- scape. If you plant it near a lake or other water feature, little
es; excellent for large areas such as a golf course as long as cypress knobs or “knees” may emerge in wet soil areas or in
pH is not too alkaline and the tree is not completely open the water, which come to think of it, are probably not much
to wind exposures. fun for the golfer who’s shot has gone astray.

Larch (Larix spp.). Dawnredwood


Larches are similar to goldenlarch in some ways, but
trees are more pyramidal, more graceful when young with (Metasequoia glyptostroboides).
horizontal branches and drooping branchlets and with a The story is almost familiar now, about the discovery of
more blue-green tint to the foliage in summer. If you have this tree first in the fossil record and then in a living stand
a low swampy area in a golf course or parkland setting in eastern China in the early 1940s. Brought out to the rest
larches will do well, though this does not mean that they of the world by an Arnold Arboretum plant discovery mis-
will thrive in heavy clay soils. As with goldenlarch, larches sion in 1948, dawnredwoods are now again spread over the
prefer acid rather than alkaline soils. Again foliage is mag- earth from New Zealand to Greenland, from Maine to
nificent with a soft light green incomparably verdant look Florida. They do quite well in Ohio, with fast-growing tower-
and feel in spring and outstanding spun gold color in fall. ing trees in arboreta and landscapes throughout the state. It
Larches range from the U.S. native Eastern or American has lovely feathery foliage (larger than baldcypress) on
larch or tamarack (Larix laricina) to the European larch opposite branchlets, a gloriously pyramidal shape, fluted
(L. decidua) and the Japanese larch (L. kaempferi). trunks, a graceful look in all seasons, attractive tiny cones,
Female “flowers” in spring are a spectacular rosy to magen- and good orange-golden fall foliage. Dawnredwood straw
ta color for a short but splendid period as is the waxy rose under the tree by November makes a wonderful soft bed, a
color to the young female cones which later mature to perfect lie perhaps for the errant golf shot, and if the trees
small attractive brown cones. are limbed up a bit, possibly not a bad place to line up your
next shot. Give dawnredwoods plenty of vertical space—they
will grow in a hurry.
Try these lovely deciduous conifers, they add grace to
the large plantscape, have few pests though larch casebear-
ers and baldcypress mites can occasionally be problems, and
add textural features throughout the season and especially
foliage effects—except in winter.
OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 22
OTF Guest C O L U M N

Tournament Preparation
For Your Golf Course
A
s I sit here looking out the window and watching the snow fall, I am wondering, as most
superintendents are, what the summer will bring in terms of challenges. We have already
started planning for the upcoming Nationwide Tour event and I hope all other superin-
tendents have started planning for the big events at their clubs. The planning will include things
such as irrigation upgrades to make sure those areas not covered as well as we would like are now
covered, changes in bunkers to make them play the way they should (correct drainage problems,
add sand or change sand type, etc), trees that need to be pruned or taken down and many other
tasks that will improve the playability of our golf courses. We should also be planning our fertil-
ization and chemical applications at this time. While we are months away from our events we still
have a pretty good idea of the potential pathogens that might be around at the time of our
event. Since we know the dates of our event we can work backwards making the last application
about 3 to 5 days prior to our event and then making all other applications fall into place. We
must also be thinking of the way we want the course to play during the event. What speed would
we like the greens to roll? How firm would we like the greens, tees and fairways to be? Plan the
number of tasks that you will need to do to make your event perfect. At the same time start plan-
ning for the staff you will need. How many will you need and will anyone returning need to be
trained in a new task? Are you going to do something different with the technique you use to
rake your bunkers (spin rake, hand rake, use a broom) and how long will it take to make your
staff proficient at it? These are just a hand full areas we must plan for to make our next member
guest or club championship more successful.
The other part of our plan that must come together is who will make sure all of the training
gets done and in the proper way? We as golf course superintendents find ourselves involved
more and more with the business end and less and less with the day to day agronomics and tasks
that must be done. We must delegate to our assistants, irrigation technicians and foremen all of
the tasks we no longer have time to do. This means that those to whom we delegate to must be
properly trained and we must still check to see that the task is being done correctly. We must
make sure from time to time that as those who are trained are not forgetting important steps and
that the next generation of trainer is not forgetting more steps and pretty soon you end up with
something you have never seen before! Superintendents must be good communicators in order
to properly do their jobs!
If we properly plan in the off season we set ourselves up for success in the heat of battle. If we
fail to plan, we plan to fail! Take time in your off season to set goals for the upcoming season and
include those goals in your plans. Push yourself and your staff to be better at everything next year
than you were this year. Proper planning allows superintendents to do the things they need to
during the stress of the season instead of putting out “fires” all summer. Be in fire prevention
mode, not fire fighting mode!

Good luck in your upcoming season!

John Miller, CGCS


Yankee Trace Golf Club
OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 23
Ohio Sod Producers Association
Membership Directory
In 2002, the Ohio Sod Producers Association (OSPA) and OTF formed an
exciting and unique relationship in which OSPA members automatically
become members of OTF. With this relationship, OSPA and its members
maintain their identity as sod producers, while being provided the many
benefits of OTF membership.
Following is a directory listing of OSPA members, listed alphabetically. These sod produc-
ers are all members of OTF. OTF members are encouraged to patronize members of
OSPA/OTF. When making your next sod purchase, please consult this directory. A separate
directory with a locator map will soon be made available. For information, contact the sod
producers near you, or call OTF at 888-683-3445.

Agriscapes ET&T
Craig Montgomery Bryan Ross
6456 Cincinnati-Dayton Rd 5801 S Section Line Rd
Liberty Township, OH 45044 Delaware, OH 43015
Phone: (513) 779-7002 Phone: (740) 881-5800
Fax: (513) 779-1799 Fax: (740) 881-5749
E-mail: agriscapes1@prodigy.net E-mail: edssod@aol.com
Website: www.agriscapesohio.com Sodding and seeding.
Landscape contractor: Quality grown bluegrass and fes-
cue turfgrass sod, Hydroseeding and Hardscape ser-
vices. Serving the Cincinnati and Dayton Areas. Eastgate Sod
Mike Ward
Bucyrus Equipment Company 10491 St Rt 48
Loveland, OH 45140
Mark Hildreth or Brent Vosika Phone: (513) 683-6436
209 Main Fax: (513) 683-2128
Hillsdale, KS 66036 E-mail: mward@eastgatesod.com
Phone: (913) 783-4600 Website: www.eastgatesod.com
Fax: (913) 783-4606 Eastgate Sod is a grower of premium turf type tall fescue
E-mail: markh@mokancomm.net sod for the Greater Cincinnati area. Pick-up, delivery,
Website: www.bucyrusmagnum.com and installation available.
Magnum Sod harvester for Big Roll applicators, sizes
available 30” - 48”. Magnum 136A Installer/Loader.
Full line distributor of Magnum Netting Products (Big
Roll wrap and Field Net), Sod tubes, staples and other
Eastside Nursery Southern
accessories.
Ohio Division
Brad Meyer
Clive Brofford Sod Farm 2830 Greentree Rd
Lebanon, OH 45036
Clive Brofford Phone: (513) 934-1661
3315 Norton Rd Fax: (513) 934-1795
Grove City, OH 43123 E-mail: eastside@your-net.com
Phone: (614) 878-1758 Website: www.eastsidenursery.com
Bluegrass sod, wholesale-retail field pick-up or delivery. Wholesale sod; sod and seed installation; landscape
design and installation.

Columbus Turf Nursery, Ltd.


Daniel Huggett
14337 US 23
Eastside Nursery, Inc.
Brad Dutton
Ashville, OH 43103 7623 Lithopolis Rd
Phone: (740) 983-8873 Groveport, OH 43125
Fax: (740) 983-6580 Phone: (614) 836-9800
E-mail: colturf@columbus-turf.com Fax: (614) 836-SODD
Website: www.columbus-turf.com E-mail: eastsidenursery@ee.net
Growers of The Best Quality Turfgrass Sod in Premium Website: www.eastsidenursery.com
Bluegrass Blends and Elite Tall Fescue for Sports Full service landscape design installation and sod installa-
Fields, Golf Courses, Schools, Parks, and Home Lawns. tion, brick pavers, tree farmer - wholesale supply Koi
pond installations and designs.

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 24


Green Acres Sod Farms Lavy Enterprises Turf Grass, Inc.
Rodney Howald Stuart Young
6801 Troy Rd 12386 W National Rd
Radnor, OH 43066 New Carlisle, OH 45344
Phone: (740) 815-2963 Phone: (937) 845-3721
Fax: (740) 595-3505 Fax: (937) 845-0840
E-mail: rodney@dehowemachine.com E-mail: lavyturf@aol.com
Raise bluegrass to sell in the field to installer and producers. Growers of irrigated bluegrass, turf type tall fescue, and bent-
grass sod. Wholesale distributors of Jacklin Seeds.

Green Carpet Turf Farms Medina Sod Farms, Inc.


Carl Brofford
2246 Harrisburg Pike Scott Gregoire
Grove City, OH 43123 14349 Burton City Rd
Phone: (614) 878-0020 Orrville, OH 44667
Bluegrass Turf, Wholesale-Retail, Delivery, Installation, Phone: (800) 683-1686
Seeding. Fax: (330) 683-1256
E-mail: msodfarm@aol.com
Website: www.medinasodfarms.com
Green Prairie Turf Inc. Sod grown to job specifications or choose from one of our quali-
ty seed blends grown on peat or soil - big roll or 1 yard roll sizes -
Jerry Ittel or Jeff Ittel delivery and installation available.
6893 Jones Rd
College Corner, OH 45003
Phone:
Fax:
(513) 523-2634
(513) 523-7229 Motz Turf Farms LTD
E-mail: gpturf@aol.com Daniel Motz or David Motz
Website: www.greenprairieturf.com 6280 Clough Pike
Fescue, bluegrass, bentgrass, zoysia, sod grown. USGA sand- Cincinnati, OH 45244
based sod grown, serving Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Phone: (513) 231-4844
beyond. Fax: (513) 231-6457
E-mail: motzfarm@aol.com
Website: www.motzturffarms.com
Green Velvet Sod Farms Turf type bluegrass and tall fescue; turf cut bigrolls and sheets.
We do installation
Randy Tischer
3620 Upper Bellbrook Rd
Bellbrook, OH 45305
Phone: (937) 848-2501 Princeton Delivery
Fax:
E-mail:
(937) 376-1153
randy@greenvelvet.com
Website: www.greenvelvet.com
Systems Inc.
Bill Pohl
Grower of Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and fine leaf fes- 955 W Walnut St
cue sod; Distributor of grass seed, fertilizer and turf suppliers. Canal Winchester, OH 43110
Phone: (614) 834-5000

Henderson Turf Farm, Inc. Fax:


E-mail:
(614) 834-5075
sales@piggy-back.com
Website: www.piggy-back.com
Kevin Elcook
2969 Beal Rd Princeton Delivery Systems manufacturers Piggy Back® truck-
Franklin, OH 45005 mounted forklifts with capacities from 3300 to 6500 lb. and
Phone: (937) 748-1559 other options. Additional information available at www.piggy-
Fax: (937) 748-1568 back.com or call (800) 331-5851.
E-mail: kevine@turfman.com
Website: www.turfman.com
At Henderson Turf Farm we wholesale and retail our sod and
provide a complete sod and seeding service for residential
Riverside Sod Farm LLC
Charlie Price or Becky Morris
and commercial customers. 3500 Hillpoint Drive
Charleston, WV 25302

Industrial Parkway Services Phone:


Fax:
(304) 344-0581
(304) 344-0582
Website: www.riversidesod.com
Mark Vollrath
729 Millcrest Dr Sod production and installation; hydroseeding; wetland delin-
Marysville, OH 43040 eations and mitigation; turf consulting; commercial landscaping.
Phone: (937) 642-3995
Fax:
E-mail:
(937) 644-9556
vollrathmark@hotmail.com Sharon Lawn Equipment
Wholesale, retail sod sales, delivery available.
(Brouwer)
Dave Cradler
11674 US 42
Sharonville, OH 45241
Phone: (513) 769-4061
E-mail: lcradler_5154@fuse.net
Brouwer Turf Equipment Dealer, B & L Mowers

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 25


Message From Your
Director of Education

Web-based 3. Turfgrass News


A periodic update of information, news, and events
calendar for various OSU faculty and staff. The web

For 2003 sites for #1 and #2 can be accessed from this site.
The web site address is http://hcs.osu.edu/turf
4. Horticulture in Virtual Perspective
An opening or web site window into the world of plants
and various OSU activities. This web site has been
developed by Dr. Tim Rhodus, Professor of
Horticulture. Web site is http://www.hcs.osu.edu
5. PlantFacts
PlantFacts is a search engine for subject matter on spe-
cific topics to plants and plant management. It is the
most comprehensive source of university publications
and fact sheets about plants, including turf, from many
university and other sources. The web site address is
http://plantfacts.osu.edu
6. Buckeye Yard and Garden Line (BYGL)
BYGL is a weekly newsletter publication of the OSU
Extension Nursery Landscape Turf Team (ENCT) pro-
viding information on timely topics, pest problems, and
current hort and turf problems across the state on a
Well, the 2003 growing season is almost upon us. weekly basis. The on-line site is enhanced with links to
Although, as I look out my office window ( February 27), I more information and color photos. The web-site address
still see snow covered, frozen turf. I sure hope there is still is http://www.bygl.html.osu.edu
grass under that tundra. It sure has been an interesting
7. Bugs
winter. I bet Mother Nature is proud. I am ready for spring.
Bugs is a compilation of fact sheets, extension bulletins,
Are you?
and a link to Dr. Shetlar’s Pest Newsletter. The Pest
Web technology and the internet are two of our best
Newsletter is a bi-weekly publication on timely topics on
friends. Educationally, here are some tools and resources
hort and turf insect problems occurring across the
that you can get to quickly and may help you in your hour
state. The web-site address is http://www.bugs.osu.edu
of need.
8. OTF website provides information on current OTF
1. Sports Turf Notes
events and activities. The OTF address is
A weekly posting of timely topics and other insights on
http://www.OhioTurfgrass.org
athletic field management is provided by the OSU
Turfgrass Team with the point person being Pam
These are eight great web-based resources for your
Sherratt, Sports Turf Extension Specialist. The web site
browsing pleasure and seasonal maintenance needs. Enjoy!
address is http://hcs.osu.edu./sportsturf.
2. Superintendents Korner
A weekly posting of timely golf maintenance topics
and tips and other insights is provided by the OSU Yours for a greener turf,
Turfgrass Team with the point person being Dr. Karl Dr. John R. Street
Danneberger, Professor of Turfgrass Science.
Director of Education
The web site address is http://hcs.osu.edu./sk.

OTF TurfNews • Vol 65 • No. 2 • 2003 • Page 26


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COLUMBUS, OHIO
PERMIT #7780

PO Box 3388
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2003 OTF Officers OTF Board of Trustees OSU Turfgrass


President
John Mowat
Trustees Science Team
Term Expires 2004
Century Equipment Dr. Michael J. Boehm
Boyd Montgomery The Ohio State University
Vice President Sylvania Recreation Dept. Plant Pathology
George Furrer
Lesco, Inc. Lin Ropp Dr. Karl Danneberger
UHS The Ohio State University
Treasurer Dept. Hort. & Crop Science
Dr. Chuck Darrah Todd Voss
CLC LABS Double Eagle Golf Club Mr. Michael Fulton
The Ohio State University
Immediate Past President Trustees Agricultural Technical Institute
Mark Heinlein Term Expires 2005
The Motz Group Dr. David Gardner
Glen Pottenger The Ohio State University
Director of Education Larch Tree Golf Course Dept. Hort. & Crop Science
Dr. John R. Street
The Ohio State University Trustees Dr. Parwinder Grewal
Term Expires 2006 OARDC/OSU
Executive Director Dept. Entomology
Kevin Thompson Mark Grunkemeyer
OTF/Offinger Management Co. Buckeye Ecocare Dr. Ed McCoy
OARDC
Mark Jordan School of Natural Resources
Westfield Companies Country Club
Mr. Joseph W. Rimelspach (Chairman)
Dan Walter The Ohio State University
City of Blue Ash Golf Course Dept. Plant Pathology
Ms. Pamela Sherratt
The Ohio State University
Dept. Hort. & Crop Science
Dr. Dave Shetlar
The Ohio State University
Dept. Entomology
Dr. John R. Street
The Ohio State University
Dept. Hort. & Crop Science
Dr. Daniel Voltz
The Ohio State University
Agricultural Technical Institute
Mr. David A. Willoughby
The Ohio State University
Agricultural Technical Institute

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